Anyone know of a POORMAN'S way of adjusting camber?

[meliketoball]

Anyone know of a POORMAN'S way of adjusting camber? I have severe positive camber on my front left wheel and it's wearing away my sidewall on my dunlops.

Is there a way to adjust the camber without needed a camber kit? I've been reading that when you take your car in for an alignment, they just adjust the TOE.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Freerevving]

there is a cam bolt on your strut... you can adjust it, then tighten it back down

Better to get a real alignment, but it'll get you through if you're in a bind.

 

[meliketoball]

there is a cam bolt on your strut... you can adjust it, then tighten it back down

Better to get a real alignment, but it'll get you through if you're in a bind.

Can you explain more about this please? Thanks.

 

[snowborder714]

As far as I know, 2g's do not have a cheap way to adjust camber. Unlike the 1g's, we don't have adjustable camber on the top of the front suspension. The only way I know of is to get a camber kit.

And if you need the rear adjusted, you can make a DIY rear camber kit with some longer bolts and a bunch of washers.

 

[Jeff99GS]

Just go buy adjustable ball joints for the uppers. They are Cheaper than buying new tires every 12 months

 

[PieEyedPiper]

If you have bad positive camber, it is likely you have some damage to your suspension. I would get your vehicle inspected.

Also, there is no poorman's method for adjusting camber up front. And I would stray far away from adj. ball joints. Too many cons for a single pro. Look into SPC eccentric bushings or even an over priced, "con-ridden" Ingalls anchor-bolt type kit.

I'm also very curious as to why you have positive camber, let us know what the scoop is.

 

[meliketoball]

Thanks for the replies. If I had extra money, I'd buy that whatever is needed to fix my problem. Unfortunately, I do not and am asking y'all. Again, thanks a lot for the replies and suggestions.

 

[Jeff99GS]

Dude Im sorry to sound like a prick but those eccentric Bushings are a JOKE. DO NOT USE THOSE EVER...you are ruining your bushing and the car will Rattle and make NOISE very bad. They are Junk. I had adjustable ball joints on my eclipse for 3 years and they were fine....Is there any reason you think adjustable ball joints are bad? experience?

The eccentric bushings give you Barely ANY adjustment anyway.

All I know is I have tried BOTH and the the Ball joints are WAYYYYYY better. When i had the bushings they wore out that shity plastic sleeve and made my car rattle and sound LOOSE everytime I hit a bump.

 

[vanilla gorilla]

How many degrees can be adjusted out with adjustable ball joints and which brand do you recommend. I think we sell MOOG problem solver ball joints at my store.

 

[Jeff99GS]

I had SPC adjustable ball joints that were at least 3* in or out. Which is plenty for cars lowered up to 2 or 3 inches I believe.

All I know is, I had those eccentric bushing things and the guy at the tire shop laughed and said "man I can't adjust those things"
then a month later they started rattling uncontrolably till I took them off. Then I had to buy New upper control arm mounts cause I ruined the stock ones by putting those shit bushings in place of the stock rubber ones.

 

[turboglenn]

All of the aftermarket suspension we put our posche club track cars (944/968/911's) have eccentric bushings for aligment. To be honest we've never had a deffect in a suspension part put us out of the race. Now if the guy tags another racer and breaks an A-arm at say the bushing/balljoint, it would be easy to call that part the weak link because in this case it was. We get most of the pieces for our true custom stuff from cirlce track technology.

And on these same cars we often "oblong" the uppper strut mount bolt hole by cutting the stock upper "tab" off and welding on some 1/8 plate with elongated holes and blendd it in with a carbide bur and you'd never know it wasn't factory after some touch up paint. (by hand you just drill 2 holes side by side and use a porting bit to connect them as one smooth slot). Then if the store don't have eccentric bolts in our size, we will make our own strut bolt to dial in the ofset from the custom "tab" by getting some 1/8'' thin slices from some 3/4 solid round stock and drilling two of them together with the holes off center and welding them to a proper bolt that is long enough.. then sometimes we've got to weld on a stopper, or beat the 1/8th tab over on one edge to create one..

