I just installed new springs (eibach pro) and am going to have the car (87 GTA) alighned but was wondering because my springs havn't settled in yet, but when they do how will that affect the camber settings? Does settling cause the camber to go more neg or pos. I am looking for -.5* so should I have them shoot for 0*. Any input would be greatly welcome.Thanks guys
Bob

 

it will go more positive as car lowers/settles, but barely.

 

he's correct.

 

Thanks guys I'll have them set it to the 88 specs of
caster +5
camber 0
toe-in 3/64
Once that settles in that should get me in the -.5 camber ball park

 

If you set camber at o*, it my end up at +5*. remember it goes positive

 

uhhh....I dont know how old this thread is I just found it while searching for something else...but...camber going positive when you lower a car? O_o? does my car have some special suspension or something? cause my camber went negative. And from what I see on other cars it goes negative. Do you guys have it switched around or soemthing? Cause stock height I couldnt get that much camber out of my car. But now with the drop I can get my camber to about -1.5 or more O_o

 

if you get your car on an alignment rack again, push down on the car. you'll see the camber go more positive. what we were talking about is when the springs start to settle, the camber will go positive.

 

an update on this theory. just put some springs in a 92 RS. took the worn out stock ones and put new 1le in.

--------------before---------------- after
camber L -0.48 ------------------ L 0.48
--------- R -0.20 ------------------ R 0.60
total toe -0.16------------------- 0.47

so yes. when lowering the car, the camber will go negative. but, again when you lean on the car, or the springs settle, it will go positive. lowering springs are shorter than stock springs. so that changes the angle of the control arm. which in turn pushes the spindle outward at the bottom. and that is why you get negative camber.

 

Those stating camber will go more positive as the car is lowered are incorrect. The lower the car, the more negative camber you get. Easy to prove, just watch the tires the next time you jack the front end up. As you lift the body, the top of the tires tilt out (positive camber), not in which is negative camber.....

 

and as you can see i corrected myself on that one when it comes to springs. but also when you push down on a car from the top, the camber goes positive. also as a tire deflates, the camber goes positive. i run an alignment shop.

 

Well, I align a lot of cars too, and have a shop. And being a Nat'l champion autocrosser in Camaro's, deal a lot with their negative camber.

I'll give you this, which is maybe what you meant.... When a car leans or rolls, you lose negative camber/gain positive camber since the upper strut mount is tilting outwards. But any time the body is being lowered in relation to the wheel, you will gain more negative camber. A deflating tire doesn't actually change the wheels camber setting (airing the tire back up will have it right where it was), but because the car is leaning (as mentioned just above), it tilts the car and therefore the top of the tire outward. And as you well know alignments are supposed to be done a flat surface. If the car is leaning artifically (jacked up, low tire, whatever) that will give you a bad reading, but not actually mean the setting is bad. This is why we check inflation pressure etc. before an alignment, right?

 

yes you are correct. when i first posted i was thinking about the leaning of the car (i.e. pushing down on the fender). then when i replaced springs just the other day, i took readings of what themeasurements were. then after i put the springs in, i took another set of readings. and those are posted above.

and yes i always check tire pressures. wouldn't be a great alignment guy if i wasn't. which is why i also came back and corrected myself. i hate misinformation and i ahte it even worse when i am the one that gave it.