IF you read my Flex thread you already know I just installed them, but I want to know about adj the camber in the front. Is this something I can do, just slid it so the lines matches up with the second lien for 2 degrees???


or

Do I have to go to a shop and have them measure the degrees?

I have no clue in this department so treat me like a child on this one

 

Your toe settings change when you change the camber and you need to compensate for that. Aside from that I have found the Cusco camber plates to be surprisingly accurate.

 

Im goin to the alligh. shop tomorrow. So everything should be setup the right way.

 

Keep in mind that adjusting camber at the top plate also changes your steering axis inclination, which impacts the steering "feel".

Ideally, you want to get it into the ballpark with shims (and maybe a camber bolt) at the steering knuckle, and then use the Cuscos to fine tune.

Adjust your caster first, then your camber, and lastly the toe-in. If you're adjusting camber, figure on re-adjusting toe-in afterwards.

Ace Hardware sells a magnetic base angle meter which will get you pretty close. You need to have a good baseline to measure. A stiff rod or ruler placed between the top and bottom of the rim edges can form such a baseline to measure angle. (Unless you have those mirror attachments that the Hunter laser machine uses.) I used a T-square with a pair of equal length bolts attached by slotted clamps. The slotted clamps let me adjust for 14, 16, and 17 inch rims, with the bolt heads resting against the rim edges, and the spirit level on the horizontal part lets me make sure the vertical part is really vertical. Then the angle gauge lets you directly read camber angle.

The biggest pain is lifting the car (on the lift) to make adjustments, and then dropping the weight back onto the wheels to take measurements. If you find your angle with the car on its wheels, and then measure the angle from the brake rotor with the car lifted and the wheel off, you can adjust x degrees with the car off the ground. (presuming the rotor is firmly attached to the hub with the wheel off).

A plumb bob hanging over the tire gives you a front and back reference point to measure for toe-in. A wax crayon mark on the garage floor gives you a spot to measure.

Also, any exposed metal on the struts can be protected by covering it by "coloring" it with the wax crayon.

Even if you have the shop do the alignment with the laser machine, you can use the angle gauge to make sure they didn't make a gross mistake (or to verify it, if you can feel it by the handling). Sometimes the shop gets the wrong numbers out of the computer, and if they don't get those mirrors on just right, they can be way off.

 

Forgive me for asking, but....

What is "steering axis inclination"?

 

When you turn the wheel, the tires don't turn on a vertical pivot through the tire. The top and bottom pivot points for steering aren't lined up verically.

Steering axis inclination is the angle between the steering pivot axis (the line through the top and bottom pivot points), and a verical plumb line.

 

Any one now how much steering axis inclination there is on the Evo. Better than the 13* my 90 Mustang has I hope.