Camber issue, pic inside!
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,039
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From: NorCal,California
Thanks tg. You've helped me a lot with my FB issues.
I'm looking at both steering knuckles as I type this on my phone.
My mind wants to say the drivers is slightly bent. But I could be wrong. I will have to remove then and compare
I'm looking at both steering knuckles as I type this on my phone.
My mind wants to say the drivers is slightly bent. But I could be wrong. I will have to remove then and compare
If you have a 12A car, the struct tubes, knuckles, and A-arm should be easy to find here on the fourm for a reasonable price used. The GSL-SE are more expensive because of the bigger brakes and better bolt pattern.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,039
Likes: 0
From: NorCal,California
Just want to update this..
I had the car on stands with the wheels off. Carefully examining both sides for damage.
The driver side LOOKS fine. The knuckle looks similar to the other side. Not bent.
But I guess you can never be too sure. Also the LCA doesnt look damaged at all. So the new LCA I bought was maybe for nothing.
The ONLY thing I did notice...and I forgot to add this in the original post.
The inner tie rods and outer rods are of different brands. I accidentally ordered different brands while shopping at rockauto (ordered @ separate times). They are meant for the RX-7 but look entirely different.
Pics as always below.
Beck and Arn Inner rod. Passenger side

Driver side is a MEVO inner rod. This is the side with the MAXED out camber.


Im examining the number of threads on the tire rod center stud on the drivers side and theres much more.
Do the different brands really make a diff?
Now my next attempt to fix this is to get another beck and arn inner and see if the tech can get the driver side similar to the passenger side...
And heres a pic of the knuckles
Pass side

Driver side

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
They look similar in shape
And LCA pics

I had the car on stands with the wheels off. Carefully examining both sides for damage.
The driver side LOOKS fine. The knuckle looks similar to the other side. Not bent.
But I guess you can never be too sure. Also the LCA doesnt look damaged at all. So the new LCA I bought was maybe for nothing.
The ONLY thing I did notice...and I forgot to add this in the original post.
The inner tie rods and outer rods are of different brands. I accidentally ordered different brands while shopping at rockauto (ordered @ separate times). They are meant for the RX-7 but look entirely different.
Pics as always below.
Beck and Arn Inner rod. Passenger side


Driver side is a MEVO inner rod. This is the side with the MAXED out camber.


Im examining the number of threads on the tire rod center stud on the drivers side and theres much more.
Do the different brands really make a diff?
Now my next attempt to fix this is to get another beck and arn inner and see if the tech can get the driver side similar to the passenger side...
And heres a pic of the knuckles
Pass side

Driver side

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
They look similar in shape
And LCA pics

