lazy bum shaughn

All you people that have a 1.8-2 inch drop, is camber really that big an issue? I know that it will make your wheels butterfly and all but does it really matter that bad? Would I harm anything by dropping my car two inches with shocks?(Besides scraping on bad roads)

Thanks.

Noe Kozz

You'd wear out your tires faster without a camber kit. If it's ok with you getting a new set every few months, then go right ahead. I would also suggest dropping your car with aftermarket shocks. Stock shocks can't handle the pressure so you'd have a bigger chance of blowing them out after a while.

lazy bum shaughn

Well how much faster would you wear out your tires from a stock height?

Wouldn't dropping your car wear out your axles too?

Fuster_Cluck

I had a 1.7" drop on a 98 LX and the camber was off pretty bad. I used the washer / bolt trick in the rear and a skunk2 kit up front.

Some will say the toe is the main thing that causes uneven wear, but camber also plays an important role.

Bad camber:

/ --- \

Good camber:

! --- !

You don't want a zero camber, just less than 1.5 degree. I had mine at 1 degree and a toe of ZERO!

qcoffey

The alignment angle that wears tires out the fastest is toe. If the toe is way off you can wear a set of tires out in less than 1000 miles. Usually only the inner tread is worn down severly. Combined with extreme camber this wear can be even more accelerated.

As far as increased axle wear is concerened I haven't exhibited any unusaual problems. My car has over 80K miles(car has been lowered for 50k) and the axles are still going strong.

IS3Fifty

camber is very important

black2kcivic

with that much drop you will need a camber kit, and an alignment. You also sacrifice handling when you have fucked up camber. You basically a more uneven tire on the road and that is never good when turning. Also Toe comes into play and that can ruin you more than camber will.

lazy bum shaughn

Have any of you guys had problems or defects with camber kits?

96 SOHC VTEC

Not good when turning? Explain what you mean.

black2kcivic

Well basically when you have more of an even patch of tire on the road that means more grip, I personally want more grip when turning.

96 SOHC VTEC

If you want more grip when turning you should run MORE negative camber. In a hard turn your tires flex to the side and then you lose tire grip. If they are cambered in your get more grip in the corner. Ever notice how the people in Speedvision run a ridiculous amount of negative camber? It is for cornering.

The only reason people recommend not running a lot of negative camber is because it wears out your tires faster on the street.


[Modified by 96 SOHC VTEC, 12:22 AM 1/28/2003]

akeldama

I recently lowered my car 1.8" and I shimmed the rear with 2 washers per bolt and that brought me into spec for the rear. On the front, the camber is about -1 to -1.3 w/o a kit. It is just barely out of spec for the front. I just adjusted the toe back to stock when I got my alignment done.

lazy bum shaughn

So has anyone had problems with camber kits?

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

Actually my car is lowered almost 2" with about -2.3 deg. camber, and after 25K miles like this, my tires are still nearly perfectly even all the way across. At 40K miles my tires are coming to the end of their life, but the wear is still very even. Toe is THE most important aspect of alignment on a lowered car. I will never install a camber kit on my car if I can help it, unless I need some adjustability for racing reasons (doubtful since I don't race much right now and it's a daily driver).



IMHO camber kits are overrated for the average daily driver. If your car is lowered so much that a conventional alignment will not keep the tires from wearing unevenly, then your car is probably too low and past the point of being functional for improved handling, etc.


[Modified by PatrickGSR94, 7:46 PM 1/28/2003]

Fuster_Cluck

Skunk2 camber kit condition after 6 months: https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=293289&page=1

Do a search on "skunk2" or "camber kit" and there is a thread that talks about getting the updated boot that doesn't tear.

BackSideSA

my drop didnt show any camber

but i bought the rear camber kit anyway....well i pieced it together at home depot

4 bolts and 12 washers= $5.67

rathead

everytime i lowered one of my cars i just had the toe set, never had a bad problem with tire wear, but anytime you lower your car you have to except tire wear. if you have a camber kit, you can not lower your car more than around 2 inches, i did the first civic i lower and the tires bent my fenders. it all depends on what you are looking for!

00JunSi

I have a 00 Si w/ a 2" drop on stock shocks and I have 35,000 miles on these tires and the wear is pretty even. I have -2.1 degree camber in front and -1.3 in back.

JforJonathan

is it bad on ur car if you have it SLAMMED!? like on suspension components and stuff like that.