For almost a year, I have been experiencing handling/ride problems with my 97 Accord (200K miles) After new tires (Michelin Pilot Exaltos), new struts and multiple alignments, the problem still persisted. I experience the following symptoms. * little on-center feel * suspension feels loose * steering feels disconnected from the wheels * handling is unstable at freeway speeds * car wallows at freeway speeds * steering gets tripped up by road irregularities and bumps at all speeds * car veers side to side on grooved pavement. (tires basically lock into grooves) * crosswinds cause quite a bit of side to side movement at high speeds.
I think I may have finally figured out the problem. I brought the car to a local alignment shop, which told me that they can only adjust toe. Apparently camber and caster can not be adjusted (forget if this is a limitation of the car or only certain alignment shops) The alignment machine they had it on showed a significant negative caster which is known to cause these type of symptoms. I believe the machine showed the factory specs are 2.8, with my car registering 1.08 In summary, I would like to know if indeed front caster is adjustable on 94-97 Honda Accords. If not, can I correct a negative caster by replacing bushings and other worn suspension components? This handling issue is driving me nuts and only seems to be getting worse. Even at 200K, my Accord runs great and I want to keep it in top shape Thanks