positive camber under cornering?

[40th GT]

I was checking out the tire wear on my fronts and there is visible wear on the outside edges but the inners look almost new. I have the factory spec alignment and it's apparent that there is positive camber under cornering. Can I simply fix this by removing camber to my alignment? Are c/c plates necessary for this?

 

[COramprat]

Stock height I'm guessing? If so you shouldn't need the plates. They can add or subtract camber as needed.

 

[40th GT]

Stock height I'm guessing? If so you shouldn't need the plates. They can add or subtract camber as needed.

Yep, stock height.

How about the caster? Can they add some of that without aftermarket c/c plates?

 

[CRZYHRSGT]

Right, at stock ride height the upper strut plates should have enough play in them to get you to the proper camber. I'd have them check your alignment again. You could also have a toe-in problem which can cause uneven tire wear.

Or you might just take corners on 2 wheels like I do

 

[Torinalth]

ehhhh, i think you are a bit off... i doubt its posative camber... i'd lean twards out of balance or possible toe being off...

your camber should be set at -3 to -6 or so... if its neutral then i could see the issue.... have uo been aligned reciently? get a spec sheet? mind posting the numbers?

Torinalth

 

[Torinalth]

also, its not caster, caster just affects the plant at which the wheel turns... i suppose with enough posative caster you could get a lot of outter wear on turns... but the stock plates have zero chance of getting to that point.... i think.....

Torinalth

 

[CdnNavybob]

Positive Castor creates negative camber when the suspension goes into bump, so more positive castor is good.

If you corner a Mustang hard (in stock trim), you will get wear on the outside edges of your tires. There are multpile reasons for this. This main one is that the macpherson type suspension does go towards positive camber rather then negative as it goes into bump. Therefore, in stock trim, no matter what you do to your alignment, it will go towards positive camber in hard cornering.

 

[RoadconeTuning]

its also from the fact that your tire rolls slightly and so does the body, a LOT, in stock trim i feel like im going to flip the damn thing every time i take a hard corner compared to how my stock fiero was... and it had +1 degree of camber from the factory in the front... the mcpherson strut system is ok for most things but amazing handling is not one of them in my opinion...

 

[hognutz]

I would try to find a shop the will verify you alinement for free if it has not been verified.

also check for worn suspention components but I can't imagine anything could be worn if you car is an 04.

 

[hognutz]

its also from the fact that your tire rolls slightly and so does the body, a LOT, in stock trim i feel like im going to flip the damn thing every time i take a hard corner compared to how my stock fiero was... and it had +1 degree of camber from the factory in the front... the mcpherson strut system is ok for most things but amazing handling is not one of them in my opinion...

I don't think it is the mcpherson strut system (although these cars are not really a mcpherson strut) that is you problem. It is the crappy spring rates, crappy springs, poor rear axel location that really limit these cars.

you fix those problems and you will be all smiles compared to stock.

 

[40th GT]

ehhhh, i think you are a bit off... i doubt its posative camber... i'd lean twards out of balance or possible toe being off...

your camber should be set at -3 to -6 or so... if its neutral then i could see the issue.... have uo been aligned reciently? get a spec sheet? mind posting the numbers?

Torinalth

-3 camber? Don't ya think that's a bit too much for my street car?

I was doubting that my alignment is off because my car is an 04 with only has 12.5k miles, but I will get it checked.

 

[40th GT]

I don't think it is the mcpherson strut system (although these cars are not really a mcpherson strut) that is you problem. It is the crappy spring rates, crappy springs, poor rear axel location that really limit these cars.

you fix those problems and you will be all smiles compared to stock.

So what are some of the first steps I should take to fix these problems? (tire and body roll) I'm willing to spend as much as I need to so that I can be competitive in auto-x events, but I'm not planning to break the record at Nurburgring.

Hopefully tom will chime in.

 

[Torinalth]

-3 camber? Don't ya think that's a bit too much for my street car?

I was doubting that my alignment is off because my car is an 04 with only has 12.5k miles, but I will get it checked.

bah, dont know where my mind was... 3-6 posative caster... damn i must have been elsewhere... for camber .5-1.5 negetive. I'd go twards the high side of the caster, and lower on the camber... maybe 5 caster and .7 camber and call it a day... if you start getting a lil wear you can back the camber off to .5, but i dont think you will notice any.

Torinalth

 

[Torinalth]

So what are some of the first steps I should take to fix these problems? (tire and body roll) I'm willing to spend as much as I need to so that I can be competitive in auto-x events, but I'm not planning to break the record at Nurburgring.

Hopefully tom will chime in.

cake... fix tire roll with better tires, stiffer sidewalls... BFG KDW, Falken azenis (if poor), and michelin pilot sport cup if rich.

to fix body roll you have two places to do it best... 1 is springs/dampeners... this will keep the movement of the car controlled overall... and 2 swaybars. i am damn near flat in cornering with the steeda front and rear. top it off with LCAs and a panhard rod and swaybar endlinks and i think you will be very pleased. that will allow for very controlled cornering and predictable fallout (for when you do screw up you will KNOW where its going instead of praying your guess is right) and will allow for corrections instead of overcorrecting.

Torinalth

 

[40th GT]

cake... fix tire roll with better tires, stiffer sidewalls... BFG KDW, Falken azenis (if poor), and michelin pilot sport cup if rich.

to fix body roll you have two places to do it best... 1 is springs/dampeners... this will keep the movement of the car controlled overall... and 2 swaybars. i am damn near flat in cornering with the steeda front and rear. top it off with LCAs and a panhard rod and swaybar endlinks and i think you will be very pleased. that will allow for very controlled cornering and predictable fallout (for when you do screw up you will KNOW where its going instead of praying your guess is right) and will allow for corrections instead of overcorrecting.

Torinalth

Correct me if I'm wrong but those Michelin Pilot Sports have a treadwear rating of 220, so traction/cornering ability would be the same as stock tires.

I found the Bridgestone Potenza (treadwear 140) on tirerack for a cheaper price than the Michelins. Anyone have first-hand experience with Bridgestones?

 

[tomustang]

cake... fix tire roll with better tires, stiffer sidewalls... BFG KDW, Falken azenis (if poor), and michelin pilot sport cup if rich.

to fix body roll you have two places to do it best... 1 is springs/dampeners... this will keep the movement of the car controlled overall... and 2 swaybars. i am damn near flat in cornering with the steeda front and rear. top it off with LCAs and a panhard rod and swaybar endlinks and i think you will be very pleased. that will allow for very controlled cornering and predictable fallout (for when you do screw up you will KNOW where its going instead of praying your guess is right) and will allow for corrections instead of overcorrecting.

Torinalth

You have to start at the base, wet nooooooooooooodle chassis, you shouldn't have to change the front swaybar, the front is already positive understeer as it is, add that and some stiffer springs, the front will be all over since thge rear didn't get compensated enough. I say do the full length subframes first, then you can choose where to go next with your suspension