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Camber Adjustment: Tell me if I'm crazy

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Don't bother telling me to get MM camber/caster plates because it will be awhile till then.

My car is a DD as well as HPDE Mustang and I take race seats, wheels, and pads in/out for every event (it's a lot of work but I'm getting quicker at it).
I want to use my Eibach camber bolts to give me a touch of neg camber for a little edge and here is what I plan on doing:

(1) I don't have a level surface, so jack each side up by the welds and place a regular wall level in the middle of the engine bay or bumper to get either side up/down to make it level.
(2) Use one of these gauges (http://www.amazon.com/Tool-Aid-61800-Strut-Alignment/dp/B0002SRECC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1365893922&sr=8-4&keywords=Camber+gauge) to 0 my alignment.
(3) Mark a point on the camber bolt and the strut to say "THIS IS 0!"
(4) Every event crank the bolt to produce a lousy 0 - -1.5 degrees of camber, return bolt alignment to my mark when I'm done for returning to DD 0 camber.

What say you all? Crazy? (I might just return it 0 with the gauge every time vs. my mark though cuz I'm afraid the bolt won't always line up perfectly).
 
You are crazy ;D

If you are only at 1.5 degrees, can leave it that way for daily driving. You will not wear the inside of the tires that much more quickly to make it worth setting it each time. Just my $.02.
 
Yeah I was wondering that too. I drive maybe 30mi a day total, how much would a lousy 1 degree or so actually wear my tires especially if I'm rotating them all the time between events. Maybe I should just make it 1 to 1.5 degrees and leave it.
 
I am running a -3.2 and do not adjust it for DD. My DD miles are a lot less at maybe 30 miles a week, but it is just not worth the hassle and changing it back and forth all the time. Every now and then I use my DD tires on the track if there is any moisture, so I end up replacing those once a season as it is. At -3.2 it gets a bit funky in tight turns in parking lots.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
I don't think you're crazy...but I'm not sure you've thought the whole process through.

I don't think you can do an alignment with a side jacked up. But I'd love to be proven wrong on that!

I think you could just set your camber and run it that way with the toe zeroed.

If you're on the stock Boss springs, I think you should be able to get -1.7 to -1.9 or so. I'm running -2.5 with the Eibach camber bolts maxed out with P springs. 0 toe and I run on the street that way with no abnormal tread wear.
 
Subscribing to this thread...

I'm in the same boat as the OP: DD with some HPDEs eventually thrown in. I want to keep my 2013 LS stock for a while. If I do lower the car, that's when I would add MM camber plates.

Right now, based on some rudimentary ruler measurements in my garage, I'm at roughly -1.3 degrees of camber. My BTA is next month, and then I'll sign up for some HPDEs. Based on a lot of reading, I think I would like to be at about -2.0 degrees of camber.

I don't like the boring-of-lower-hole method described in the Ford Service Manual.

I do like the idea of adding Eibach camber bolts to the upper holes, and adjusting camber to -2.0 degrees, and leaving it fixed at that value.

In my supercharged Acura Integra, one method of camber adjustment was replacing the upper control arm (Skunk2 or OmniPower); modifying the camber setting threw out the toe. So I'm guessing that adjusting the Eibach camber bolts would also affect the toe. Hence, pick a camber setting, get an alignment, and leave it there. :D :D :D
 
FYI I have already lowered the car with Eibach springs and shocks.
@Grant no you can't with one side jacked up, hence why I do both sides with a level in the center to know I've got both sides perfectly level.

@SBY - I believe those Eibach camber bolts advertise up to -2 camber no? Well, I had a magnetic scale today but its one of the gravity 360 scales so its not NEARLY as accurate as my linked level/scale just for camber. So...I don't know how much negative camber I'll actually be able to achieve but I'm hoping in the -1.5 degree area.
That all said - maybe I'll just get it there and leave it if the consensus is to not worry about it so much.

@LS110 - I'll be in the same boat soon as I wear this set of track tires out - I'm running Dunlop Direzza Starspecs so I would still use them for wet - but in the future i'll lean more towards slick-style and use my street summer tires for the wet days.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
I get that you'll level the car. What I'm not understanding is how you'd do the alignment with one front wheel drooping more than the other. How far out of level is your garage?

With any of the Eibach springs you should be able to get more than -2.5 with the bolts. Which springs do you have? I wouldn't be surprised if you already have about -1.5 camber right now without bolts.
 

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