the tierod difference shouldnt matter, as they can be adjusted and the only realistically affect 1 alignment angle. just to amuse us all, examine where the bolts go through the subframe, and see if there is any obvious signs of shifting or movement, you may be able to see a "cleaner" area of paint where the nut used to reside.
Its hard to tell if via pics if anything is bent as the camera angles may be just slightly different, enough so as to which a good comparison cant be made. sometimes the easiest way to compare some parts is to juxtapose them against known good part, or lay it belly to belly against the opposite sides partner. i.e. lay the knuckles belly to belly as they are mirror opposites of eachother, same with control arms.
Its hard to tell if via pics if anything is bent as the camera angles may be just slightly different, enough so as to which a good comparison cant be made. sometimes the easiest way to compare some parts is to juxtapose them against known good part, or lay it belly to belly against the opposite sides partner. i.e. lay the knuckles belly to belly as they are mirror opposites of eachother, same with control arms.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,039
Likes: 0
From: NorCal,California
What aspect of alignment do the rods control?
That totally sucks that you said that the tie rods dont matter lol
I just ordered a inner rod similar to the beck and arn style. O well it would be better to have matching brands.
I guess I should REALLY remove the parts to compare instead of taking a glance. Ill check out the subframe bolts tomorrow in the day.
That totally sucks that you said that the tie rods dont matter lol
I just ordered a inner rod similar to the beck and arn style. O well it would be better to have matching brands.
I guess I should REALLY remove the parts to compare instead of taking a glance. Ill check out the subframe bolts tomorrow in the day.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31,833
Likes: 3,232
From: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
the shape, per say, doesnt matter too much. The adjuster in between 2 rod ends allows them as a whole to be extended or collapsed to adjust the toe angles... sometimes when a tie rod gets bent bad enough, the adjuster cannot compensate fully. If the adjuster is bent it will caus erratic movements/changes when attempting to adjust the toe angles. but either way, the inner and outer tierod, and the adjuster in between will only mess with toe, and has no affect on camber
...it does look like, for one reason or another, something (maybe tire) has been rubbing on the strut rod on the passenger side
...it does look like, for one reason or another, something (maybe tire) has been rubbing on the strut rod on the passenger side
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,039
Likes: 0
From: NorCal,California
Correct with the tire rub. Due to konig rewinds I had previously .
So if I'm veering right..that means the toe is off, which also leads to tie rods, which also leads to the pics. If I decrease threads on the driver side adjuster and increase on the pass adjuster it should drive straight hypothetically
On the driver side there's too much thread showing on the adjuster . The adjuster does look messed up. Good thing I have a new one coming with the rods.
Thanks guys. This is kind of all coming together . I still don't know why the camber is -1.0
Maybe a damaged strut housing/spindle
. But the veering is driving me crazy . I want to install my new tires already...
So if I'm veering right..that means the toe is off, which also leads to tie rods, which also leads to the pics. If I decrease threads on the driver side adjuster and increase on the pass adjuster it should drive straight hypothetically
On the driver side there's too much thread showing on the adjuster . The adjuster does look messed up. Good thing I have a new one coming with the rods.
Thanks guys. This is kind of all coming together . I still don't know why the camber is -1.0
Maybe a damaged strut housing/spindle
. But the veering is driving me crazy . I want to install my new tires already...
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,039
Likes: 0
From: NorCal,California
Tierods aren't the only thing that affects toein. The torsion rods can affect it also, they also
affect caster as well. If one is bent or bowed it may be adding extra toe and/or caster.
affect caster as well. If one is bent or bowed it may be adding extra toe and/or caster.
Toe doesnt cause a pull, it will just cause the steering wheel to be crooked, as the wheels will naturally try to center themselves when driving down the road. Many mistake a crooked steering wheel as a pull, because they are holding the wheel straight and expecting to go straight. A pull is what you will get when you let the wheel go completely and let it settle on its own, and then the car still tends to go left or right.
Also, a pull is realistically only gonna be caused by 2 things...
1. Cross camber (the difference between the left and right camber) As a general rule of thumb, anything over .5 degrees of cross camber will cause a pull, the pull will be to the more positive side, and will usually be amplified more so when one side is a negative camber, and the other is a positive.
2. Tires. uneven tread depths, separated belts, uneven tire pressures, different make/model/load and/or speed ratings...
(and just for technicality purposes #3. Caster. caster rarely caused a pull, and easily needs over a degree of cross before anything is affected by it in strait line driving)
with your case, the pull is 98% a camber issue.
Also, a pull is realistically only gonna be caused by 2 things...
1. Cross camber (the difference between the left and right camber) As a general rule of thumb, anything over .5 degrees of cross camber will cause a pull, the pull will be to the more positive side, and will usually be amplified more so when one side is a negative camber, and the other is a positive.
2. Tires. uneven tread depths, separated belts, uneven tire pressures, different make/model/load and/or speed ratings...
(and just for technicality purposes #3. Caster. caster rarely caused a pull, and easily needs over a degree of cross before anything is affected by it in strait line driving)
with your case, the pull is 98% a camber issue.
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,039
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From: NorCal,California
If I can just find out why the camber is not adjusting on the driver side
If I adjust the pass side to -0.1 to even out the camber there could be uneven tire wear but the car should sit evenly . Might have the tech do this
If I adjust the pass side to -0.1 to even out the camber there could be uneven tire wear but the car should sit evenly . Might have the tech do this
that would for now be the best temporary solution, but unfortunately looking at your pics of the strut towers, he wont be able to get anymore negative camber outta the passenger side
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