Honda S2000 Home Alignment: Setting Camber, Caster and Toe

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Time 2-4 hours

Level Moderate

Steps 12

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Caution

Do not drive at speed with rear toe-out; it makes the S2000 unstable.
Support the car on stands whenever you reach under it; never rely on the jack.
Large camber settings wear tyre inner edges quickly on the street.

Introduction

The S2000 has eccentric cam adjusters on the front control arms (camber and caster) and on the rear arms (camber and toe), and threaded tie rods for front toe. That means a careful owner can measure and set the alignment at home with a camber gauge and strings, which is useful after lowering the car or changing bushings, or for switching between street and track settings. The key ideas: set ride height first, measure on a level floor with the car's weight on its wheels, change one end at a time, and re-check toe after every camber or caster change. Many shops will not set anything outside factory spec, which is another reason owners learn this. Adapted from a community writeup by Rob Robinette on robrobinette.com (https://robrobinette.com/S2000Alignment.htm).

Procedure

12 steps

Step 1: Prepare the car

Set the ride height you intend to run. Inflate the tyres to the pressure you will use (the OEM cold figure is 32 psi). Put the car on a flat, level surface and roll it back and forth so the suspension settles. Check that the subframe bolts are tight, because loose subframe bolts let the alignment creep. The writeup notes that the workshop manual says to replace subframe bolts once they have been loosened, and that the 17mm and 19mm bolts have different torque figures, so use the manual.
Step 2: Mark every adjuster

Before turning anything, mark each eccentric cam bolt against the arm. This lets you count how far you moved it and return to the start if needed.
Step 3: Measure baseline camber and caster

Measure camber at each wheel with the gauge on the hub or a flat wheel face. Measure front caster with the gauge's swing method. Write everything down.
Step 4: Set front caster and camber

Loosen the front control arm cam lock nuts and turn the eccentrics. Moving the adjusters toward maximum outward extension gives the most caster and negative camber; then match left and right. For reference, the OEM specification quoted in the writeup is 6 degrees +/- 15' caster and -0 degrees 30' +/- 10' camber. The writeup suggests the UK-market AP1 specification (6 degrees 45' caster, -1 degree camber) as a moderate autocross setting, and about 6-7.5 degrees caster with -3.5 degrees camber for an aggressive track setting, which needs extra camber hardware.
Step 5: Set rear camber

Loosen the rear camber adjusters, start from maximum outward extension and adjust to match side to side. OEM rear camber is -1 degree 30' +/- 10'. The UK specification is -2 degrees, and an aggressive track setting is around -3 degrees.
Step 6: Snug the cam bolts

Tighten each lock nut with a wrench on both the nut and the bolt head so the eccentric cannot turn as it tightens. The writeup quotes factory figures of 40 and 58 lb-ft for the different adjuster lock nuts, and Energy Suspension's S2000 sheet lists 58 lb-ft for the front lower arm cam bolts and nuts. Check which figure applies to each adjuster in the factory service manual. The writeup also notes that the latest workshop manual says to replace these lock nuts every time they are loosened.
Step 7: Set up the toe strings

Centre the steering wheel. Run a string down each side of the car at hub height, set the same distance from the front and rear hub centres. On the AP1 the rear is 2.25 in wider than the front at the wheel mounting faces, so the front end of each string must sit 1.125 in further out from the front wheel than the rear does to keep the string parallel to the car. That figure is for the AP1 with equal-offset wheels. On an AP2 or with staggered wheels, measure the difference yourself.
Step 8: Measure toe

Measure from the string to the front and rear edges of each rim. Equal readings mean zero toe; front edge smaller than rear means toe-in. Measure at the same height each time. A laser level on the hubs with rulers is faster and more repeatable than strings.
Step 9: Adjust front toe

Hold each tie rod end with a 19mm wrench, loosen the 19mm lock nut, and turn the rod with a 14mm wrench. Counter-clockwise shortens the rod and adds toe-in; clockwise lengthens it and reduces toe-in. Turn both sides equally to keep the steering wheel centred. OEM front spec is 0 +/- 0.08in; torque the lock nuts to 33 lb-ft.
Step 10: Adjust rear toe

Rear toe has its own adjuster, but the camber adjuster also moves toe. The writeup's method: set camber first, then if there is toe-out or too little toe-in use the toe adjuster, and if there is too much toe-in use the camber adjuster. OEM total rear toe-in is 0.24 +/- 0.08 in on the AP1 and 0.14 +/- 0.08 in on the AP2. Never run rear toe-out.
Step 11: Re-check everything

Bounce the car, roll it, and measure camber and toe again. Any camber or caster change requires a fresh toe check.
Step 12: Test drive

Drive and check the steering wheel is centred and the car tracks straight. If the wheel is off-centre, shorten one tie rod and lengthen the other by the same amount.

Tips

Change one end of the car at a time and test, so you know which change caused what.
Keep wrenches on both ends of an eccentric bolt while tightening; if it slips, toe changes.
Lowering the car by about an inch or more lets the stock adjusters reach more negative camber.

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