Camber Help

[Trev6450w]

I have a 2013 Scion FRS, and when I bought it originally, it was a slammed car. 19-inch rims, and Eichbach Sportline Lowering Springs, Adjustable Control Arms, everything.


I've realized even though I loved the look of the car, I need to make it a more driveable/usable car for daily driving. Scraping was getting annoying.

I went ahead and sold the 19-inch rims, and bought some 17x8 O.Z. Alleggerita HLTs, got some 225/45ZR-17 Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 Tires, and I am now raising the car up with some RSR Down Springs. I believe the RSR Down Springs lower the car around a little over half an inch.

I'm not too familiar with camber at all, and now that the car isn't as slammed. I would like to get some camber upfront and in the rear so I can still have some fun-spirited driving in the corners, but also maintain a somewhat daily drivable setup.



Opinions on what degrees I should be running both front and back?

[CrowsFeast]

From some guy on the internet; for daily driving with a spirited run sprinkled in here and there I'd say somewhere in the 1-2 degrees up front and probably 1 degree out back.

I've got 3+ up front and 2+ in the rear but that's because I was going to be doing a fair amount of track with it (plans changed). Now I'm thinking of figuring out an alignment closer to 1.5 up front and then adjust the camber plates myself for 3+ when I got to the track (need to balance toe so I can manage maybe a bit of toe in up front for street but then a bit of toe out at the track. Seems like it could work).

[JohnH]

I don't remember exactly where it was as its a big thread, but there is a thread in the suspension part where lots of gurus like RCE were posting.


There were some great recommendations with reasoning in there

[fminicooper]

IMO, no more than 2 degress front (anyways it will be less than 2 with combination of camber bolts)
I have achieved 1.8 max in the front with camber bolt and lower OEM bolt placed at upper hole.
Rear was less than 2 after lowering .75 inch.

[Trueweltall]

Alignment specs
OEM Specs
Camber
-0.8 to 0.8 front
-2 to -0.5 rear

Toe
-0.12 to 0.12 front
-0.04 to 0.2 rear

Caster
5.2 to 6.7 front

Spirited/Street (or mildly prepped autox/track car on tires higher than 200tw)
Camber
-2 front
-1.5 rear

Toe
Zero all around

Auto-x
Camber
-2.5 to -3+ front
-2 to -3 rear

Toe
0.0 to -.08 front (toe out)
0.0 to .08 rear (toe in)

Track
Camber
Close to max or max in front
-.05 less than the front in rear

Toe
0.0 front
0.0 to .08 rear (toe in)


This was copy/pasted from someone else who posted it on the forum, I would give credit but I no longer remember who posted it.

[churchx]

I'd change in this only front camber for "track". It usually is tires-track specific. And often it's not "max", closer to auto-x's front camber. "close to max", as in -4dg and more camber, is more .. hmm .. for drifting?

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by churchx

I'd change in this only front camber for "track". It usually is tires-track specific. And often it's not "max", closer to auto-x's front camber. "close to max", as in -4dg and more camber, is more .. hmm .. for drifting?

You're right that it's somewhat tire-specific in that some tires can tolerate less, but generally these cars want a lot of front camber at the track.
FWIW I'm running max front camber I can get with camber plates, -3.5 left, -3.9 right, for most tracks. I might dial back right-side to even it up at -3.5 for Watkins Glen next month...

For spirited street, I'd go with max camber from crash bolts and offset upper mounts up front should be -2ish, and whatever natural camber from running lower than stock at rear, should be around -2.5 ish...

[churchx]

ZDan: oh, you are running asymmetrical alignment? interesting. Any more details of specific of such? Probably i'll never use such, as visiting different tracks, and also DD mine, and redoing alignment twice per year ("winter" & "summer/track" ones) not per track, but still seems interesting topic to find out more about..

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by churchx

ZDan: oh, you are running asymmetrical alignment? interesting. Any more details of specific of such? Probably i'll never use such, as visiting different tracks, and also DD mine, and redoing alignment twice per year ("winter" & "summer/track" ones) not per track, but still seems interesting topic to find out more about..

Only because maxed out, that's where they land. A bit more on the front right. New Hampshire is CCW, so that's outside front. Palmer CW Turn 4 is a left-hander that is *murder* if you have any understeer at all, so keeping front right maxed there made sense. See how it goes at Watkins Glen (CW), if no understeer in the left-handers like Turn 9 I might dial right front camber down to -3.5...

[churchx]

ZDan: but isn't some understeer beneficial in some cases, as in extra stability accelerating out? Obviously that much as in OE alignment seems way too much, one needs to work against it a lot, but imho slight understeer biased alignment that can be easily controlled with throttle lift-off or slight braking induced mass transfer to easily switch between over- and under-steer, as needed, shouldn't be evil?

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by churchx

ZDan: but isn't some understeer beneficial in some cases, as in extra stability accelerating out?

Yes! Which is why I'll wait until I see how handling is at WGI before i make any changes.

That said, *in general*, for stockish cars, *with* decent camber, handling is not too too terribly dependant on camber. -3.5 ish seems to be the place to be...

Obviously that much as in OE alignment seems way too much, one needs to work against it a lot, but imho slight understeer biased alignment that can be easily controlled with throttle lift-off or slight braking induced mass transfer to easily switch between over- and under-steer, as needed, shouldn't be evil?

Contrary to popular theologics, evil is good. More oversteer, less understeer. Have fun!