Search | Car Forums | Gallery | Articles | Helper | AF 350Z | IgorSushko.com | Corporate |
| Latest | 0 Rplys |
|
Engineering/Technical Ask technical questions about cars. Do you know how a car engine works? |
Show Printable Version | Email this Page | Subscribe to this Thread |
|
Thread Tools |
06-23-2020, 02:40 PM | #1 | |
AF Enthusiast
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
In February and March of this year, I had four-wheel alignments performed on a 2010 Honda Accord EX sedan I purchased in January. The first one, as part of inspection after buying it. The second one, after a full set of new, matching tires had been installed on it. My impressions after having driven this Accord for three months since last full alignment: 1. Easy to steer and drive in general. 2. Rolls like nothing else! 3. Fair return to center of steering wheel. 4. Neutral on regular streets(does not pull remarkably to either side). 5. Does not wander(constant left and right pull). But: On highways, at speeds over 50mph, it drifts to the left enough to be slightly annoying and disconcerting. This occurs in any of three lanes of a typical I-95-type interstate, and makes such travel a chore rather than a relaxing weekend escape out of town: Constant nudges and right-ward turning of the wheel to keep out of the lane to left of mine, or away from the Jersey barrier if in the passing lane(!) Again: ONLY on highways and sometimes on parkways. The most recent alignment results, from the March job, indicate all within spec, close to the center of range. Caster is slightly shy, toward the low end of range, but 1/10 degree of equal side to side. The Camber angle is a little *weird*: 0.2° positive on the front left, and 0.1° negative on the front right. Using your hands to illustrate, they'd both be 'leaning' to the car's left. Honda calls for 0° Camber up front on this model. Rear camber slightly but equally negative in back. But all Cambers are inside spec. range. As you know me well, cold tire pressures maintained precisely from tire to tire, 33.000psi according to the gauge I use. No brakes issues, rubbing, binding, etc. I've read, in Porcelain U., in altogether too many sites on alignment fundamentals that a tire/wheel travels in the direction it leans. Could that be what I'm experiencing - on highways - with this Accord? |
|
06-23-2020, 03:58 PM | #2 | |
A990 racer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 16,962
Thanks: 25
Thanked 373 Times in 367 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
.3 degrees cross camber with the lt being more positive than the rt can cause a slight drift to the lt, road contour can contribute to this also, this may or may not occur across all vehicle lines.
__________________
|
|
06-23-2020, 04:06 PM | #3 | ||
AF Enthusiast
Thread starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Quote:
But on the interstates, it's two hands, constantly steering slightly right(between 12 & 1 o'clock), in any lane. The center lane is rutted from all the semis, so the effect varies. Does something on the suspension 'bend' more at highway speeds, producing this left drift? What can be done to remedy it? Last edited by RidingOnRailz; 06-23-2020 at 05:06 PM. |
||
06-24-2020, 07:59 AM | #4 | |
A990 racer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 16,962
Thanks: 25
Thanked 373 Times in 367 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Assuming it is not a tire causing this, the cross camber should be reduced to as to close to 0 as possible. Other things can cause the this, such as the thrust angle out of range or wheel setback, all these are measured on a modern computerized alignmnent machine, if you had this done, the final printout sheet would show these figures
__________________
|
|
06-24-2020, 01:55 PM | #5 | ||
AF Enthusiast
Thread starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Quote:
The aligner I use is really good, and listens to out of the box ideas. He says the only way *he* knows how to reduce the positive left camber angle is by shifting the subframe. Even reducing it to +0.1° would be better, or 0°, per Honda specs. Last edited by RidingOnRailz; 06-24-2020 at 09:03 PM. |
||
06-24-2020, 03:07 PM | #6 | |
A990 racer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 16,962
Thanks: 25
Thanked 373 Times in 367 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
I'd like to see the final printout from your alignment, I am pretty familiar with this stuff as I was an instructor for Hunter back in the day.
__________________
|
|
06-24-2020, 07:07 PM | #7 | ||
AF Enthusiast
Thread starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Quote:
CAMBER...........+0.2°.............-0.1°........-0.8°..+0.5° CASTER............+3.2°............+3.1°.......+2. 7°..4.2° TOE.................+0.01°..........+0.01°......-0.08.+0.08° SAI....................8.3°..............8.7°..... ...Not spec on printout CROSS CAMBER:.......0.3°......RANGE:..-0.5°.+0.5° CROSS SAI...............0.4°................not specified REAR:..............LEFT..............RIGHT........ ...RANGE CAMBER..........-1.4°...............-1.4°...........-1.8.-0.5° TOE................+0.05°...........+0.10°........ 0.0.+0.16°(middle of range is +0.08°) TOTAL TOE:.............0.15°.........RANGE:....0.0..0.31 ° T/A:.......................-0.03° (Upload image says "resource too large" - too big my a$$!) So I typed it all in |
||
06-25-2020, 06:21 AM | #8 | |
A990 racer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 16,962
Thanks: 25
Thanked 373 Times in 367 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Missing thrust angle and set back, Google both you will see what this is and how it can affect the car.
__________________
|
|
06-25-2020, 04:00 PM | #9 | ||
AF Enthusiast
Thread starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Quote:
The sheet did not include Setback, but I do understand the tendency for a vehicle to track in the direction of the shorter wheelbase. My aligner did explain that cross-caster of half a degree or more could contribute to unintentional setback, and thus a drift or more severely a pull in the direction of less caster angle. Last edited by RidingOnRailz; 06-25-2020 at 06:17 PM. |
||
06-25-2020, 06:26 PM | #10 | |
A990 racer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 16,962
Thanks: 25
Thanked 373 Times in 367 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Thrust angle is not an issue. Have you swapped tires, and or tried to cut down the crosscamber. You msy not completely eliminate this. I'd swap front wheels and see what happens.
__________________
|
|
06-25-2020, 07:56 PM | #11 | ||
AF Enthusiast
Thread starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Quote:
Also, do you think both the cross-camber and cross-SAI indicate accident/damage at that left front corner? I mean, the tops of both front wheels should not be angled in the same direction. |
||
06-25-2020, 08:27 PM | #12 | |
A990 racer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 16,962
Thanks: 25
Thanked 373 Times in 367 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Any pull or drifting condition is worse at higher speeds. Again, if they cannot get the cross camber near zero, look for something bent, even though they are close, fwd vehicles can be sensitive to this. Btw I have seen new tires have off center conicity.
__________________
|
|
06-26-2020, 04:33 AM | #13 | ||
AF Enthusiast
Thread starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Quote:
The challenge is getting someone do to something about it: The front camber angles are 'within spec'. It's just where they are within that range that is causing the problem. Even my preferred aligner said "just leave it alone". But I'm the one driving it every day. Last edited by RidingOnRailz; 06-26-2020 at 09:25 AM. |
||
06-28-2020, 04:38 PM | #14 | |
AF Enthusiast
Thread starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Posts: 788
Thanks: 45
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
Soooo..
Subframe shift to move Front Left camber angle to more upright, or, replace LCA to restore spec. Would a subframe shift affect both sides, or just the side with the problem? |
|
06-29-2020, 06:57 AM | #15 | |
A990 racer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chestertown, New York
Posts: 16,962
Thanks: 25
Thanked 373 Times in 367 Posts
|
Re: 2010 Honda Accord: Long-Term Alignment Impressions
It would affect both sides.
__________________
|
|
|
POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD |
Tags |
alignment , drift , left , wheel |
|
|