Camber Kit

[mytoy_94]

Anyone have any experience installing these, or DIY link on this? I want to get some since I have coilovers and my car is gonna have a significant drop this spring and i dont want to be getting alignments ever few months.. These things can't be to difficult to install, right?

[InNeedOfH2O]

Putting them in is nothing .....its setting them to correct your camber that is difficult.

http://www.k-series.com/tech_detail.php?Tech_ID=EP_INGALLS_CAMBERKIT

[laz]

I have those in my car, but they were professionally installed when the guy did the alignment. You can buy them, and have them installed at alignment time.

X

[Phozenstone]

just buy the kit, and give it to the person who is doing your alignment, they will know what to do with it, if not, then you are going to the wrong guy for alignments.

[mytoy_94]

Okay, i got more questions though Sucks being the only guy here with adjustable coilovers, lol..  I raise my car in the winter, and drop the car for spring/summer/fall. Once the Camber is installed and set, will it have to be re-adjusted every single time i play around with my coilovers and drop/raise the car, or will the camber kit ensure that no matter what settings my coils are in my allignment will never be off? Thanks guys

[laz]

I think if you don't go past 1 1/2 inches in height you will be OK. Yes, coilovers suck in that respect. The camber will always be affected when the  car drops. I think you are better off lowering to what you are goin to have it for summertime and get an alignment. I suggest that you first get the alignment, and then let them tell you if you need a camber kit. Try to negotiate it in the alignment price.

You will only need it if your camber if way too off when it is dropped. that is why happened to me, only one wheel was slightly off the spec, but I had them put it on all four since they were off slightly. Now the camber kit is not sdjustable, it just moves it either -5 degrees, or +5 degrees depending on what you need. And why do we need the camber ki, because camber on out cars is non-adjustable.

Hope that helps man.

[mytoy_94]

Thanks X, another problem is that my local alignment shop's ramp is to high for  when my car is dropped to where i want it to be :cry: My car wont go up there alignment ramp with the drop that i want plus the kit. Its like if that ramp was built for SUVs or something. Wonder if Sears Auto does allignments :thinking:

I'm pretty sure i'm in great need for a camber kit. A month after we intalled my Ground Controls, i felt my allignment was way of, steering was just not as tight. The wear on Front tires confirmed this when i switched to stock wheels/tires for the winter and i saw my kumhos starting to get uneven tread wear.

[laz]

Oh man, that sucks! I would not recommend Sears, I heard bad stories about their work. Of course we ended up in a bad place with pete, but then again that was not my reegular joint. There was this one other place that look pretty decent in Queens, but it was booked. If you want I can find out about the place where I got mine for you and see if their ramp will acommodate lowered cars. I know mine was, but it maybe a little higher than yours.

[mytoy_94]

X, i'll check my local yellow pages and call a few places close by, and if i dont feel comfortable with any of those places, i'll check out the place where you did yours.

[Phozenstone]

it doesnt really matter where you go for alignments, its not like it is hand done or anything, they just put ur car on the ramp and the computer does the rest by helping them see if its aligned or not.  I would go to sears since they are more reputable and would probably guarantee their alignments. dont take my word for it tho, but wut i did was i took my bumper off and drove to sears w/o a bumper, its only like a 10 min drive, and then i went home and put my bumper back on.

[InNeedOfH2O]

Camber kits not adjustable?  Huh?

I got mine done at SEARS
Alignment - Yes
Everything else - No
They give you a printout from the computer.

You could make a makeshift alignment gadget.
Get a flat steel bar that fits flush with your wheel and put a magnetic level on it.  Bisnitch is you have to ground and lift your car for every adjusment.....and its not 100% accurate.

You should only have to get a aligment over 1.5"

[laz]

Camber kits not adjustable?  Huh?

Well, what I meant to say is that they only have a set amount of adjustment between +/- 5 degrees five or take. Depending on how messed up your suspensin is, it may help or not. Now, once it is in place it is really not user adjustable. Yes, you can try to adjust it yourself, but I would not recommend it. It is not like a camber plate that you can adjust easier, but you still need equipment to do it correctly. And yes, the computer does accurately aligh your suspension, but you still someone that is skilled enough to work it and set up your car correctly, so it is not a 100% automated system, and like anything else equipment needs to be calibrated correctly, and the tech needs to know how to use it as well.

So just because it is a computer alignment, does not mean that it will be 100% correct. This is what happened to Pete when we got his alignment. They had state of the art laser guided alignment equipment, and they still messed it up!

[InNeedOfH2O]

You are right...thats what you get when you expect qualified people and don't want to pay them what they are worth.  But there isn't much involved with the computer alignment....and they f-ed it up?
Also if a corolla is off more than 5 degrees I think you have other worries  :lol:
And even the factory has set allowences for alignment.
If they show you a before and after printout you should be able to tell if somethings amiss, they can't modify the numbers.
How did they mess his alignment up?

[laz]

They somehow did not hold the steering wheel correctly in center and so after the alignment it did not center correctly. So the car was going straight, but the steering wheel was pointing a little to the side. We went back three times, and each time it got better, but never perfect.

When they did mine only the rear driver side wheel was off by like 2 degrees, and the right was within specs, but still almost boderline.

After the camber kit the drivers rear was good, but off from the right side by like three degrees. They told me that both did not need to be exactly the same, just within the specs. I do not know if that was BS or what, but they were both adjusted by the same dregrees. So right now the driver's wheel has more of a negative camber then the left. I still have my printouts somewhere. The shop i have gone to for a while is pretty good though.

The alignment was $65 but they raped me with the kit at $45! :mad:

X

[Phozenstone]

maybe the steering wheel was mis-aligned then, the computerized alignments dont really take into consideration how off the steering wheel is.

[InNeedOfH2O]

Yeah my steering wheel is off center after the alignment also but suprisingly never bothered me.  They usually put a weight on the wheel to hold it center and I was thinking they bypassed that step.  I'll see if I can find my printout and we'll compare #'s.
I had camber wedges installed and got pegged also.  I wonder If I still need them after going from 1.6 to 1.3" drop.
I was told both don't need to be exact either and it kinda makes sense considering you camber will slightly change as the suspension travels

[mytoy_94]

so do you think i will need an alignment if i drop my car with the tein springs....its a 2.3 inch drop i think

With a 2.3" drop you'll probably be in the same predicament as me and need an alignment and camber kit.

[mytoy_94]

With any changes in a suspension like struts or springs an alignment is highly recommended anyways, so there is no avoiding it. The camber kit is not exactly a necessity depending on the drop.

[Martin11581]

i thought the same chris.. so loweing your car gets more expensive than just buyng springs or coilovers. you have to get camber kits and have ur car aligned more often hmmmmmm

I dont think i will drop my car. i drove it today and i already heard my bumper hit the ground :-( nope no lowering for me