Alignment Problem Again
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Joined: Jul 2005
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From: U.S.
Alignment Problem Again
Hello! I just did my Alignment today at Sears for 60.00 but it seems that I still have a problem. The steering wheel still wants to goto the right but it's not as drastic as before which is a plus but I want it to stay perfectly straight...the guy said something about bad cambers which I did not understand quite well so I came here for some more help.
^ Heres the Data (You may need to save the image to your computer and zoom in with a program to see better)
^ Heres the Data (You may need to save the image to your computer and zoom in with a program to see better)
Locust of the apocalypse
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 2
From: Directly above the center of the earth (York, PA)
Camber 101... Camber is the tilt of the wheel, relative to vertical. Positive camber means that the top of the wheel tips out, AWAY from the center line of the car.. Negative camber means that it tips in TOWARDS the center line of the car..
Positive camber has the effect of putting more pressure on the OUTSIDE edge of your tires, negative camber has the effect of putting more pressure on the INSIDE of your tires..
Some Negative camber is good in that as the car goes into a corner, the body will roll slightly, and weight transfers to the outside of the corner and the outside of the tire, if the camber is already set negative so that more force is on the inside of the tire in a straight line, when the car corners, the force will be evenly distributed over the entire tread...
If the tire was perfectly straight (0 camber) as you cornered, the force would all be on the outside of the tire and you would not have as much grip..
now then.....Your front right wheel has POSITIVE camber... .9 degrees.... That means that the front right wheel is tilted SLIGHTLY OUT at the top and there is more force on the OUTside of the right front tire
Your LEFT front tire has NEGATIVE camber roughly equal to the positive camber on the right side... the top of the whell is tipped in towards the centerline of the car and there is more force on the INSIDE of the tire.
More force equals more friction... so the inside edge of yout left tire is pulling harder than the outside.. make the tire want to turn right... The outside edge of your right tire has more friction than the inside.. make the tire want to turn right.....
The car wants to turn right!!!!!!
Usually, you set the cambers in opposition to one another so that the forces on the tires offset one another..
Sadly... you really can't set the camber on our front wheels without adjuster bolts or camber plates($$$)..
It looks like the guy monkeyed with the toe setting on the front and rear of the car to try and take out some of the pull to the right. but you can't go to far without tearing up the tires.
I've seen the bolts, they will adjust up to a degree i think, and that may be enought to solve your problem. they are like 20 bucks for two (one for each side) How they work is by offsetting on of the top bolt holes where the strut mounts to the hub, turn the cam one way ads negative camber, turn it the other ads positive. The bottom bolt stays stock and acts like a pivot point as you adjust the top. (they say you can use TWO on each strut for greater adjustment.... but i wouldn't reccomend that)
PS.. You setup now is exactly OPPOSITE of a nascar setup... they run positive cambeer on the left and negative on the right..... they turn left all day!!!!!!
Positive camber has the effect of putting more pressure on the OUTSIDE edge of your tires, negative camber has the effect of putting more pressure on the INSIDE of your tires..
Some Negative camber is good in that as the car goes into a corner, the body will roll slightly, and weight transfers to the outside of the corner and the outside of the tire, if the camber is already set negative so that more force is on the inside of the tire in a straight line, when the car corners, the force will be evenly distributed over the entire tread...
If the tire was perfectly straight (0 camber) as you cornered, the force would all be on the outside of the tire and you would not have as much grip..
now then.....Your front right wheel has POSITIVE camber... .9 degrees.... That means that the front right wheel is tilted SLIGHTLY OUT at the top and there is more force on the OUTside of the right front tire
Your LEFT front tire has NEGATIVE camber roughly equal to the positive camber on the right side... the top of the whell is tipped in towards the centerline of the car and there is more force on the INSIDE of the tire.
More force equals more friction... so the inside edge of yout left tire is pulling harder than the outside.. make the tire want to turn right... The outside edge of your right tire has more friction than the inside.. make the tire want to turn right.....
The car wants to turn right!!!!!!
Usually, you set the cambers in opposition to one another so that the forces on the tires offset one another..
Sadly... you really can't set the camber on our front wheels without adjuster bolts or camber plates($$$)..
It looks like the guy monkeyed with the toe setting on the front and rear of the car to try and take out some of the pull to the right. but you can't go to far without tearing up the tires.
I've seen the bolts, they will adjust up to a degree i think, and that may be enought to solve your problem. they are like 20 bucks for two (one for each side) How they work is by offsetting on of the top bolt holes where the strut mounts to the hub, turn the cam one way ads negative camber, turn it the other ads positive. The bottom bolt stays stock and acts like a pivot point as you adjust the top. (they say you can use TWO on each strut for greater adjustment.... but i wouldn't reccomend that)
PS.. You setup now is exactly OPPOSITE of a nascar setup... they run positive cambeer on the left and negative on the right..... they turn left all day!!!!!!
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Full Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 148
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From: U.S.
Wow so much intelligence 
! So is it absolutely fine to be running like this or should I fix it asap by buying adjuster bolts?
Does everyone have the same problem? If not, Why is mine like this...
! So is it absolutely fine to be running like this or should I fix it asap by buying adjuster bolts?Does everyone have the same problem? If not, Why is mine like this...
Last edited by Torch101; Aug 18, 2005 at 01:16 PM.
Originally Posted by Torch101
Wow so much intelligence ! So is it absolutely fine to be running like this or should I fix it asap by buying adjuster bolts?
Does everyone have the same problem? If not, Why is mine like this...
! So is it absolutely fine to be running like this or should I fix it asap by buying adjuster bolts?Does everyone have the same problem? If not, Why is mine like this...
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local perf. parts shop should have them as they are kind of universal, some of alignment shops will have them in stock or u can try online vendors like summit racing or NOPI
Locust of the apocalypse
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 2
From: Directly above the center of the earth (York, PA)
Originally Posted by Torch101
Sorry for the bump
Where can I find the bolts?
Where can I find the bolts?
I actually have a set of those that I bought to check out, but my alignment specs out on the fronts after the eibachs..
10 bucks and they are yours!!!
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