The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

Front only camber adjustment worse than stock/no adjustment?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

I have the 2019 adjustable top strut mounts for my GT350R. My mechanic recommended not adding negative camber to the front until I can add camber to the rear. My understanding is no rear camber adjustment can be made without aftermarket parts.

I have an HPDE track day tomorrow so no time to install parts. He thought the imbalance of grip front to back would make it hard to drive on track, ie the back end would come out more easily I think.

Does this sound right? Or should I go ahead and add negative camber in the front only?
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
I would do the front camber adjustment on its own if for nothing other than preserving your tires on-track.

You will get additional front grip from the added camber. This may make the car more loose compared to stock without additional camber in the rear, but that is usually not a bad thing on Mustangs.

Have fun this weekend...
 
I would do the front camber adjustment on its own if for nothing other than preserving your tires on-track.

You will get additional front grip from the added camber. This may make the car more loose compared to stock without additional camber in the rear, but that is usually not a bad thing on Mustangs.

Have fun this weekend...

That's what I was thinking, thank you for confirming. I already left the shop...but it actually looks easier than I thought to use the adjustable mounts. Just need to loosen the three top nuts and slide/move the strut rod. I'm already planning on putting the car up on jacks to flush the brake fluid, so it should be pretty easy to make this adjustment as well.

I'll change the toe settings next time when I have more than 15 hours until track time...

It does bother me that I have to install rear adjustable camber arms to be able to get to the track alignment recommended by Ford. Didn't think I'd need to do that for a track ready car....oh well.
 
Camber in rear is adjustable to a point. It will max out before -2. I think I got about -1.7 or -1.8. It comes from the factory with less than that. Anything more than that will require new parts.
 
I would do the front camber adjustment on its own if for nothing other than preserving your tires on-track.

You will get additional front grip from the added camber. This may make the car more loose compared to stock without additional camber in the rear, but that is usually not a bad thing on Mustangs.

Have fun this weekend...

@ArizonaBOSS Do you think the change in toe setting caused by changing the front camber is something to worry about? Detrimental enough not to change the camber?

Thanks!
 
1,246
1,243
In the V6L
I have the 2019 adjustable top strut mounts for my GT350R. My mechanic recommended not adding negative camber to the front until I can add camber to the rear. My understanding is no rear camber adjustment can be made without aftermarket parts.

I have an HPDE track day tomorrow so no time to install parts. He thought the imbalance of grip front to back would make it hard to drive on track, ie the back end would come out more easily I think.

Does this sound right? Or should I go ahead and add negative camber in the front only?
@ArizonaBOSS is right - you should do the front camber adjustment for sure. And, yes, the change in toe is significant so it'll need to be adjusted. And, no, the change in grip will not be a problem - it'll be fine. Also, as @nordique14 said, you can set the rear end up to the 2019 GT350R Supplement settings without aftermarket parts. It sounds like your mechanic hasn't worked on a GT350 before.

If you're going to run the OEM carbon fiber rims, then start with the settings in the Supplement.
 
@ArizonaBOSS is right - you should do the front camber adjustment for sure. And, yes, the change in toe is significant so it'll need to be adjusted. And, no, the change in grip will not be a problem - it'll be fine. Also, as @nordique14 said, you can set the rear end up to the 2019 GT350R Supplement settings without aftermarket parts. It sounds like your mechanic hasn't worked on a GT350 before.

If you're going to run the OEM carbon fiber rims, then start with the settings in the Supplement.

@JAJ Thank you. Now my problem is I can make the camber adjustment(s), but I don't have time to get the toe adjusted at a shop. Track day is tomorrow so too late now, and I don't have the right tool to measure toe in my home garage.

Looks like my options are adjust the camber and pray the toe doesn't affect tomorrow too badly, or to leave the stock alignment.

Not sure what is best honestly. Leaning towards changing camber up front at least and hoping for the best with the changed toe.
 
