alexdimen

iTrader: (13)

i took my car to get aligned and they couldn't get my front camber right, i'ts currently like +1 deg on one side and -.5 deg on the other.... the car is definitely less squirrely than before, but i'd still like to get it back to spec.

so the shop tried to sell me those camber bolts, which i hear slip... so i told them to do what they can (toe and caster etc.) and i'll take care of it later.

what are my other *low cost* alternatives? i also have a print out of how effed up it is but i left it at home.

alwayssideways

tein pillowball mounts a mazda trix rear camber adjustment should help

ilike2eatricers

Mods? If you have the stock suspension you can rotatethe strut assembly to get an extra degree of camber IIRC or you can buy camber plates w/ pillowball mounts

rotary downshift

obx is some crasy jdm generic brand company ... u can find them on ebay ... search camber kit and u should find them .. they have a total of 6 degreese adjustabilty ... and its dirt cheep

alexdimen

iTrader: (13)

the rear is fine

i don't really understand your post either... sorry

am i right to assume i shouldn't bother with the camber "bolts"? auto-x is in this car's future...

edit: in response to first post

alexdimen

iTrader: (13)

mmmm.... dirt cheap....

yeah it's all stock/oem style... i'll have to do a search on that rotation technique... but wouldn't the shop that tried to align it have known to do that or tried it?

currently browsing ebay

just realized i should have posted this in the suspension section...

rotary downshift

shopps wont do anything they arent paid to do .. i used to aprentice in one .. and they are bastards ... now this is a very generilsed staement of course ... however ... they wont do nething unless they can make money off it

F1blueRx7

iTrader: (5)

I recommend the tein camber mounts for the front and the RB rear camber adjustment link on the rear. I run both on my car.

HAILERS

Take a look at your front strut tower nuts under the cover over them. See if you can tell if someone has been there recently. If NOT, then you might take it to someone and have them have a go at it. Take the manual with you so they can see how easy it is to rotate the top of the struts.

IF that does not work........you might try new springs. Stock new springs.

alexdimen

iTrader: (13)

so you're suggesting that the shop didn't attempt to adjust the camber the way that you're supposed to on this suspension... and if they did try then they couldn't get it in spec because one or both/all of my springs are sagging and causing funny suspension angles?

i was thinking about the eccentric style "crash" bolts, but the nickname has me a little scared haha... though i know suspension shops use them regularly

btw here are the current front end camber adjustments:

left front camber: +1.6 degrees (yuck)
right front camber: -1.4 degrees

and the rear is apparently just out of spec, though one side is almost neutral camber:

left rear: -0.1 degrees
right rear: -1.7 dedgrrees

HAILERS

I know little to nothing about suspension other than how to order parts and install them. I was suggesting that, yes, they might just not be aware of how to do it. No malice on their part, just didn't know.

Or the springs could just be worn out imho. The cars getting some age on it.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

being that it is 3 degrees out i would say it was hit on the left front, your strut may be bent or other issues with the car, a cheap fix would be to try picking up a different strut from a salvage yard and popping it in there. a slightly more expensive fix is to just pick up a set of camber plates which run around $150-200 for a pair.

i also find it possible that they didnt try to adjust it but the fact remains i doubt they could adjust it close enough anyways.

HAILERS

Just FYI.....a number of years ago I took a RX to Firestone for alignment. When he got though he showed me a sheet of paper with numbers etc and made the comment the rear toe was off....but there was no adjustment for toe.

I paid and went away and let it slide. Went home and did it myself the best I could using his data. I think it was toe out so I did some toe in and called it a day. No problems. Lucky I reckon.

EDIT: In case someone does not know...there IS rear toe adjustment.

alexdimen

iTrader: (13)

luckily i have anoher base model parts car at my parents house... it's history is unknown, but i see no damage on the frame or stock fender on the front left and the shocks aren't leaking... i'll give it a shot, and if that doesn't work i'll get the crash bolts or a camber plate.

the odometer sitting in the hatch of the parts car reads 180k... but the 5sp transmission and diff proved to be fine and have been taking some serious beatings

thanks all!

gingenhagen

On a stock car, you can adjust toe for front and rear. For the front wheels, you can also increase camber and caster by exactly 30' each.

Your options are camber plates or crash bolts.

F1blueRx7

iTrader: (5)

didn't see it mentioned above, but sagging/lowering springs cause negative camber. The FSM has an Excellent section on setting your tow and camber (you can actually set the toe yourself if you get a toe stick, alot of race shops sell them for guys adjusting it at the track). The FSM explains how to use the toe stick to set it.

It also shows in detail how to turn the struts to adjust camber, you can do this yourself and save alot of money. Takes 4 bolts and a jack.

alexdimen

iTrader: (13)

only the series 5 manual shows this technique for adjusting camber/caster by rotating my struts.

the car in question is an 88 and doesn't have the white reference mark that the manual says should be there on top of the strut.... i tried it anyways and couldn't get anything out of it in any position. i used a straight edge against the rim with a incidence meter i got from a hobby store to measure it.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

as i said earlier anyways, there is not enough adjustment to compensate with the strut tower mounts for 3 degrees anyways, if you can even squeeze it out if you are lucky then the caster will be all out of whack.

darksider

sorry this is kinda off topic but i didnt get an answer to it yet. can i use tien camber plates to adjust front and rear camber on my stock s5 gxl? it has stock strust/stocks with ***/aas. im thinking not since theres wire connections involved. thanks.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

i don't think so since the strut cover is what adjusts the strut but if the struts are actually doing much as far as adjusting is another thing.

camman

Here is your answer from an ASE steering and suspention certified tech. I am dealing with the same thing on my 89 t2. if you rotate your strut it chages your caster as well as your camber. Use your strut to set caster and not worry about the camber for asecond. Cross caster should be at -0.5 to compinsate for road crown. That means the left caster needs to be 0.5degs more negative than the right. Once that is set remove the top knuckle bolt and grind the hole into and oval towards the outside of the car. This will allow you to push the top of the knuckle towards the car to make you camber more negative. Then set toe.

F1blueRx7

iTrader: (5)

You can only adjust front camber with the plates. I'm using this now. Rear camber can only be adjusted with the racingbeat or mazdatrix adjustable camber link. You will no longer be able to use the AAS system. As long as your struts in the front have a D shaped piston rod end at the top of the strut, it will work.

neofreak

you mean obx is made in china. not very crasy jdm there.

edmcguirk

DO NOT GRIND THE HOLES FOR THE KNUCKLE BOLTS!

Once you enlarge the holes, your camber will be held in place by a friction fit from the tension on the bolts. The normal control is by the interference fit of a bolt snugly fit inside it's hole. If you ever go autocrossing, the friction fit WILL slip. Once it slips to positive camber, you will have severely reduced front traction.

Camber plates are the best choice but they are mildly expensive. You can get good results with quality crash bolts. Most of the "cam action" crash bolts will not slip.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ghlight=camber

I have used camber bolts from here:
https://www.stempfperformance.com/
They have a good animation on how the bolts work.

ed

edmcguirk

Actually it looks like your whole car is leaning 1 degree to the left. Like maybe the left front spring has collapsed a little.

Try measuring the distance from the lower arm bushing to the ground in front and the rear crossmenber to the ground in the rear.

ed