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[platty]

It seems everyone was busy on their Omegas this weekend, and I was no exception. Been needing to do the wishbones for sometime so tackled them on Saturday. Put new ones on and camber was better but still really bad. Didn't fancy paying loads to get it set properly so tried my hand at adjusting it myself... I will eventually get it done correctly, but with MOT and Tax already this month.. the finances are suffering!! I guessed that by using a spirit level and Pythagoras Theorem that i could get it within about 0.5 to 1 degree tolerance?

Pics show how bad the camber was to start with...





As i knew the diameter of the wheel and the distance btw the spirit level and the wheel, i worked out the angles of camber for each side... these are only rough calcs but the camber was about 3 degrees on n/s and 4 degree on o/s.

So I took wheels off and jacked car up, loosened bolts btw strut and hub and pulled them out to maximum adjustment. Then knocked them back a little and measured off my spirit level with a spacer i made up. I was aiming for about 1 degree, which i think is about what they should be??

Tightened bolts again and replaced wheels, measured camber and calc'd again... works out about 1 degree one side and 1.5 the other. The other was at full adjust though so not much i can do about it i think... an opinions on that?

Either way it handles the same but feels much smoother when cruising at speed and hopefully might improve my consumption somewhat.

This is only experimental so if anyone has any suggestions or opinions, please let me know!

[ffcgary1]

Wheels in motion at hemel hempstead is the place to go for camber, they set it at 1'10 to stop the shoulder wear on the tyre. i WOULD GET IT THERE AS SOON AS YOU CAN AFFORD IT MATE, as incorrect setting causes exsessive stress on the bearings and hub assy Also did you adjust the settings with the weight of the car on the wheels or jacked up The car should be on the ground when adjusting them.

[platty]

Wheels in motion at hemel hempstead is the place to go for camber, they set it at 1'10 to stop the shoulder wear on the tyre. i WOULD GET IT THERE AS SOON AS YOU CAN AFFORD IT MATE, as incorrect setting causes exsessive stress on the bearings and hub assy Also did you adjust the settings with the weight of the car on the wheels or jacked up The car should be on the ground when adjusting them.

Yes, I have head that they are the place to go...  I have been driving it for 2000 miles with the readings I mentioned above (3 and 4 degrees neg) so thought it was time to have a go. I can't really see that my calcs are that far out and will do for the time being. I set it with the weight of the vehicle on the wheels (on a 4 post ramp), drove 5 miles and then checked/adjusted it until it was 1 degree one side and 1.5 degrees on the other, roughly ( this was maximum adjustment though). I'm more interested in finding out how I can get more adjustment on this side to be honest... any ideas?

[ffcgary1]

If you cannot get the same movement on one side then there must be something stopping you get the range you need. the bolt holes are the same on both sides.

[platty]

Yeah, I was trying to work out what is different, I changed both wishbones about an hour before I set the camber so I think I can safely rule them out. The strut tops can't be that far out side to side, I wouldn't imagine... what else would affect the camber setting? apart from where it is adjusted?  :-/

[justme]

Spirit level and Pi will do everything you want, and be deadly accurate BUT. You need to be very sure about what you are doing.

The front of the car needs to be loaded with 70Kgs on each front seat, this is an absolute.
Your tracking has to be checked and set, and rechecked.
The car needs to be on a levell base.

If you cannot do the tracking then dont do the camber, they are interdependant and it is the steering
that you are adjusting. Naff it and the price you pay may be a little to high.

You can however set the tracking from the centre line of the car, potchy and time consuming.

Tracking has a direct effect on camber, camber has a direct effect on tracking. THINK about it.
If you cannot understand the basic then you would be well advised to leave well alone.

You are aware that there is something wrong with your steering, Heavy : Juddering : Excessive Tyre wear : Think about the loads that you are applying to the steering gear just to enable you to drive it.
Whilst the steering is well designed and manufactured. There are limits. Vibration and motion are wonderfull and weird phenonomen, that can be very unpredictable and expensive.

It is false economy if you are not aware of your own limitations. There are lots you can do on the car, there are somethings you should not even attempt without the correct equipment and understanding.
And if you are not convinced of that, think of the poor innocents that may become involved through no fault of thier own.

Your camber is wrong because your tracking is wrong, you are not able to understand that. forget it and get it done correctly.  
  

[platty]

I appreciate all your comments on safety etc. and this is all taken on board. Just so that people know though, I have studied Vehicle Dynamics for 4 years and fully understand the implications if I do make a balls up. As mentioned already, I am getting the job done properly eventually - but it is a 120 mile drive to WIM and I would be mental to drive that with 3 and 4 degrees camber and about 4 degrees of toe out... so self adjustment makes sense when i feel competent to do it.

I am interested in finding out how I can achieve more adjustment on the side that is still slightly out though! :-?

I hope people that have replied take my comments in the right way, I'm not trying to sound clever, just looking to gleam some advice from some of you super-knowledgeable people on this forum about things I am unsure of!

Platty

[craykent]

well how strange my car is suffering from the same trouble and i to have been playing nwith a piece of wood and level   getting better but i also found that vauxhall have redesinged the strut bolts instead of flanged nuts they are single use nuts now so they should not move so easily once torqued up    

[ffcgary1]

No offence taken by me mate and i hope i can that say for anyone else that has replied to you. so good luck and keep asking the  :question

Gary.