Rear camber

[jezcharger]

Recently bought a clio 182 with H&R Front coilovers and Gaz shocks and springs on the rear, I knew it need a full geometry set up when I bought it so I took it to Chevron Motorsport in Stafford and he got it on the gauges and as expected the front is out with -2.5 and 1.5 on the front, but on the rear it was -1.9 and -1.8! Now I can't see any camber shims but he said that the springs are almost coil bound (ie. almost fully compressed), would this cause the negative camber?

He told me to raise the back and see how much travel there is in the dampers before he sets it up, but it's not scraping the floor, any advice would be appreciated

 

[MG cup]

Its a torsion bar rear beam on Clio's, camber stays static on the rear irrelevant of height. He is just advising I'm guessing to get the best from your setup, anyway I would have thought you have 'pigtail' springs if your running separate spring's and shock's on the rear.

 

[jezcharger]

Yes the springs are of the standard type just shorter, just seems strange that the back axle is not parallel, as he says it's going to be tail happy with almost -2 camber on the back

 

[Chip-mk1]

I'd be very happy with those rear figures for camber for my cars on track. I dont see why he thinks just under 2 degrees would make it massively tail happy?

 

[jezcharger]

Right just his opinion, he's a rally driver and he would set it like that anyway! Just odd as it's a standard set up at the back, no shims etc. Could this be down to a worn rear beam or similar? It doesn't drive too far off at the moment tbh just the back end is a bit bouncy because the springs are too compressed.

 

[MG cup]

.

 

[MG cup]

The rear isn't that far off other cars I have seen, my cup is very nearly the same.

Your beam can't wear other than the bushes which is unlikely to affect your camber being that its almost equal, the rear bearings could have an affect on it though. Jack it up and give the wheel a wobble.

 

[scarble]

I may be being daft here but wouldn't neg rear camber make it less oversteery?

 

[Tony Hunter]

Daft.

 

[Chip-mk1]

I may be being daft here but wouldn't neg rear camber make it less oversteery?

Its not that simple TBH.

More neg camber means its more likely to break traction on initial turn in and hence more oversteery, but also makes it less likely to break traction once turned in and hence less oversteery.

Cars dont just do one thing, they are very dynamic and things like camber only really make sense in context to the amount of weight transfer and lean at the time you are considering them.

 

[jezcharger]

Excellent thanks for the advice