Dan4614

Does anyone have the alignment specs for the 2000 Maxima gle??? Also, does anyone know who (if anyone) makes a "camber kit" for the 2k?

I have a lifetime alignment, but the people at the alignment shop are total f*cker. I've taken my car back for alignment twice in the past week or so after fixing suspension problems. Both times they put my toe at 0, but refused to fix my caster and camber, saying that they cant do it until I get a "camber kit" which nissan doesn't make and they cant tell me who does. My alignment is totally f*cked right now, and I need the nissan specs for comparison, and to shove down the throat of my alignment guy if I prove he's full of it (taking car to nissan speciallist soon).

Here are the front alignment specs from yesterday:
Caster: +2.12 +0.52
Camber: +0.32 -0.60
Toe: 0 0

wdave

Camber - max 30min (0.5deg)
min -1.0 deg
max l-r diff - 45min(0.75 deg)

caster - max 3.50 deg
min 2.00 deg
max l-r diff - 0.75 deg

wdave

Yes your alignment is pretty bad. What did you do? Camber and caster really aren't "adjustable" on the Max, although you could get a little adjustment from the slop in the upper an lower strut mounts, mostly it depends on part changing and chassis structure.

Dan4614

wdave,
Thanks for the info. I thought this thread got burried yesterday. And yes, my alignment is totally f*cked.

What do you mean caster and camber aren't "adjustable"??? They told me I need an aftermarket, adjustable camber kit. Does that make sense? What can I do? What part changes would fix this? Are there any suspension upgrades I should do at the same time? (Sorry these questions are all over the place but I'm really in the dark on this one.)

Here is the story of what happened:
I was driving down a big left sloping freeway off-ramp in the rain. It was a beautiful 2-lane turn that I could normally take at 60 mph without problems, but it had just started raining so I took it at about 45. Anyways...I hit some oil, or turned too sharp, or taped the brakes, or something, and next thing I know, my front end is pointed at the left curb and I am drifting around the turn at about 40. My front tires had enough tracktion that I staitened my car out, but they lost it when I tried to hold it strait. I countersteered back and forth (at one point I was almost totally sideways) and ended up with my front-right tire up on the curb. Not bad, considering that there was not body, rim, tire, damage done. I realized I was going to hit the curb, so I pointed my tire at it as to not smash my rim and destroy my axle, etc... This is why my alignment is off so far. Some carzy sh*t, eh?

wdave

Camber and caster are not factory adjustable on the Max. For them to be off means something is bent - strut, suspension arm, chassis. You probably can get some aftermarket camber/caster kit to compensate, but finding what's bent and fixing it would be better. I would start with the strut, but would be suspicious of the lower control arm an/or the part of the chassis it mounts too - your numbers look like the rear mount moved inward.

Dan4614

Oh f*ck. Do you know where I can get a camber/caster kit from? I'm taking my car to the shop tomarow, so we will put it on the lift and check out the strut, lca, chassis, etc... Will I have long term problems using only the camber/caster kit to fix this? Thanks again for all of the information.

wdave

Offhand I don't know where to get the kits - Ground Control or Cattman probably have something - you can do a search on this site. As for long term problems - depends on whats bent. If it's the strut - not only will it be cheaper than camber plates, but it will fail prematurely anyway. Otherwise, the car's just crooked.