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FC Front Camber

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Old 07-12-11, 10:37 PM
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FC Front Camber

Hello,

Wondering how you gents are getting more negative front camber on your FC's.
Just had my race car on the alignment rack for the first time and with the camber plates on my coilovers maxed we were only able to get -2.5 degrees up front.

We've had to run well over -3 degrees on other cars especially with a wider tire. I'm currently running a 275 on the FC.

Has anyone done any modifications to get more camber out of the front of these cars?

Thanks,
Andrew.
Old 07-12-11, 10:56 PM
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Could you post a picture of your camber plates, I think you might have them "upside down".
Old 07-13-11, 04:38 PM
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Don't think they are upside down. The upper bolt on my shocks is nearly hitting the lip on the strut tower. Unless I'm missing something how can it move back any further.

Hers a picture:

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Andrew.
Old 07-13-11, 04:58 PM
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From your picture, you could slot the four mounting holes to get more negative. Also it looks like you still have some adjustment left on your camber plate but the shock may be hitting the sheet metal. You can trim some of that too so you can move the shock top more inwards as well.
Old 07-13-11, 07:28 PM
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Originally Posted by jrx13
From your picture, you could slot the four mounting holes to get more negative. Also it looks like you still have some adjustment left on your camber plate but the shock may be hitting the sheet metal. You can trim some of that too so you can move the shock top more inwards as well.
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Old 07-14-11, 12:00 PM
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I've maxed out the camber plate already, its ends just at the limit of the tower opening. Slotting the bolt holes I'm not doing.

Andrew.
Old 07-14-11, 05:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Andoru
I've maxed out the camber plate already, its ends just at the limit of the tower opening. Slotting the bolt holes I'm not doing.

Andrew.
what does it look like on the bottom? i think something is bent, but my POS shell is -3.5 on the left
and -6.5 on the right with uncut strut tower openings.

-6.5 is beyond cartoon, it just looks broken
Old 07-15-11, 06:16 AM
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Originally Posted by j9fd3s
-6.5 is beyond cartoon, it just looks broken
Damn. Got a kick out of that for some reason.

But why no slotting the bolt holes?
Old 07-15-11, 07:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Andoru
Don't think they are upside down. The upper bolt on my shocks is nearly hitting the lip on the strut tower. Unless I'm missing something how can it move back any further.

Hers a picture:



Andrew.
More pictures of your car please..
Old 07-15-11, 08:04 AM
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Mine are just like wlfkprcn. You don't have to slot the mounting holes (and I agree don't do it) but do have to remove material for adjustment range. That's around 3.25 degrees setting in the picture, and obviously room left to go either way.

Where are your camber plates from?
Attached Thumbnails FC Front Camber-pict0046.jpg   FC Front Camber-pict0308.jpg  
Old 07-15-11, 08:18 AM
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If there is more adjustment left in the camber plate but the strut is hitting the opening in the chassis... then I think the answer is obvious. It's a race car... CUT OUT whatever gets in the way.
Good luck
Old 07-15-11, 03:17 PM
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Nothing is bent.
I would cut material if that solved my problem. I have cut many things on this car But like I said, the camber plates are maxed.

My camber plates are from stance. Kinda scares me, but all your camber plates look to have quite a bit more caster then mine. I did not have to cut anything to fit them in.

Andrew.
Old 07-16-11, 12:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Andoru
My camber plates are from stance.
I suspect most of us are running AWR/Ground Control/MazdaComp/Mazdaspeed set ups.
Old 07-18-11, 09:29 AM
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I have found that for some reason you can get nearly .5 more neg camber using S4 control arms and ball joints vs using S5 single piece control arms. I have one car with S4 control arms and one with S5, at about the same ride height and exact same stance coilovers, i can get nearly neg 3.0 static, with the S5 control arms best i could get was 2.4-2.5 neg...

In talking with other S4 owners they have seen the same, they can get nearly neg 3, even with the coilovers that dont require/need strut tower cutting...

Another option are cam bolts, but for racing you really have to red loctite the snot out of em or they move...
Old 07-18-11, 09:34 PM
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Originally Posted by RockLobster
I have found that for some reason you can get nearly .5 more neg camber using S4 control arms and ball joints vs using S5 single piece control arms. I have one car with S4 control arms and one with S5, at about the same ride height and exact same stance coilovers, i can get nearly neg 3.0 static, with the S5 control arms best i could get was 2.4-2.5 neg...

In talking with other S4 owners they have seen the same, they can get nearly neg 3, even with the coilovers that dont require/need strut tower cutting...

Another option are cam bolts, but for racing you really have to red loctite the snot out of em or they move...
Have a couple of friends that have used the cam bolts on other cars.
Really don't trust them.

I guess I could have the top of my camber plates machined a little further and notch my tower. I'm thinking thats going to be the easiest fix. I really only need another degree of camber and I would be happy.

Andrew.
Old 07-18-11, 10:50 PM
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Sounds to me like you are pulling camber out to clear the tires/strut/spring on the bottom(stock) adjustment and then trying to add it back up top. How about some wheel spacers to push the tire away from the spring so you can add some camber between the spindle and strut?
Old 07-26-11, 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by jgrewe
Sounds to me like you are pulling camber out to clear the tires/strut/spring on the bottom(stock) adjustment and then trying to add it back up top. How about some wheel spacers to push the tire away from the spring so you can add some camber between the spindle and strut?
Not sure what you mean, having no trouble clearing my coils. There is no adjustment at the spindle and strut unless I run cam bolts which I don't want to do.

I'm trying to get more negative camber on the front because I know I will need it with the wider tire once I start checking tire temperatures at the track.

Andrew.
Old 10-22-11, 10:14 PM
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Bring this thread back from the dead.
Started working on my camber issue this weekend, managed to nearly finish machining a new camber plate on the drivers side. This yielded me 4 degrees of camber. Have caster adjustment now as well.

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Andrew.
Old 10-26-11, 03:56 PM
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That's a nice looking motor you have there.
Old 11-29-11, 10:58 PM
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dang that's a lot. i'm only doing 1.8 seems like plenty.
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