I bought a new set of "bolt on" struts for my 04 Cavalier which included springs, struts, strut mounts, etc. When I went to put them on I noticed the lower hole in the strut is a slot rather than a round hole like the original. We don't seem to have any great alignment shops around here so I'm wondering if there's a home method I can use to set the camber. I'm not a perfectionist and I realize the original probably wasn't perfect so I'm just looking for a ballpark way to set the camber. When I installed the struts I tried to get the bolt in the middle of the slot and then tighten it but I looked at the wheels when I got done and looks like the driver's side has a little negative camber compared to the other side.

Id just find a place that can do a alignment for you. You can try with string or use a level but its not gonna be perfect by any means. If you dont get a alignment your prob gonna scrub your tires in some weird ways or have the car pull one way or the other. Nobody can do a home job like you can on a alignment machine.


"Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers"-Colin McRae

Nope,need to find a decent shop


- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

Will I have to pay the extra expense of having a rear wheel alignment since I didn't do anything to the rear? Most of the shops try to feed me the line that they have to do a 4 wheel alignment on these cars. I don't buy it.

I dont even think they do two wheel alignment anymore. Any time I remember its always a four, I could be wrong though.


"Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers"-Colin McRae

No, you're probably right, they make more money on a 4 wheel alignment than 2. I wouldn't care to pay for a decent alignment if I thought I'd get one but I don't think the shops around here know enough about it. I'm still looking.

Is anything in the rear even adjustable, typically it is only adjustable is the rear has independant suspension, Cavaliers dont


- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

I don't really think it is...I just think the shops around here think their customers are stupid so why not stick them with a 4 wheel alignment. Like I said earlier, I didn't touch the rear suspension and the tires look fine. If it wasn't for that stupid slotted hole I would have just bolted it together and forgot about it.

Joe - Most shops dont stick you with a 4 wheel alignment.

Most vehicles have rear adjustment nowadays


- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

what i do is trace around the old strut on the knuckle with a marker before taking it off. then put th new strut in the sam spot. that gets it in ball park. but you should still get it aligned.

most people, on our cars, call it a four wheel compenation alignment. because you align the front wheels with the rear.

The rear alignment on J-body vehicles is changed through shims between the wheel bearing assembly and the bearing mounting flange. In my entire career as a GM technician, I never messed with the factory setting in the rear unless the car was in a collision of some sort and it needed a degree here or there. I wouldn't worry too much about the rear alignment if I were you.

As far as a good alignment shop, any shop that has the laser type or camera type computerized alignment machines are usually pretty good. The technician is supose to put your vin and vehicle information into the computer when setting up for the alignment. Then when the alignments is complete, the technician is suppose to have the ability to provide a print out from the alignment machine with all of your measurements and tolerances (and vehicle information) after everything is tightened. If you get a print out, I would recommend asking if the print out was before or after everything was tightened. In my career, I've seen technicians print out the readings as soon as everything was green and then tighten averything up. Usually, the measurements will change and the alignment will be off after this happens and the actual alignment of the vehicle won't agree with the print out you receive.



Some people have brain storms, others light drizzles. And then there are those that have droughts.

JCZ Z24, thanks for the info. I had my Corvette aligned and they gave me a piece of paper with the before and after settings on it. Trouble is, the rear wheels were at a severe negative camber and I knew it wasn't right. The "specialist" had aligned the rear of the car with it jacked up and the rear wheels hanging! Of course when the car was back on the ground the camber changed.