Rear Camber Components
 

I just purchased some Tein Street Flex coil overs front & rear, but haven't installed them yet. I have installed Work Meister S1R 18x9.5 +25 wheels with 225/40 tires on them (got the wheels & tires used as a package). The springs are 7k, and I plan on running them at the min preload to keep the ride relatively soft as this is my DD. I would like to lower the car about an inch at most, just to lose some of the wheel-to-fender gap.

My questions are about camber: I know I can adjust the front camber via the top hat. No problems. The rears have no camber adjustment built in. If I lower the rear, do I need to adjust the camber, or replace any of the rear suspension parts due to any new 'stress' being applied to them as a result of the new geometry? I'm aware of the fact that I might need to adjust the rear camber to prevent the rear wheels from rubbing the fenders. My concern is with bending or breaking the LCA's or other rear suspension parts.

If I do want the ability to adjust rear camber, what parts do I need to replace?

When you lower the car the amount of negative camber will increase. A 1" drop isn't too bad.

If you want to adjust it, either to reduce the amount of rear camber or even it out you will need adjustable LCAs.

Upper control arms are also an option.

I just got my S1R's as well
Ill be running 18x9 in the front
18x10 in the rear with a +38 offset all around.
Plans were Rear control arms to adjust rear camber.
They've got Whiteline LCAS the pair for $250 which isn't that bad of a deal.

The guy I bought the wheels from said he replaced the LCA's and the rear links. Do I need to replace the rear links, too? Or will replacing just the LCA's be OK?

I'm guessing this guys ran a lot of negative camber to perhaps to clear the fender, or maybe for some hella-flush? lol If you can get the wheels to fit with normal amounts of camber, you should not need toe links.

He had his car lowered quite a bit, with a good amount of front camber, and some rear camber, too, to get the tops of the wheels inside the fenders. I couldn't drop my car as much as he did and still get it up the curb into my driveway. Like I said, I might drop it a little when I install the new coilovers - just to "clean-up" the look a little.

A set of 12mm camber bolts, installed in the inner mounting point of the lower rear control arm, will give you about .5 degrees plus or minus of camber adjustment.

If you're only going to lower it an inch or less, that's all you'd need to fix up the rear.

I was about to recommend as a possible solution, but seeing that his wheels are 9.5 wide with +20 offset they probably wont quite give him the range of adjustment he will need to clear the fender. On top of that, with wheels that size, it's going to put more stress on the components, including the inner bolt. I wouldn't chance it with camber bolts in his case.

I'm currently running a set of 17x9 +35 wheels and it already has a bit of poke with about -2.5 camber. I'd suggest posting on the wheel fitment threads to see what guys are doing with their setups running wheels that size, and whether if the adjustment in the stock toe arms is sufficient.

Good point. :cheers:

If I do lower the rear about an inch or less, do I have to put some negative camber into the suspension? Is something going to bind, bend and/or eventually break if I don't?

buy this. best way to adjust ur rear camber
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98032

If you lower it you will get more negative camber. The question is whether you want to take some out.

At -1" you'll likely get close to -2.5, maybe a little less in the rear and wont need toe arms. Although with those wide wheels, it's hard to say whether if it will hit the fender when compressed. :iono: