At what point do you need camber correction?

[wookieneck]

I have looked and looked and every thread seems to dance around this question.

When you are lowering your 2g at what point do you need to install camber correction kits?
Do you need them for anything over an inch, or do you need them regardless?

I just bought the eibach sportlines which is supposed to be a 1.6 inch drop. Do I need camber kits or is it neccessary at a 1.6 inch?

If I do need a kit, which is the kit of preference?

 

[quiksilver38]

Definately man i got the prokit and it droped me 1.5 and i had to fix the camber in the back. But i also put in some tokicos if that changed anything. The sportline is suppost to drop 2.0" yes you will need camber correction.

 

[wookieneck]

front and back or just back?

Which brand did you go with ? Ingalls?

 

[jtmcinder]

I have looked and looked and every thread seems to dance around this question.

There's no one-size-fits-all-answer to your question. It depends on what that main use of the car is and whether you can accept a compromise to extend the life of your tires. I run more than 2 degrees of front camber and about 1.5 degrees in the rear, with some front toe-out and zero rear toe. But I'm an autocrosser who doesn't drag-race and only drives this car 100 miles per week.

- Jtoby

 

[wookieneck]

So I should define the goal, maybe that will help.

The goal is to lower the car and return the alignment to factory specification in order to prolong tire life as long as possible. With tires at like 250 a pop, I really need to stretch them out (daily driver, not a weekend beast)
Even if I wanted to change the camber for better bite the guys at my tire shop would look at me with that deer in the headlights fashion so indicative of ohio. "Huh? , you wanna do what? What fer?" , "we just puttem back to factory, youd haveta sign a waiver or somethin to do that sorts of thing, and even then we dont know if cleatis can get er done!"

Which camber kit will get me back to factory spec with sportlines?

 

[DSMPowerTSi]

I just bought a Spring Tech camber kit on ebay for about $70.

Here's a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7927855075&category=33581

Just like the Ingalls kit but over $100 less.

That should definately give you adjustment to back to spec. I rode on my car with a 1.8" drop for a little over a year and the front tires wore down to steel. The back shows camber but the tires barely wore down.

 

[jtmcinder]

Which camber kit will get me back to factory spec with sportlines?

I don't think that you can get the fronts back to spec with just SP eccentric bushings, so I guess you have to get adjustable pivots. The rears can always be done using new bolts and washers, but if you are relying on a shop to do the work, then get adjustable brackets, too, so they can tweak it easily on the rack.

The key to tire wear is toe. Ask for zero front and just a tad of rear toe in (on the order of -1/32 per side). Why non-zero rear toe if tire wear is the issue? Because a touch of rear toe in makes the car much more controllable under hard braking. And tires that last a long time aren't much use when the rest of the car is wrapped around a telephone pole.

- Jtoby

 

[FORMONTOYA]

i use ingalls f/r (bought them back in the day when they were about the only ones on the market) and they work great. my guy can get them into spec no problem (been doing it for 6 years). the one thing i would suggest is to get a lifetime 4 point alignment (about $150 at firestone, and go back for check ups or fix anytime, i have had mine done and gone back a week later after going somewhere unfamilier? and hitting a pot hole or something...no problem), you will find out that if it is a dialy driver you will knock them out if you hit potholes, speed bumps, ect... (roads suck in houston). i personally spend the day to have my tires rotated and balanced (free at discount tires) and have a 4 point done (and above is correct, looking at the sheet, it is the 'toe' that is usually the most drastic 'fix' unless i hit a really big bump or hole) to the car every 3k along with the oil change.


jim

 

[wookieneck]

The rears can always be done using new bolts and washers, but if you are relying on a shop to do the work, then get adjustable brackets, too, so they can tweak it easily on the rack.

- Jtoby

I was was looking at the kits and wondering which would be the best for the rear. -Thanks

It looks like the installation is really straightforward, So with a sportline drop should I go ahead and try to set them close when I install them?
The way Jtoby talks its fairly easy to get it really close if you know what you are doing, of which I dont. But I suppose I could get there with the help of yous guys that have already done it.