mousecatcher

why doesn't the stock vette come with a "camber kit"?

gonzalezfj

Could you please explain why you think the Vette needs a "camber kit"?

Frank Gonzalez

mousecatcher

to keep the camber from changing over time?

wallyman424

but then it wouldnt be adjustable. street cars need adjustable alignment settings.

mousecatcher

it would still be adjustable. you adjust it with shims, not the eccentric. i remember doing alignments on old GM musclecars back in the day and using only shims. just like you do when you get a camber kit.

i think the biggest deal with the camber kit is that you can get more negative camber than stock -- the eccentric replacement on the lower a-arm puts the bottom of the tire out further than the widest setting of the eccentric. then you dial it in on the upper a-arm with shims.

but the nice side effect is that the camber doesn't change over time.

it actually seems cheaper to me to use fixed parts rather than an eccentric, and just wondering why the general doesn't do this from the factory.

mousecatcher

BTW, i'm referring to the C6 vette.

gonzalezfj

Changing adjustments with shims is a PIA. I, for one, am happy GM put eccentrics in the suspension. If you tighten the eccentric bolt properly, it won't shift. If you are worried about shift, just draw a paint line from the eccentric to the crossmember and you can check at a glance that it has not shifted.

YMMV.

Frank Gonzalez

John Shiels

I run hard with Hoosiers and mine have never moved in 9 years. I mark them when set.

dbratten

The shims, once set, remain in place. But movement over time doesn't seems to be much of a problem. Initially, setting alignment with shims takes much longer which on an assembly line costs money. Each car is different so having a starting point for your shims can only get you so close. Adjusting the eccentric is a twist of the bolt. The lower shims (F & R) must be removed to change the setting plus as they do not allow infinite adjustment (within their range) may also require adjustment of the upper shims (F) to get your settings dialed in. Plus, you don't want to get the lower shims in crooked and not seated properly. This just isn't practical for GM to spend the time on this on a car of this volume.

However, when working on your own car, you can find the settings that work for you and keep them. You can also move easily between race and street settings by changing a few notches/shims and setting the toe. This does not require an alignment/check each time.

I'm also sure the eccentric bolt assembly is much cheaper to make than an assortment of lower shims. Plus, each owner would need to purchase shims to work on their own car and alignment shops would need to stock the lower shims as well. The aftermarket solution, for the maybe 5% of us who care, is much better.

--Dan