AZ-ZBum

What do coils have anything to do with it? Unless he's wanting to change the springs. And even then, there is no way to adjust the number of coils in the springs.

Alignment shops NEVER touch springs. They just can't. There is nothing to do to adjust them. So since the stock Z31 is only capable of having the toe adjusted, there isn't much he can do about them. Only if he slots the rear crossmember can the camber be adjusted.

And all that stuff after the disclaimer is part of my signature.

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redz31

Hi
Your not a dummy - that much I can tell, I dont claim to know everything.
But your last post is a bit confusing?? - perhaps its a language barrier between Aust and US

What do coils have anything to do with it? Coils have a direct relationship between the height/ lift between the body and the axle(arm) - if the coil is sagging (ie 20 yr old car) the camber will change as the car is lower and wear will occur on the inside - do you want me to draw a picture to explain?

Unless he's wanting to change the springs. Confusing??? There are no leaf springs in the Z? I must assume that you are referring to coil springs - in Aust we call them coils or coil springs - generally springs refer to leaf type which are not present. However I also understand that there are coils in springs hence coil springs - I wasnt referring to the amount of coils in the spring but rather the height of the coil/ spring under load - see previous post.

And even then, there is no way to adjust the number of coils in the springs. Correct you cannot adjust the height, the number of coils in a sized spring can change depending on manufacturer and type (cold /hot/ performance), having said that there is a determined amount of coils in the specs of the manufacturer this also includes thickness.

Alignment shops NEVER touch springs. They just can't. This is correct!!

There is nothing to do to adjust them. This is correct!!

So since the stock Z31 is only capable of having the toe adjusted, there isn't much he can do about them. This is not quite correct as the castor can be adjusted as well.

NOTE: If the coil spring is sagging after twenty years of use then they need replacing due to the wear from the camber change (will be negative camber causing wear on inner of tyre)

Only if he slots the rear crossmember can the camber be adjusted. Yes but if the coil is sagging you need to replace the coil - slotting will only give you an adjustment - it will not replace the stiffness that the coil has lost - he needs to fix the problem (sagging coil) as this effects the ride itself and places more load on the shocks to absorb the excessive bounce on a bumpy road - slotting is good if the coils are not quite to specs as it can compensate the camber missing from the height adjustment (negative/ or positive)
Hope this helps

AZ-ZBum

Definitely a language barrier. You should put your location in your profile so people know you use different words for things.

springs are springs are springs. If they're coil or leaf, they're always just called springs. Over here, some people say coil springs or leaf springs, but never just leaf or just coil.

There is more to a spring than just the number of coils. Type of material used. Strength of metal. Diameter of coil. Thickness of metal. Overall height of coil. Overall length of metal. etc. Just saying the number of coils isn't going to do anything. And it's pretty much irrelevant anyway. Aftermarket springs do not conform to standard specifications as set forth by the original manufacturer. Aftermarket springs typically lower cars slightly anyway.

That would be directly related to the spring constant and the free length of the spring. Neither of which can be adjusted by any alignment shop. So it's irrelevant information.

Yes. But as is pointed out, it's not adjustable. So what does it matter?

This is a true statement. But the ability to buy original springs is very low. Most aftermarket springs are designed to give a firmer ride and at the same time lower the car from the original height. Thus, the actual ride height will not likely change and thus the camber issue will still be present.

Once again. Finding original spec coil springs is getting more difficult to do (if it's even possible). Softer springs will actually take less load on the shocks since the shocks won't be fighting for control. But it will increase the chances of the car bottoming out, which can create other problems in the long run.

So telling him to replace his coil springs as a way to adjust the camber is not a solid piece of advice. You'd have to test, measure, calculate, test, measure, calculate, a number of times. And then you'd have to hope that the springs you need are even available.

No. To adjust the camber, you want to slot the crossmember. It's the only viable solution to his problem. Replacing the coil springs just isn't feasible. Especially if he already has aftermarket springs in his car.

__________________
Disclaimer:
One thing you'll find about me is that I can be very helpful to people who take their time to ask complete questions with good grammar and punctuation. I'm also a real ass to people who don't show at least a little effort in their posts.
Z31 Registry
Z32 Registry