negative camber on rear wheels

[chris powell]

hi guys

ever since i fitted a set of 15mm flat hub spacers and cooksport springs to my 182 i seem to have quite a bit of negative camber on my back wheels.

i know quite a few people like the look of it but as my car will never go any where near a track and i don't really hoooo it around much (too old now) i am wondering if i bought some more spacers with say 2 deg camber on them is it just a case of if i fit them one way i get neg camber and if i fit them the opposite way i will get pos camber (thus getting rid of the dead body in the boot look)? or is it not that simple?
im just after getting the rear wheels back flat on the road!

thanks for any help or advice anyone can give and please be gentle if ive just made myself look a kn*bhead

 

[cs_dave]

Did you buy spacers with camber in them as you shouldn't get anymore camber just with normal spacers

 

[chris powell]

they were just 15mm flat spacers from the ed init batch

would the cooksport springs cause it?

 

[chris powell]

they were just 15mm flat spacers from the ed init batch

would the cooksport springs cause it?

​pics

 

[Fred@BTM]

nope, but knackered wheel bearings could

 

[cs_dave]

No wouldnt of thought so thats a fair bit camber mate ive got 1deg shims on mine and looks like youve got more! Have the spacers gone on perfectly smooth

 

[Chip-mk1]

They might gain a little camber when you lower them, most cars do but I have never measured a clio specifically. and pushing the wheels out further makes it more obvious.

 

[chris powell]

nope, but knackered wheel bearings could

dont think its the bearings fred they were only done 5k ago along with new discs etc

 

[chris powell]

No wouldnt of thought so thats a fair bit camber mate ive got 1deg shims on mine and looks like youve got more! Have the spacers gone on perfectly smooth

i thought so at the time mate but i will double check them just in case but its the same both sides so unless ive got it wrong twice i think they are right

 

[chris powell]

They might gain a little camber when you lower them, most cars do but I have never measured a clio specifically. and pushing the wheels out further makes it more obvious.

looking at the picture chip do you think it would be that much?
also going back to my original question would you say it would be ok to just fit different spacers with camber to bring it back into line?

 

[Chip-mk1]

I think that looking at pictures is a terrible way to judge camber cause the bodywork isnt straight and just the angle you take from can make it looks massively different, get it actually measured

 

[chris powell]

will do mate

i will post up the results when its done

​thanks for all the input and advice guys

 

[Ian_s]

How does lowering the REAR of a Clio change the camber?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Loads of cars with a beam gain camber when you lower them. Cossies look like John Wayne when dropped, but like I said I'm not sure if its a Clio trait or not. Depends on the beam layout and I've never paid it much attention.

 

[Gaverick]

Can someone explain how a fixed beam can change the camber of the wheels depending on the height? As far as I understand the wheels are fixed rigidly to the beam and the beam also has fixed geometry.

I understand camber changes on the front due to height but not the back?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Can someone explain how a fixed beam can change the camber of the wheels depending on the height? As far as I understand the wheels are fixed rigidly to the beam and the beam also has fixed geometry.

I understand camber changes on the front due to height but not the back?

The beam twists when compressed, it depends on how and where it twists if the trailing section moves in the same vertical plane or if it leans slightly, like I said though, never tested on a clio so it might not do it at all.
But given that a straight hub spacer definately wont have changed the camber at all, just looking at what else might have, although I still think it might just be down to looking like its gained camber due to the rear arch shape rather than it actually have gained loads (unless the rear shims arent fitted correctly)

 

[Guy]

Can someone explain how a fixed beam can change the camber of the wheels depending on the height? As far as I understand the wheels are fixed rigidly to the beam and the beam also has fixed geometry.

I understand camber changes on the front due to height but not the back?

That's what I used to think until my brothers Astra started wearing the inside of the tyre just from lowering.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Not many cars with a rear beam have the wheels move in exactly a vertical plane.

Its beneficial for the camber to increase as you lean over after all. So
So beams are generally designed to do this slightly.