Camber when Lowered

[Av_Dave]

Is it true you knock out the camber of your wheels when you fit lowering springs? and then have to have them re-alligned?

 

[Fred@BTM]

its not really affected too much cos the std struts are non camber adjustable its the alignment that needs checking/sorting, its nowt to worry about

cost ya £25 for a tracking adjustment

 

[Matty]

Lowering makes you run more negative camber than is needed.

Last March I had FK Automotive coilovers fitted and it was only when I went for new front tyres in December that they said the camber was way out. Insides of the tyres were well scrubbed and they arent seen.

Turns out you need to get camber adjustment bolts to sort this out, either from ktec or supertracker.

I was at negative 3 and a half degrees and it is usual to run negative one and a half.

It seems the more you lower a car the more you effect camber and other things like wear on driveshafts etc.

 

[Fred@BTM]

Mat, the FKs have adjustable camber on them anyway, well mine do!!!! sounds like they werent fitted properly???? Didnt you have it all sorted by Roger at Northampton motorsport?????

Ive never found the need for the Magnacams (camber bolts)

 

[Tom_16v]

Mine went from between -0.2 and -0.4 to about -1.5 after slamming it 50mm. A set of camber bolts from K-Tec sorted that out.....

 

[scotty 16v]

how much do yhese cost an where abouts do they fit

 

[Matty]

Fred,

Yeah Roger sorted it out. My FK dont have adjustable camber like yours. Yours was slotted on the top bolt and mine on teh bottom so hardly any room for adjustment due to the positioning.

Went back to Performance Driven in Taunton who fitted coilovers (spot on by the way) and complained the kit was forcing me to run so much neg camber. Adjustment bolts sorted it.

Then went back to see Roger so all in all quite expensive. He commented on how well they coilovers were set up as heights were spot on. Shame my car from standard is running more toe on right rear compare dto the left rear which makes it want to steer left. Nowt can be done about that.



Scotty, Camber bolts fit where the coilover or strut attaches to the wishbone and has a cam profie so can alter the camber and then lock. Obviously need to be fitted at a place that can measure the camber and most places just do alighnment, tracking, toe in etc.

 

[BenR]

Most places with laser equipment also measure camber and castor, but its only info as on almost all cars its not adjustable.

Camber can be quite helpful in the handling arena so its not the end of the world, factory specs dont have to be adheired to. Infact, more camber is typically a good thing, withing reason, 3 deg is ALOT and far too much for this vehicle. but etween 1.5 and 2 is a fair amount on 50 profile tyres. But wear is a tradeoff you have to accept.

Typically camber doesnt need to be touched so long as its within a reasonable amount and 1 side isnt massively diff to the other.

The rear beams/arms on the clio are usually all over the shop, some toe out (the ones which are VERY tail happy toe out) and some toe in, i assume yours toe in from your comments.

 

[Fred@BTM]

The rear drivers side on mine had more -ve camber than the passenger side (problem was worn bearing)