There's tons of ways, just make sure whatever you do seems sturdy and road worthy from some one who knows about racing, or just drive at your own risk on your own good judgement.

I hope you can picture what i am describing because these techniques dial in about 85% of our SCCA track cars. These are the guys in classes where they can't run or they just can't afford full billet control arms and spindles that are fully adjustable so they go with "custom" that gets the job done and doesn't ruin their tokico, bilstein or whatever adjustble gas shocks they have..And these guys are not backyard racers, they have dedicated track cars and retain our services at 300 dollars a day per person (2 guys can handle 2 cars pit work easily in SCCA stuff)

OH, and just so everyone can panic... we cut springs!! BUT, we do it the right way (very slow bandsaw blade with coolant applied during the cut), On all the track cars that don't have coilovers (at least 65%) we adjust ride height by taking the springs of their chosen wind and cutting them for final ride height dial in on the cars pre season setup.

Well, i've rambled enough..take the wheel off, then look and think a bit. Then go talk to the circle car shops and a few "local guy" alignment places and you will come up with the best solution in your price range and be proud of what YOU did(and it will look cool when done right). Be safe, but don't be afraid to try a bushing or ball joint that's adjustable unless you can see visual proof that a certain style you might want, or brand name has failed with pics!!! There's too many internet stories of "i know a guy who's friends car's balljoint just snapped and bla bla bla...get pics or go home! Again best of luck!

 

[Locke]

Adjustment at the shock mount on a 2g will have no effect on vehicle alignment. The adjustment would be made at the UCA, through the various methods already mentioned.

If you have positive camber on the front, something is damaged. Making the camber adjustable won't fix the problem. I'd suspect the lateral arm's inner bushing, or damaged mount point.

 

[meliketoball]

Adjustment at the shock mount on a 2g will have no effect on vehicle alignment. The adjustment would be made at the UCA, through the various methods already mentioned.

If you have positive camber on the front, something is damaged. Making the camber adjustable won't fix the problem. I'd suspect the lateral arm's inner bushing, or damaged mount point.

I replaced my lower lateral arm a while back because my old one had tore open rubber seals and creaked whenever I turned my steering wheel.

I am suspecting it to be my UCA because when I looked at it today with the car on the ground, not in the air, it seemed out of wack compared to my passenger side.

I am going to head to the junk yard on a 50% off day and hopefully pick up a used one off a junked 420a. I just need to get rid of that positive camber for a while until I get real stuff done to it.

On a positive note, I finally put my KYBs in the rear of my 2g after about 4 months buying them.

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[j-jamrod]

very easy with out complicate your life, take a file and slot the holes in the upper control arm, and done. i did it in my 1995 gsx and work fine.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

very easy with out complicate your life, take a file and slot the holes in the upper control arm, and done. i did it in my 1995 gsx and work fine.

What are you talking about.

 

[92ts1]

very easy with out complicate your life, take a file and slot the holes in the upper control arm, and done. i did it in my 1995 gsx and work fine.

Never, do that. As an alignment tech at my work the only true way to get correct camber settings and retain those settings you MUST get some kind of camber kit. File and slotting you strut will cause you major problems later on down the road.

 

[meliketoball]

I think I am going to do this the good ol' fashioned way...going to the junkyard and buying a used UCA. Keep y'all posted!

 

[meliketoball]

Update:

Today, I went to the junkyard and bought a used upper control arm. I popped that sucker in and boom! The positive camber was gone. Now I have a very aggressive maybe -2* for those mountain runs! But, as I finished up, I wasn't no where to be finished. My toe was hilariously off by like 20*! HA! So, a quick use of the search button and I learned that toe is adjustable in our 2g's and went ahead adjusting my toe.

I just finished and , I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself because the car never turned as good before! The steering is super tight from what I am used to! I know this was a kinda of eye ball job, but hey at least the + camber is gone. Keekee!