Front Camber Adjustment - Your Thoughts

[inaforest]

Hello,

This is my first time on this forum, so forgive me if this has been discussed to death.

I have an 04 a4 1.8t. I just recently put a full coilover set up on it and, needless to say, as I knew it would, it destroyed my alignment.

I just got a new set of Goodyear Eagle F1s yesterday and, while my camber in the rears is now fine because the rear has factory camber adjustment, my front still isn't in proper specs. I've heard some things about being able to get new upper pillow ball mounts or adjustable bushings to correct front camber.

Which do you guys recommend? Are there any specific brands that are better than others? And where might I be able to purchase these?


Thanks for the help! If this has already been discussed, please just post the link here.

[Papachristou]

stasis used to make adjustable control arms as did another company. neither are in production anymore. they cost around $700 if i remember right but if you are buying F1s regularly it will sure pay for themselves.... i am in the same boat as you, but i dont buy expensive tires because i just go through them too quick. those f1s might last
10k miles

ive spoken with a company here that promised me several months ago they were making a new and more affordable ACA but i have not heard back from him and i promised to keep it on the DL till he announced them

[Capt. Obvious]

I should get to work on those custom control arms I've been working on and see if I can get something worth mass-producing...

[Papachristou]

what would you know about camber problems Capt?



please try to make us something! i hate my crappy tires!

[Capt. Obvious]

I have some free time this weekend, I might see if I can tear my front end apart (again...) and get something figured out.

[Papachristou]

PM me if you need a tester!

[inaforest]

http://k-mac.com/Kmac_catalog.pdf


what about this? does anyone have any experience with it?

[absolutegtr]

How many degress of negative camber do you have right now (in the front)?

[A4ringedONE8T]

K-Mac camber bushings are your only choice unless you find a used set of CPP adj control arms somewhere

[Papachristou]

no one in memphis knows how to adjust kmacs or is willing to try it... ive showed it to half a dozen shops in town.... i hear the kmacs wear out pretty quick too and only one or two people have them on the board

[inaforest]

I checked the computer screens while they were doing it and the fronts were at -1.6. that was within specs, but then i left for a bit and they took it off the lift and when i came to get it, the guy said that he found out that there really was a problem with the front camber and that i need to find some way to fix it.

[absolutegtr]

I checked the computer screens while they were doing it and the fronts were at -1.6. that was within specs, but then i left for a bit and they took it off the lift and when i came to get it, the guy said that he found out that there really was a problem with the front camber and that i need to find some way to fix it.

Well, I dont know if you are familiar with our front suspension, but the front camber is technically not adjustable. The only way to adjust the front camber (without the use of aftermarket camber plates) is to shift the subframe. But by doing this you will only split the difference between the two wheels. (Example: Front left wheel is 1.4* and front right wheel is 1.6*. you can shift the subframe to equal it out to 1.5* each.)

Anways, what is wrong with your front suspension. I have (camber) =1.4* on the front left and -1.5*on the front right....doesnt sound like yours is to off ......

[Capt. Obvious]

You gain .7 degrees of negative camber for every inch you lower the front of your car.

Oh my, I have 3.5 degrees of negative camber in the front.

[A4ringedONE8T]

no one in memphis knows how to adjust kmacs or is willing to try it... ive showed it to half a dozen shops in town.... i hear the kmacs wear out pretty quick too and only one or two people have them on the board

They also have to be pressed in and out of the control arms which not too many places can do

[F16HTON]

Stern (PureMS), will have adjustable control arms by Christmas...the prototypes are complete and tested, they are just awaiting production.

[B6Lovin]

WORD.

greg, any word on the projected price?
also, any pre-production worries from these so far? (i'd assume not if they're almost ready to go to full scale production... but then again the CPP arms did make it onto the market)

[inaforest]

Any word on a launch date for the control arms?

[rxrep]

I can understand someone like Capt. needing a fix for so much neg camber, but how low are the rest of you running?
If you follow stasis specs for alignment based on ride height for aggressive, you should still be well within specs for a great handling car, and it's low enough to rub unless you cut away carpet and plastic front liner.
I just don't see the use of running that low unless you are on bags anyhow. The car just isn't practical for driving or tracking, IMHO. But to each his own, I guess.

[akaEsCo01]

I'm at 25.125 all around, any higher and my car would look stupid. I want to be at 24.875" in the front, but I'm gonna wait until I get some new tires and hope a camber kit comes out, my tires are wearing entirely too fast. This has to be some kind of record

[inaforest]

I'm at 25.125 all around, any higher and my car would look stupid. I want to be at 24.875" in the front, but I'm gonna wait until I get some new tires and hope a camber kit comes out, my tires are wearing entirely too fast. This has to be some kind of record

Ahahaha I went from 50% to slicks to steel bands to blown out on the freeway within one month of installing my coilovers. does that mean i win? ahahaha

[A4ringedONE8T]

My car has been at 24.25" front, 24.5" rear for quite sometime on Tein SS coilovers, almost 25k miles. 15k of it has been on my HRE's with the same set of tires which still have about 50% tread left, PLUS Im hooking up 300whp+ through FWD with them and not tearing them up. Something tells me you guys need a better alignment!

[inaforest]

I will say that I never got an alignment on those tires after I got my suspension on. I've put about 2K on my new eagle f1s, which I DID get aligned, and they still look brand new. Maybe that is all it was. I believe I'm at 24.5 and 24.75

[Capt. Obvious]

Ahahaha I went from 50% to slicks to steel bands to blown out on the freeway within one month of installing my coilovers. does that mean i win? ahahaha

Yes. You win the "how the hell is your alignment so bad!?!?!" award.

Theoretically, I have the worst alignment of anyone on this forum, and even I get a good 10-15k miles out of my front tires.

[inaforest]

ahahaha my alignment was so bad cause i never got an alignment.


all seems to be well now.

[B6Lovin]

shit, i didn't realize everyone here is trying to REDUCE camber with these things..

i just want more LOL (kidding... sorta)

[ThatGuyAlex]

shit, i didn't realize everyone here is trying to REDUCE camber with these things..

i just want more LOL (kidding... sorta)

My alignment as it stands today with my stock 17's and 255/40/17 for tires all around on Custom Eibach Coilovers.

Front
Height 24"
Camber -2.1
Toe - 0.06

Rear
Height 24.5"
Camber -1.8
Toe -0.06

This is my winter set up.

When i get my H-Sport S4 swaybars and 17x9.5 Enkei RPF1's with the 265/40/17 in the summer ill post up another alignment spec. Till then this is it.

[CyberPMG]

I've been rolling with my coilovers for 5 months and about 12k miles. I have a ride height of 25" and have not experienced any uneven tire wear (I rotate them every 5k miles).

I do have a set of CPP adjustable control arms that I was going to use that I can sell at a really good price (like half of what they were new). They are new and never installed. Let me know.

[dougyfresh]

/\
How much adjustment is in the CPPs?

[CyberPMG]

0 to 3.5 degrees of camber adjustment is available.

Reference: http://store.anchormotorsports.com/cppadfrcoar1.html