Camber adjustment Help

[sleepdoc]

I have made a simple tool for measuring camber from a level.

Initially the front camber on my 73 914 was set to -2 degrees.

I released the top of the struts and brought the tops out laterally
but can only reduce neg camber down to -1 degrees.

Can the camber be effected by bringing the lower suspension
point on the end of the A arm in by raising the ride Height?

Would the addition of a bump steer kit add neg camber by bringing out the lower suspension attachment point
by lowering and making the A arm more horizontal?

Thanks for your thoughts.

best Mark

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Can the camber be effected by bringing the lower suspension point on the end of the A arm in by raising the ride Height?

I'm not sure what exactly you're saying--but in general lowering your 914 will increase negative camber. Raising it will decrease negative camber.

Then again, there are those of us who think 1 degree of negative camber is a very good amount to have in the front. (And 1.5 in the back.)


Would the addition of a bump steer kit add neg camber by bringing out the lower suspension attachment point by lowering and making the A arm more horizontal?

Nope, adding a bump-steer kit does not affect the camber in any meaningful way. It reduces the toe effect of the suspension compressing, but should not affect camber noticeably.

--DD

[John Rogers]

You might want to check the article I wrote here on the PP site on home alignment? I'm not sure what -2 or -1 mean, is it degrees, etc? If you are going to check the wheel alignment, the car has to be on a very level surface and then measure with a large square and read the camber that way. When you make a change, move the car back and forth to set the suspension and then measure. If moving the tops of the struts outward does not decrease the negative camber much then your front strut assy. is probably bent. Good luck.

[sleepdoc]

Thanks Dave and John.


Dave I know you like more neg camber than some. I am using the car for mostly street, and maybe a DE. I am not sure what camber I want to run, this is a 3.2l six conversion, but I am surprised that bringing the strut top all the way out doesn't bring the wheel to at least 0 degree. Your answer is in tune with what I reasoned would happen to the camber with changing ride height. I am running 195/50/15 This lowers the front about 3.3 inches if the body is set to look stock with this wheel. Do you think lowering this much in front makes a big enough difference that I wouldn't be able to get to 0 degree?


John I am using your diy method, have a beautiful level garage and am measuring camber using a level and adjusting screws enabling accurate measurement of upper to lower rim distance difference and I can take the degree right off your chart. The struts are new, and I have a bump steer kit installed. The A arms are not bent. I replaced the tie rods with a turbo tierod kit. After any adjustment I take the car out around the block. I appreciate your input as this is clearly an area of interest for you. Any other thoughts?

thanks Mark

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Again, I'm not quite sure of what you're trying to say...

Lowering the car by putting lower-profile tires on it will not change the camber. Only lowering it by using the suspension adjustments (in front) or shorter springs (in back) will do so. Ditto for raising, but of course the camber affect is to go more positive when you raise the car.

--DD

[sleepdoc]

Dave,
Setting the ride height for the lower tires, with the torsion bar adjuster, to look like the stock setting, ie with the
body/ valence line running through the center of the wheel hub puts the suspension about 3.3 inches lower.