Ok, here's the scenario.................car is lowered about 2.5 inches in the front, eating up tires like corn on the cob. I have read all the posts that I could find about this topic and it seems like some people say that if your car is lowered more than 2 inches you should buy a camber kit, but other people say that it is just a toe and alignment problem and just take it to an alignment shop because negative camber really doesn't have anything to do with premature tire wear, but then at the same time people say that the camber is the more significant problem. I really don't know which what to do. Could anybody please point me in the right direction and what will it take to solve the problem cause i really hate to go out and spend almost 200 dollars on a kit and later find out i didnt really need it.

 

by the way the car is a 00' ex coupe

 

get an alignment

 

do you think that alone would stop the tire wear?

 

If done properly it will definitely stop the tires from being eaten like "corn on the cob"

 

To avoid sounding like an expert, since I am not one, I'll just give personal experience. Car is a 1979 Triumph Spitfire (for sale in sig). I currently have around 10k miles on a set of tires that are showing normal wear, still around 65% of the tread left. The car was aligned with +1 degree camber and 0 toe in the front, and -4.75 camber and 0 toe in the rear (yeah, thats as close to factory specs as we could get). The set of tires I had on before were chewed up in no time flat, but that was before I could get the rear toe set correctly (required shims, had to fab up some). Take that for what you want to, but I don't think camber really wears out tires if you keep proper pressure.

 

I just had the same problem with my 99 ex. Don't listen to them about the toe, I know first hand that is somewhat BS. I just lowered my car 2" and took it for an alignment. The toe was within spec for the car but the camber was off 2-3 degrees from the drop and it ate the inside of my tires up in 2 weeks or light driving. He also told me that my camber was off enough and I needed camber kits. Didn't believe him till he showed me the sheet. Well I got front and rear kits and installed them today. Car rides 10x better already. I'm taking it to get aligned again tomorrow so i'll see what they say. By the way I am going to have it set at -1 degree camber all around.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civic_speed99 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Don't listen to them about the toe, I know first hand that is somewhat BS. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry to inform you but toe is most responsible for eating tires and the cause is pretty easy to see. With excessive toe (or any toe for that matter) a slip angle continuously being generated at the tire's contact patch. It's like the tire is in a contiuous turn. This slip angle is mostly elastic as far as the tire is concerned but there is some tread surface that is being dragged across the road. The problem is exacerbated by camber since the tire contact patch is smaller for light driving and so the wear is increased on the inside part of the tire.

With no toe and lots of camber, the contact patch is small but there isn't any tread dragging going on for light driving. If you start to drag race or brake hard, then yes, you will increase the wear on the inside part of the tread.

 

it's three against one on the problem not being the camber, but it's kinda ironic that me and civic_speed99 have the same kind of cars with identical problems, dont u guys think? I mean maybe it has something to do with ek civics but i notice everybody is either 100% positive it's the toe or 100% positive it's the camber. Could it possibly be a combination of both things or do u guys say screw the camber kit and just get an alignment?

 

everybody has given me very good points so far and i really appreciate so keep um comin' and by the way on my drivers side tire, not only did the inside of the tire wear all out beyond the wires almost half of the whole tire was also bald mind you i was runnin dunlop sp 5000 tires, kinda expensive at $110 dollars apiece so i've go to get it right this time people cause i really like these tires and want to put some more on

 

Well I know mine isn't the toe. I said I call SOMEWHAT BS. Like I said my alignment specs were perfect for toe. The only thing off on my spec sheet was the camber. You could look at my car from the rear and tell the camber was off, even more if you put a lever to the side of the rim. I am not saying that it can't be toe at all, it just isn't true in my case.

 

yep my car is exactly the same as far as looking at the tires front and rear tires have negative camber but the funny thing is the rear tires are still in perfect shape. I guess because the weight of the motor and transmission aren't affecting them since they are in the back and are just rolling.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmslim &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Could it possibly be a combination of both things or do u guys say screw the camber kit and just get an alignment?</TD></TR></TABLE>

That is what I thought to. I would go that route first. But I took my car for an alignment and got a phone call saying they couldn't do it an hour later. They didn't charge me anything so I would go that route first before you spend the money. I had the problem you did and it only came from about 3 weeks of driving, maybe 500-600 miles. The inside of my tires are bald, outside tread is about 40-50%.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civic_speed99 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

That is what I thought to. I would go that route first. But I took my car for an alignment and got a phone call saying they couldn't do it an hour later. They didn't charge me anything so I would go that route first before you spend the money. I had the problem you did and it only came from about 3 weeks of driving, maybe 500-600 miles. The inside of my tires are bald, outside tread is about 40-50%.</TD></TR></TABLE>

My rears arn't as bad. They still have about 20% tread, not a lot. I think the front ones are worse due to turning.

 

I'm kinda leaning on toward what your saying civic_speed cause we almost have identical cars and are having the exact same problems, but at the same time every car is different. I just hate spending uneccessary money, feel me?

 

Yeah I wanted to kill the guy that told me my camber was f'ed up. I was saving for some new tires and a lip but that idea got put on hold. I got front and back kits for $250 shipped. If your back is not off a lot you can use washers and space it out, but I went for the right way not the cheap way.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civic_speed99 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

My rears arn't as bad. They still have about 20% tread, not a lot. I think the front ones are worse due to turning.</TD></TR></TABLE>

my rears are fine still have about 85% tread see that's kinda weird that your rear tires are wearing that fast

 

I have had mine for 4 years. Well 4 summers so that is why they are worn so low. But since I lowered it they are really worn on the insides.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civic_speed99 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have had mine for 4 years. Well 4 summers so that is why they are worn so low. But since I lowered it they are really worn on the insides.</TD></TR></TABLE>

So did you or did you not get the car aligned. Sounds like they didn't align it from your later posts, so how can you say that your toe was perfect?

Excessive camber does wear tires, but a much, much slower pace.

 

You need an alignment....camber kit may help, but alignment will make much more of a difference. I rock some camber, and definately don't wear out tires like 'corn on the cob'. I thought it was common knowledge to get an alignment right after you swap struts/springs?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by El Pollo Diablo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

So did you or did you not get the car aligned. Sounds like they didn't align it from your later posts, so how can you say that your toe was perfect?

Excessive camber does wear tires, but a much, much slower pace.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I did, I get my car aligned every year. Sometimes twice. I just lowered my car a month ago so I got it aligned for the second time this year. I can say my toe is perfect when I got the alignment sheet right in front of me. Front Left .01 on a range of -.02 to .06 and .02 on the Right. Rear is it .06 on the left and .07 on the right on a range of .04 to .16 for my car. By that I would say my toe is pretty good.

 

but when you tear everything apart to put on new springs you completely throw off your alignment.

example: Me installing coilovers, had appt for alignment a week after i did it...tires did not last that long, wore down to cables. I did not have alignment issues before I changed the suspension. Mine was exaggerrated, but whenever you take stuff apart around there you can throw it off.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jmd471 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but when you tear everything apart to put on new springs you completely throw off your alignment.

example: Me installing coilovers, had appt for alignment a week after i did it...tires did not last that long, wore down to cables. I did not have alignment issues before I changed the suspension. Mine was exaggerrated, but whenever you take stuff apart around there you can throw it off.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree that is why I got this alignment in the first place, I just lowered my car.

 

Oh i thought you meant you had the alignment before you lowered. My bad, I can't read

 

Camber doesn't kill tires...

I'm running 2 degrees on all 4 corners, more or less and my crappy 711's have 15,000 miles with even wear. Just now am i noticing slight inside wear...

Buy camber kits if you want but, you don't need them.