My 7 has been lowered about an inch. The rear camber is now approximately 2-degrees on each side. I know how to correct it, but I will not have much time to put the parts on when they arrive. What’s the down side to not correcting the rear camber and having everything else aligned to spec?

 

I think 2 degrees in the negative is more than enuff...

 

I know its way out of spec, but can I leave it that way for a while without hurting anything?

 

It causes premature, uneven tire wear.
It also hurts your traction a little since you don't have a "solid" footprint from the rear tires.
In general, RWD chassis need little to no rear camber, unless you're got some unique suspension set-up that requires it.

I think -2 in the rear is TOO MUCH.
I would try and get it down to -1 or less.


-Ted

 

RETed, Thanks. I guess I can't just let this one go for a while.

Also, you post a ton of quality info and your posts are easy to follow. I apprecaite it.

 

"In general, RWD chassis need little to no rear camber,"

Only if you are drag racing. Or street driving.

 

how much does a rear camber kit adjuster cost...i was told i need one because i go through used tires every 4-5months.....and i just got brand new tires and want to get them fixed by the end of december....i need my rear alignment fixed bad....my front i need tierod bushings and that fixes that problem....but anyways...got any links and some prices?

 

No, that's in general...
The rear suspension compresses under cornering, and that's going to induce more negative camber anyways.
Excessive camber (either way) will hurt acceleration, period, even on tha road course.
I try to shoot for -1.0-degree myself in the rear for a compromise.


-Ted

 

yea around -1* has worked well for me also

 

Good for drifting

 

The amount of camber that is correct for you will vary with the way you drive. The harder you corner, the more camber you need.

If you did all highway straight line driving then zero camber would be fine. Aggressive driving on zero camber would wear out the outside edge of the tire.

When my race car had softer (but still stiffer than stock) springs, I needed 5 degrees camber to get balanced tire temperatures and even wear. Now, with stiffer springs it only needs 3 degrees camber. (the car leans less)

Aggressive street driving will need 1.5 to 1.8 degrees of camber. Normal non-aggressive driving at that camber will wear out the inside edge of a new tire in about 20,000 miles - the outside will be about half worn. Any significant toe in or out will wear the inside edges much faster.

Normal non-aggressive driving is happy at about 1 degree camber.

If you have close to zero toe, you can get away with a couple of months of 2 degree camber without severe inside edge tire wear.

But it's all a compromize with your driving style. You will get better traction but shortened tire life. You make the choice.

ed

 

Hmmm...interesting.
We try to shoot for -1 to -1.5 in the rear of our track cars, but they have been relatively low power with very stiff springs - nothing below 300 in-# in the back.
I haven't shot the tire temps, but the tire wear was pretty even with Toyo RA-1's.
I haven't tried to tune a 300+ FC yet on the track.
I know running anything more than -3 would hurt acceleration out of the turns.
The track does not have many low-speed transition, so I dunno if that factors into things.
Most of us are running FD Torsens, so I dunno if LSD's are part of the factor...


-Ted

 

My camber settings on the track seem to disagree with the expert's advice.

My original settings on an 87 ITS with stock LSD were 350/250 springs with front and rear ST sway bars. That needed 5 degrees of camber to get even tire temps and even tire wear. However we did run the Nazareth oval for a few years and that setting would burn up the inside edge of the inside rear tire. Later I changed to 450/325 springs with the same front and rear ST sway bars. Now I need 3 degrees camber front and rear for even tire temps and wear. I have not noticed any difficulty putting my meager power down in turns.

I got the impression that the experts recommended a softer rear and less camber in the rear but I never tried that since I am happy with the handling and tire wear. That setup seems like it would be better for a higher HP car .

I do understand that the suspension design of the Rx7 allows more camber gain in the rear than the front so it should need less camber in the rear but my driving style as lead me in this direction. Maybe the rear is less sensitive to camber settings and I should try less in the rear. I have been chasing other suspension problems since I went to stiffer springs and I have not considered that the stiff car might need different relationships.


ed

 

I think that pretty much sums it up!

You're absolutely right.
Driving style plays a large part of it.
As long as the tire wear and the tire temps are spot on, that's all the matters!
Thanx for offering your experiences on the subject!


-Ted

 

The only real way to know how much is too much or too little is with alot of testing on the track. You need a good tire pyrometer and you have to take temps immediately after several hot laps. If you let the tires cool for even one lap the temps will be off. You are looking for even temps on the outside, middle and inside of the tire. Start adjusting tire pressures, camber settings and spring rates until you have the best performance. But all of that is outside of the scope of your question.

I think the answer is. -2 on the street will do nothing more than cause premature tire wear. It will most likely also induce additional understeer.

 

I agree RETed, your site has been a major help. I only wish i could of bought one of your rotor shaped dual alt pullies.

 

Depending on the type of driving but less then -2 sounds like not enough to me. I'm at -2.6 rear.

However, in his case, where it seems like its high primary driver and wants to keep his tires alive, in the 1.x range sounds fair.