19bonestock88's 2004 Saturn "Ion Green Line" build...

[19bonestock88]

Alignment was corrected, and since I let a high school career center do the work, it was free... asked them to shoot for zero toe but keep it in spec... “perfect” was 0.1(cant remember inch or degree) and I ended up at .04...

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

Alignment was corrected, and since I let a high school career center do the work, it was free... asked them to shoot for zero toe but keep it in spec... “perfect” was 0.1(cant remember inch or degree) and I ended up at .04...

Can't complain about free! I paid for zero toe.

[19bonestock88]

I was prepared to, but the instructor (good friend of mine) just let me have the work free... even raised the car up and loaned me a sawzall to cut off a rattling heat shield... free weight reduction of about 60g lol

I *did* discover something else that will need attention at some point... when my rear axle bushings were changed, my axle wasn’t put back totally straight, and I now have a thrust angle of 0.3 degree... need to loosen the mount on drivers side and shove it back about .3” or split the difference between the two sides (left side back and right side forward)

[California98Civic]

Yeah, I have worn bushings on the rear driver side suspension... been that way a few years now. I am cheap! CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!

[19bonestock88]

My axle bushings being shot made the car feel really weird in turns and it ate all four tires at a prodigious rate... the guy did try and reassure me that a 0.3 degree thrust angle wasn’t bad, I kinda feel bad because since early spring I’ve spent about $1000 rebuilding the suspension piece by piece, and to have rear alignment off irks me a little...

It still handles like a dream for having cheap tires on it that now feel too narrow and pillowy(even at 55psi)... feels like I need like a 50 series tire for cornering...
You know, and about another 250hp lol...

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

My axle bushings being shot made the car feel really weird in turns and it ate all four tires at a prodigious rate... the guy did try and reassure me that a 0.3 degree thrust angle wasn’t bad, I kinda feel bad because since early spring I’ve spent about $1000 rebuilding the suspension piece by piece, and to have rear alignment off irks me a little...

It still handles like a dream for having cheap tires on it that now feel too narrow and pillowy(even at 55psi)... feels like I need like a 50 series tire for cornering...
You know, and about another 250hp lol...

My bushings are worn but my handling ain't THAT bad. Still, you spent your money well if it "handles like a dream" ... we gotta enjoy what we drive because we gotta drive it a lot!

[19bonestock88]

My bushings were wasted when I bought the car, it just took me a while to replace them... when the entire rear axle pivots on two bushings, one or both being bad gives you random, passive four wheel steering, all dependent on suspension load... the rear end would “flop” as you stuck it in a curve, you almost had to turn in some, wait for the suspension to give, and then take the curve... a lot to think about when you’re trying to drive fast lol... I’ve probably had five, six sets of tires on my car in the 33k I’ve driven it (14mo)...

[19bonestock88]

I revised my grille block this evening, widening the inlet for the upper half of lower grille, going to 31.5” wide (prev 29”) to help with coolant temperature on freeway... I also blended the tape directly to the bumper cover instead of the lower grille insert for a smoother appearance (and maybe less aero drag?)

[19bonestock88]

A better view of my new grille block... I love the look of fresh tape lol...

[19bonestock88]

So I’m at a loss for what to do next... what’s cheap(or free) that is effective and easy-ish that I’m missing?