Alignment method question...
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,333
Likes: 1
From: VA
St. Jude Donor '03-'11
Alignment method question...
so, help me understand how the alignment is changed...
Looks like the main mechanism for changing caster and camber is via the cam bolts on the lower control arm (LCA). By the looks of it, the subframe has a large hole for each control arm bolt, and the bolt is located by the orientation of its cam washer. so... looking at the car from the front, if the rear LCA bolt is at the 9 o'clock position, and the front one is at the 3 o'clock position, you get max caster, and middle of your camber range... if both are at 9 o'clock you get the most negative camber, and both at 3 o'clock, you get least negative camber, etc...
Then you can also adjust camber by adding shims to the upper control arm.
Other than confirming what I just said, is there any other mechanism to lock the lower control arm bolts in place? if the chassis bolt hole is a big hole that allows the cam washer to locate the bolt, the only thing maintaining the position of the bolt (from slipping up or down - the washer can't slip side to side due to the machined channel it sits on) is the friction from tightening the bolt. Just want to confirm that's true without messing up my alignment.
(in this pic, black would be the chassis, red is the cam washer)
If you have a pic of the front lower control arm pickup points without the control arm / bolt / washer on it, that'd be awesome.
Thanks for reading the essay
Looks like the main mechanism for changing caster and camber is via the cam bolts on the lower control arm (LCA). By the looks of it, the subframe has a large hole for each control arm bolt, and the bolt is located by the orientation of its cam washer. so... looking at the car from the front, if the rear LCA bolt is at the 9 o'clock position, and the front one is at the 3 o'clock position, you get max caster, and middle of your camber range... if both are at 9 o'clock you get the most negative camber, and both at 3 o'clock, you get least negative camber, etc...
Then you can also adjust camber by adding shims to the upper control arm.
Other than confirming what I just said, is there any other mechanism to lock the lower control arm bolts in place? if the chassis bolt hole is a big hole that allows the cam washer to locate the bolt, the only thing maintaining the position of the bolt (from slipping up or down - the washer can't slip side to side due to the machined channel it sits on) is the friction from tightening the bolt. Just want to confirm that's true without messing up my alignment.
(in this pic, black would be the chassis, red is the cam washer)
If you have a pic of the front lower control arm pickup points without the control arm / bolt / washer on it, that'd be awesome.
Thanks for reading the essay
Last edited by 99C5Vert; Feb 21, 2008 at 02:08 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
You are correct. That big bolt holds the lower control arm in place.
Most likely it will not move.
There are also the negative camber concentric, that FIX the negative camber. GM, Pfaft and Hard Bar make them. But are for racing applications. Normally go from -1.5* to -3.0* in .5* increments.
Most likely it will not move.
There are also the negative camber concentric, that FIX the negative camber. GM, Pfaft and Hard Bar make them. But are for racing applications. Normally go from -1.5* to -3.0* in .5* increments.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
The hole in the chassie is circular. The hole in the concentric is not centered. So the concentric can be rotated aound the bolt, which will move the lower control arm out ( negative camber) or in ) positive camber.
crawl under your car and take a look
crawl under your car and take a look
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,333
Likes: 1
From: VA
St. Jude Donor '03-'11
Got it.
