New Front LCA…. Caster vs camber?

[ShifterX]

Replacing both lower control arms. I know technically there is not control arm alignment adjustment, but the rear mounting bracket has plenty of play. I will get an alignment, but would like to start at the best place.

If I pull the rear bracket out, it will add positive caster.

Looking at the arc angle of the control arm, it appears if I push the rear bracket in, I will loose positive caster but gain some negative camber.

What direction do you recommend as a starting place?

I have steeds camber plates up top.

thanks!

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

Really depends on what you feel you need more of, and if your camber plates can get you the camber you desire. If camber plates get you what you need then you can decide solely on what you’d like caster to be. Whats your use case and can you get as much or as little camber as you want with camber plates alone?

 

[ShifterX]

HPDE and street. Thinking maybe caster but then I read somewhere the s197 already has tons of positive caster.

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

Ok yeah. IMO S197 and S550 have enough positive caster for most uses, unless your HPDE speeds are astronomically high, I'd leave caster at near stock levels (~7*) and focus on more negative camber.

 

[ShifterX]

Well I pulled them both out, moving the ball joint forward. One problem off the bat, now the camber is definitely uneven. Drivers side has quite a bit of negative camber compared to the passenger side. It’s got to be around -3 or so drivers and maybe -1 passenger. This is with both camber plates centered in the reference holes.

top of the drivers tire is about 1/4” farther in than the pass side. Not sure if I should go back in and position the passenger side arm for more camber. Or just go for an alignment as it is.

i suppose I can pick up a little adj out of the stut to hub bolts as well.

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

The k member is not always centered on the frame rails and can cause this.

 

[ShifterX]

Could be, but the original arms were dead even. I will have to take some frame to ball joint measurements and see if the issue is the control arm. There is quite a bit of play on all the control arm bolts, it’s not exactly a precision fit.

 

[DaveW]

FWIW, aren't you kind of borrowing trouble here? Can you achieve the even camber you want, ON AN ALIGNMENT MACHINE?

I do alignments for a living, for performance minded people for the most part. Almost any "guess" a customer makes about how their alignment looks sitting on the ground is massively wrong. Mine aren't great and I look at cars all day.

DaveW