hey I'm wondering what the camber degree should be when lowering a car 1-1/2 in.???
-99 cavalier 4D
I'm definitely not an expert on the subject of suspension tuning and camber adjustments, but I can tell you this: Cavalier suspension should not require camber adjustment after normal amounts of lowering. My car's camber while on Sportlines is close to zero. The guidelines listed on my alignment report (from a Honda dealership -- which I don't believe would make any difference) suggests a range between -1.2 and 0.8 degrees of camber. In my case it was only the toe angle which needed adjusting.
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Strut based cars don't generally gain negative camber when lowered due to the design. Double A-arm setups like most Hondas do gain camber. The strut design is inferior on track due to it's camber curve (or lack there of) under compression.
More to the point, if you disassemble your suspension get a new alignment. If the toe is off you'll kill the tires quickly. Toe kills tires, not camber. Oh and make sure you don't get suckered into paying for a four-wheel alignment. The J-body has no rear adjustment.
-Vincent K.
1998 Z-24
www.thscc.com
http://www.j-body.org/members/vkz24/
"Racecar spelled backwards is still Racecar"
the bottom of my tire is toe in
99cavy22 wrote:the bottom of my tire is toe in
Not trying to be a SA here, but that makes no sense. Toe is not top to bottom (that's camber) it's side to side.
-Vincent K.
1998 Z-24
www.thscc.com
http://www.j-body.org/members/vkz24/
"Racecar spelled backwards is still Racecar"
VKZ24 wrote:Strut based cars don't generally gain negative camber when lowered due to the design. Double A-arm setups like most Hondas do gain camber. The strut design is inferior on track due to it's camber curve (or lack there of) under compression.
More to the point, if you disassemble your suspension get a new alignment. If the toe is off you'll kill the tires quickly. Toe kills tires, not camber. Oh and make sure you don't get suckered into paying for a four-wheel alignment. The J-body has no rear adjustment.
This is for the most part true. you do also have to understand that since our camber is adjusted via our strut, when you remove it and put it back in, you will change the camber,especially if you have cam bolts installed. depending on what your goals are for the car should depend on how you have it aligned. i would recommend you keep it in spec no matter what. if you plan on racing it, you want to me more negative, but it will go through tires more frequently. If you just want it to look better, get it aligned to right in the middle of the specs listed above.
what i do not agree with is that camber DOES kill tires, as well as toe. toe is a more common problem, and is usually what eats your tires unevenly, but if your camber is way out, it will do the same. the only alignment angle that does not cause tire wear is caster, which is not adjustable without modification.
Also, our cars are technically adjustable in the rear, most places will do a 4 wheel alignment on all cars, for the same price. very few places offer just a thrust angle alignment anymore. granted that if the rear IS out, you have to buy full contact shims, and pay labor to have them installed. I would not recommend this unless your rear is WAY out.
good luck
VKZ24 wrote:Oh and make sure you don't get suckered into paying for a four-wheel alignment. The J-body has no rear adjustment.
Sure. Point out how dumb I was. Rub it in.
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i would agree with that, you can get about 1-2 tecths of adustment camber wise without cam-bolts, if your camber is out enough to totally eat your tires, you probably have something bent. That sux about your alignments vince, most places out my way are about $60 for all 4, or $60 for the front 2
its not much concern to me, i have a lifetime alignment through firestone, so i get a free alignment whenever i feel like it. i have a 3-4" drop on my car, with 215/45zr17 tires, and they wear perfect. of course i am glad i got the free alignments because i go through struts about every 10k
John Benham wrote:i would agree with that, you can get about 1-2 tecths of adustment camber wise without cam-bolts, if your camber is out enough to totally eat your tires, you probably have something bent. That sux about your alignments vince, most places out my way are about $60 for all 4, or $60 for the front 2 its not much concern to me, i have a lifetime alignment through firestone, so i get a free alignment whenever i feel like it. i have a 3-4" drop on my car, with 215/45zr17 tires, and they wear perfect. of course i am glad i got the free alignments because i go through struts about every 10k
The reason for so many alignments were:
1. I had a bad ball joint. I replaced then got a new alignment.
2. The inner tie-rod end was bad so I replaced the steering rack. Another alignment.
3. I discovered my car was too low for proper cornering on track. I raised it, then got yet another alignment.
4. I removed the transmission to re-build it, then alignment #4.
You can get lifetime alignments from Firestone here as well, but nobody that knows them takes their car there. They have *the* worst reputation in the town where I live.
-Vincent K.
1998 Z-24
www.thscc.com
http://www.j-body.org/members/vkz24/
"Racecar spelled backwards is still Racecar"
wow, i used to work for firestone, so i got mine extra cheap. they do good work (around here at least), they just like bending customers over the counter and pounding them on prices
(hence i USED to work there)
Lot's of cars come from the factory with negative camber built in for better handling. In the case of the strut-based design on a J-body, unless you have camber bolts you'll be hard pressed to gain any measureable amout of camber. Enough to wear out the tires that is . Now get the toe off by as little as 1/16 of an inch and they will wear about in less than an oil change interval. Ask me how I know.