How to: Front and Rear Camber Correction

Downloading this suspension manual may help : DA Suspension

Camber is the tilting inward or outward of your wheels. When the top of the wheel leans inward, this is negative camber. When the wheels lean outward it is called positive camber, and when the wheels are exactly perpendicular to the ground it gives a zero setting.

When changing the height of a car, even a small change will alter both camber and toe settings for you cars suspension. Lowering your car will result in negative camber, this will affect tire wear and handling. Camber is not always a bad thing, negative camber aids handling and a small amount will not increase tire wear substantially. It it important to note that it is not always necessary to get a camber kit, the main cause of tire wear on lowered cars is the toe setting. You may well be able to get a good balance of tire wear and handling by getting a professional wheel alignment, one of the few things I pay someone to do to my car.

Front Camber Correction

For front camber correction you must purchase an adjustable camber correction kit. I decided on the Ingalls kit which replaces the front anchor bolts : http://www.ingallseng.com/parts/35720.html  

Note: Beware of cheap imitations!: http://www.lightningmotorsports.com/pdfdocs/Ingallvsdoc.pdf 

There are three different models, each with different bushings, you also need to choose your range of adjustment. Mine is the 35720 with +1 1/4 - +3 degree range of adjustment and polyurethane bushings.

35720 (polyurethane bushings)
35730 (rubber bushings)
35670 (brass bushings, not recommended for street use)

Remove the steel split ring from from the new anchor, it isn't needed. Remove the steel tube from the centre of the bushing by pushing it out with the end of a spanner or something similar. Grease the centre of the bushing, notice the grooves on the inside to keep the grease inside.

19/7/05

I have heard complaints from people saying their poly bushings are squeaking constantly after only a couple of weeks use. Mine have been on a year and a half with no noise at all, so I would guess those people didn't grease them properly. You need to jam as much grease into the grooves as possible, if you only put a slight amount in the hole it will all get pushed out the other side when you put the tube back in.

20/12/06

Still no squeaking

 

This is what Ingalls has to say about lube:

Slick 50 grease .
Slick 50 spray lube.
Anti-Seeze lube.
Moly graph based wheel bearing grease.

The key is to use a lube that will not wash out easily. A normal automotive type lube/grease will work or use a marine type lube. Check with your local marine/boat dealer for this.  You can also use silicone spray lubricant (available in auto parts stores), it will provide an easy but temporary relief from squeaks

 

You may find this suspension manual helpful for torque specs and other information. I found it easier to remove the wheel but you don't have to, you only need enough room to reach the anchor bolts. Jack the car up and sit it on jack stands, use the stock lifting points on the side.

Remove the 17mm anchor nuts from under the hood that secure the UCA to the body of the car. Force the upper arm downward so as to pull the anchor bolts out from the car, you may need to use a mallet but be careful not to damage the thread in case you ever need to use them again. If using a hammer put the nut back on first.

Remove the 14mm bolts holding the anchor bolts to the upper arm, you will need a spanner on the other end. Remove the anchors from the upper arm, if you have taken the wheel off you may need to jack up the LCA to be able to remove the anchors and the metal bridge from the car.

Remove the anchors from the bridge using a mallet, an old screwdriver may help to pry it off. Again, try not to damage the threads and try not to bend the bridge as it is rather flimsy. Grease the outside of the bushings so as they will slip onto the upper arm easier, push each kit onto the UCA (it may take a fair bit of push) and poke a screwdriver or something similar through so as to line up the metal cylinder with the holes. The anchor bushing bolts are difficult to reach once installed so you may want to torque them now to 35 lb/ft. Reinstall the bridge, make sure the rounded parts face outward.

Install the kit back into the holes under the hood, as you tighten the nuts make sure the UCA and bridge are in the right position and that the arm won't rub through its full range of motion.

Now align the camber as best you can, you may need to tap the UCA slightly with a mallet. If you removed the wheel, replace it and lower the car. Torque the top bolts to 47 lb/ft. Tighten the bottom 15mm camber bolts. If you have a crappy tool set you may notice you don't have a 15mm as it isn't a common size. 

Repeat for the other side, on the right hand side you will need to undo the two 10mm bolts and lift up the under hood fuse box in order to get at the top anchor bolts. Now get a professional wheel alignment, you may want to keep a small amount of camber to aid handling. Tire wear won't suffer significantly.

Rear camber Correction

Rear camber correction is much simpler than the front. In order to correct the rear camber you have to push the UCA outward, Ingalls offer two kits for rear camber correction with one being a lot more expensive than the other.

http://www.ingallseng.com/parts/38900.html

http://www.ingallseng.com/parts/38930.htm 

One kit replaces the entire arm, this kit is more easily adjusted and has replacement bushings so will aid handling and will last longer. The other kit consists of longer bolts and some spacers to move the arm outward.

Alternatively you can simply put washers behind the arm. When using the stock bolts you have to be careful not to run out of thread. I have used 2 x 1/16 washers on each bolt and it has been fine so far. If you need to correct further you should purchase the Ingalls kit or buy longer bolts.

Loosen the rear wheel bolts and jack the car up, remove the wheel. Remove the two upper arm bolts, you don't need to remove the whole arm like I did but I was removing the whole rear trailing arm to replace the RTA bushings.

Place one or two washers between the arm and the car, I have a 5cm drop and used two. Tighten the bolts, replace the wheel and lower the car. It would be a good idea to check the bolts are tight after a few hundred kilometers as you do not have as much thread as you did before. Make sure you get a wheel alignment to ensure your settings are approximately right or that they haven't gone to positive camber which would be disastrous for handling.

Update 19/4/05

I have now replaced the bolts at the rear with new, longer bolts. Installation is the same as before but I can now fit more washers behind.

 

Thanks to Tamati

 

 

This website has been gradually growing since I started it in early 2002. Originally I was simply documenting modifications and repairs to my car but I decided to publish it when I began to discover others were interested in the information. If you need help or have a how-to relating to Honda B series VTEC engines, or DA or DC2R Integras you can
email me.

While all care is taken to provide correct information, mistakes are occasionally made and I cannot be responsible for any damage that occurs to readers vehicles.