M NEXUS INSIGHT
// society

Do I need a camber kit if I lower my car

By Lily Fisher

When you lower the car, the camber will go out and you need a camber kit to fix it. However, I find it is not necessary to correct the camber in most cases. Most people think they need a camber kit because of a tire-wear concern. The reality is, TOE ANGLE kills tires WAY faster than camber ever will.

Does lowering a car affect camber?

Camber is the most dramatically effected setting when lowering a car. This is the characteristic “tilt” of the wheel on a slammed car. The top of the tire leans into the wheel arch, and in drastic cases (especially on EF and DA chassis), the angle is so severe you’d swear the wheel is about to fall off.

Can you camber with lowering springs?

On a lowered car, as the axle exceeds the point of being parallel to the ground at static height the camber will decreases as the suspension compresses. This is all normal for McPheason struts but a lowered car will feel much better at moderate cornering speeds but not as good at the limits.

Do I need camber arms with lowering springs?

If you can live with more camber in the rear than the front, you don’t need the camber arms. For the rears, you’ll have roughly 1.5 degrees of negative on the pro kit or 2+ degrees on the sport line springs.

Is it bad to cut springs to lower car?

The first thing you need to know is that cutting a coil spring will not only lower the vehicle, but it will also stiffen the spring making the ride and handling a bit firmer. But this is a good thing because lowering a vehicle reduces the amount of suspension travel. A stiffer spring will help reduce bottoming out.

Do you need camber bolts?

Camber bolts can’t be used on all vehicles but can be used if they work for your vehicle. They essentially will be a smaller diameter than your factory hardware but will have an off-set “lobe” that will change the lean of the hub based on the position of the lobe.

Why do Lowered cars camber?

Basically camber allows the wise man to adjust a cars balance in corners. A little bit of negative camber will result in better grip in corners because the body roll equals out the camber. … Negative camber increases the grip of an axle in a corner.

What is a cam bolt kit?

Camber adjustment bolts are clever eccentric bolts which allow you to modify the car’s camber angle. They can be used to either add or reduce camber in a vehicle, or can also be used to return the vehicle’s wheel alignment to the proper specifications after a suspension component has been damaged or bent out of shape.

Can you adjust camber with coilovers?

Yes. Move the strut so the top of it angles more towards the engine to get more negative camber, move the strut so the top of it angles more towards the outside of the car to get more postive camber.

Do alignments fix camber?

Have an auto repair shop perform an alignment on your car, which will reset the camber of the wheels in both the front and rear of the suspension. Allow the technicians to readjust your suspension to its factory settings using their alignment tools.

Article first time published on

What is a negative camber?

Camber is described as negative when the top of the tires tilt inward. Consequently, when the top of the tires tilt away from the vehicle it is considered positive. Camber is used to distribute load across the entire tread.

Is negative camber bad?

Having too much negative camber on your car wheels is a guaranteed way to run through your tyres quickly. The angle creates more contact space with the road, resulting in premature wear and tear of the car tyres. This would be especially applicable when you are taking your car off-road and driving it on rough terrain.

Can bad shocks cause negative camber?

It will not cause the camber to be screwed up. You need to have the car aligned any time the struts are replaced.

Can you lower a car on stock suspension?

Many vehicles, especially compact cars, use coil spring suspension, and lowering them is simply a case of replacing the stock coil springs with shorter ones that leave the vehicle at a lower height when at rest.

How many coils should I cut to lower my car?

Probably 1-1.5 coils for a 1″ drop in the front, maybe 3/4 coil for the rear. Depends on the springs. Rule of thumb is to cut in smaller increments(1/4) if you’re unsure of things. As long as you don’t use heat to cut them and you’ll be fine and won’t be bashed.

Is Hellaflush legal?

Hellaflush is a trend where people try to drop their car as low to the ground as they can and give as much negative camber to their wheels as possible. It has now been rendered illegal by the SAAQ.

What's the point of Stancing a car?

In a stanced car, which is lowered excessively, to prevent the car scraping the ground over elevation changes, suspension travel needs to be reduced, and the only way to do this is by making the suspension super stiff- stiff to the point that there’s no travel at all.

Why is Hellaflush illegal?

Citing concerns over safety in regards to vehicle handling, the SAAQ (Sociètè de l’assurance automobile Quèbec) has banned the modifications. … Hellaflush is a practice of cosmetic modifications that comes to the detriment of handling and road holding capabilities which consist of: Lowering the suspension of the vehicle.

Can you reuse camber bolts?

You can reuse camber bolts, but if they are slipping you can try spray painting the strut just before you put the bolts in. Lock them down, and then the paint will dry and help prevent them from slipping.

Are camber bolts universal?

Camber Bolt, 12mm Universal Vehicles Steel Four Wheel Alignment Adjustable Cam Bolt Camber Kit Army Green (5 pcs)

How many camber bolts do I need?

There is no problem running two oem camber bolts. If you need more than -2.0 you should be running camber plates or custom arms, not bolts. One lobed bolt is enough, especially if your car is lowered.

Can you adjust camber on stock suspension?

There are several methods to adjust camber, depending on the vehicle and its suspension. Stock suspensions may feature cam bolts, eccentric washer bolts, turn-buckle joints, or shim adjustments. … Shim adjustments are usually found in front suspensions but can be in almost any application.

Can you adjust camber on rear coilovers?

HOW TO ADJUST CAMBER. For coilovers that offer camber adjustment, you will loosen the four allen head bolts on the top of the coilover then adjust the coilover inwards or outwards. … To make the camber more positive, you will move the coilover towards the outside of the vehicle.

How much is too much negative camber?

For camber, you can go anywhere between -2.5 and -1.8 for your street application. -2.5 should not cause premature wear.

How much camber does a camber bolt produce?

Normal camber on the stock bolts is around 1.2 max. If you get additional camber bolts (top and bottom) you can get about 2 degrees max.

How much does it cost to replace camber bolts?

spring install should be around $100. for camber, it should be less than $50 for sure.

Does lowering your car affect alignment?

Lowering changes the geometry of your wheel-tire fitment. If it’s done improperly, your car may have an alignment problem that results in premature or extreme wear patterns. Even an inch-and-a-half lower suspension can cause problems around corners, with slight potholes or on speed bumps.

Will camber wear out tires?

Camber can cause a pull, but it doesn’t do it by being extremely negative or positive, but by being different from side to side. … However, a difference in camber side to side will not result in tire wear, only extreme amounts of camber, negative or positive, will cause tire wear, but this wear will be relatively slow.

How do you know if camber is off?

To check camber, make sure the vehicle is parked on level ground. If not, factor the ground slope into the camber reading. Then place a straight edge across the wheel (use the inner lip if the outer is nicked or uneven) and use an angle finder to reveal camber.

What's better negative or positive camber?

The general consensus is that a positive camber is good for keeping a recreational vehicle stable, while a negative camber is better for allowing high-performance vehicles to turn corners faster and more accurately.

Is rear camber important?

A nice, even wear pattern where tire temperatures are relatively consistent is the ultimate goal. At the end of the day, camber settings have a dramatic impact on increasing mechanical grip and promoting consistent tire wear, and remains one one of the most influential factors to a well performing chassis.