1,246
1,243
In the V6L
It's a weird trade-off. If you leave the camber, the front tires will wear more than necessary on the outside edge. If you change it and it goes toe-out, you'll wear the tires more than necessary on the inside edge.

At this point, I'm with @ArizonaBOSS - the outside edge wears faster even when toe is correct, so protecting it makes sense.
 
You can definitely adjust the rear camber without aftermarket parts. I have mine set at -2.1 in the rear and can easily get it to -2.5. Probably even more to be honest. The alignment shop told me I need aftermarket parts too and I pulled up the service manual on my phone and showed them how to do it. You need CC plates to adjust the front, but the rear is fully adjustable straight from the factory.
 
So, @ScottyD_GT, what did you decide to do and how did it work out?

I left the stock alignment. I brought a jack and my plan was to add camber during lunch if the tire shoulders were being smoked. They were worn pretty good, but it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be so I ended up leaving everything alone.

I'll definitely get a better alignment before my next event. Probably should have adjusted the camber during lunch, but all in all one day didn't destroy the shoulders too badly.

Thanks for all the advice though everyone! You were probably right.
 
You can definitely adjust the rear camber without aftermarket parts. I have mine set at -2.1 in the rear and can easily get it to -2.5. Probably even more to be honest. The alignment shop told me I need aftermarket parts too and I pulled up the service manual on my phone and showed them how to do it. You need CC plates to adjust the front, but the rear is fully adjustable straight from the factory.

Where did you find the service manual if you don't mind me asking. A friend of mine has a similar problem with an alignment shop.
 

Fair

Go Big or Go Home
Supporting Vendor
277
492
Plano, TX
Always always always manage front camber, even if you have no rear adjustment.

DSCN1530-L.jpg

I wouldn't go that far, but get -2.5 to -3.0° front on any S197 or S550 that you are using on track. This will SAVE YOUR TIRES, add grip, add performance.

NASA-TT3-MSRC-031218-2-L.jpg

Do people stop you on the street and say "hey I think your car is broken!" - good. You're getting to the right ballpark for camber.

And why is your mechanic saying you have no rear camber adjustment on an S550? The setting below was with stock rear suspension, lowered, and adjusting at the stock camber arms. Likely they are just lazy - lazy or ignorant.

alignment-031918-L.jpg


This alignment sheet above is close to the ideal alignment we recommend for dual purpose track/street cars on proper coilovers with camber plates up front. ZERO front toe, shove the front camber to max (this was before we cut the towers), leave caster in the stock location (+7.4 deg is huge). Out back go for -2 deg camber and 1/4" total toe in. You can drive this every day and have great wear, and it will rock on track.

Cheers,
 
Last edited:

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,420
8,346
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Fair and Raderjatt are so right! Sounds to me this is a good test to see if the shop really knows what they are doing? I often tell friends to ask if they can corner weight the car also, and when they say what is that , you have another good indicator you need a better shop! We were corner weighting so many vehicles at one time at our Dodge Dealership it ended up waking up more shops that there was business out there for track rats.
 
Always always always manage front camber, even if you have no rear adjustment.

View attachment 54130

I wouldn't go that far, but get -2.5 to -3.0° front on any S197 or S550 that you are using on track. This will SAVE YOUR TIRES, add grip, add performance.

View attachment 54131

Do people stop you on the street and say "hey I think your car is broken!" - good. You're getting to the right ballpark for camber.

And why is your mechanic saying you have no rear camber adjustment on an S550? The setting below was with stock rear suspension, lowered, and adjusting at the stock camber arms. Likely they are just lazy - lazy or ignorant.

View attachment 54132


This alignment sheet above is close to the ideal alignment we recommend for dual purpose track/street cars on proper coilovers with camber plates up front. ZERO front toe, shove the front camber to max (this was before we cut the towers), leave caster in the stock location (+7.4 deg is huge). Out back go for -2 deg camber and 1/4" total toe in. You can drive this every day and have great wear, and it will rock on track.

Cheers,

Very helpful. Though I’m on GT350R springs, not coilovers. Would that change settings above? Thanks.
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top