I measured my wheelbase and found it's 1/8" longer on the driver's side. Before I correct this I thought I'd post a question. Could this be by design? Factory compensation for the slight camber in most roads? Or is it within "normal" factory tolerances?

 

I'm not sure on the correct way to approach this, but have you checked the alignment of your rear end? According to your sig you have adjustable LCA's; is it possible the rear end was not centered when installing them? One side may be out a turn showing it to be longer on one side (driver's in your case) than the other.

I would assume the car to be square all around, but as I stated I have no clue on the factory tolerances.

 

An 1/8" could be easily be just one turn on your LCA's. How many times did you measure it to ensure it simply wasn't a measurement error? And also- what was your method of measurement?

 

Actually I set them to the same length as the originals. The originals were of identical length. Method was "a friend and a contractor type (long) tape rule" ... it was the best available to me. It was done on a flat concrete driveway which is the closest to a setup pad I can access. I'll check the arm lengths again next week ... a turn or even 1/2 a turn might be the difference. Thanks for the replies. I thought I might have found one of the reasons our cars are so evil on snow.

 

It sounds like you just need a good alignment. You can't adjust the left and right rear LCA's to different lengths to compensate for you're wheelbase difference. You'll change the thrust angle which will make the rear track odd and can cause tire wear. It will also cause you're steering wheel to be off center. A difference in caster side to side can also change wheel base a small amount. You need to bring it to a competent shop and get a four wheel alignment. Be sure to tell the tech that you've installed adjustable parts in the rear otherwise they probably won't look and will just adjust the front.

 

I took the measurement out of curiosity. I don't see any odd tire wear or feel anything strange in handling or hard acceleration and braking. If I didn't measure WB I wouldn't even consider changing anything. A good thought about 4 corner alignment but having read a few threads relating how some chassis shops don't understand 4th gen adjustments I still have a set of Energy Suspension A-Arm bushings in a box. I never installed them because no one I know can or will recommend an alignment shop (Middlesex County, NJ). I should have remembered the old "never go looking for trouble" caution!! (I'm thinking it's best left alone) Thanks for the reply.

 

I got a great alignment many years ago at STS on Rt. 18 in East Brunswick. They actually listened to me, and understood what I wanted. No problem with the fact my car had a complete new front end and had been lowered. They aligned it to my specs, no questions asked. Still running the same alignment, even though the car has been returned to stock ride height.

 

"I got a great alignment many years ago at STS on Rt. 18 in East Brunswick"
Thanks for the tip. I think I'll stop there in the near future and talk to them. Hopefully, whoever knew their trade is still there.