Hi everyone. What is the perfered method of increasing camber on the front of a AP1?

Thank you

 

There are a few different ways. What spec are you trying to get to? If you're lowered, it's easy to get more with the stock parts. I was lower to a 1/2 finger gap on my S and was able to squeeze -3.1 front out with a good alignment tech.

Your other two options are to replace the upper ball joint with an adjustable SPC unit which can bring the top of the tire inwards, giving you more camber. The other is to replace the lower ball joint with one thats taller, pulling the bottom of the tire out increasing camber and widening the track.

I prefer the lower ball joint route as it can't slip in its adjustment like the upper can. It also increases your track width as well. They are more expensive though.

Another one that a few people have been is making offset upper control arm bushings that would pull the control arm in closer to the car, giving you more camber there too. A few people may decide to go this route due to points reasons for different competition classes, however at this time, it's still costly because most of the kits are custom made.

BTW, I'm up in Schaumburg. Are you on S2ki at all?

 

front, I'm at 2.2, rear at 3.3... lowered on eibachs. That's maxed out. works quite well.

 

Thanks Driven, did you use an adjustable ball joint or another device to get those numbers? I expect the OEM adjustment won't provice that much negative camber correct? I know lowering gives camber, does that allow use of OEM adjustments to get the numbers?

Thanks Bill

 

You'd be surprised at what the stock adjustments can get you, especially when lowered. If you take the car to an alignment technician that works on S2000s a lot, they are like magicians and can get them to do a lot.

Find a tech that knows how to set the cars up - tell him what you like about how the car handles and what you wish it would do better handling wise and they should be able to help you.

 

ACab, do you know a shop/tech like you describe?? Amazing what you learn when you ask a question.

Do you track your car at all?

Thanks

Bill

 

Hey Bill,

I haven't lived in Chicago long enough to have a need to get the car aligned, though I will need to get it aligned and corner balanced around March, otherwise it just sits in the garage, so no need to get it aligned.

I'd suggest Nortown Automotive. A few s2000s owners have used them and are very happy with them. The owner and his sons race Spec Miata - great guys and really know what they are doing setting a car up. Their website is - http://www.nortown.net/

Right now, I'm planning on taking my car down to Lexington, KY to get it set up by Aaron Leichy at The Winning Formula. He's a great guy and an amazing driver and really, really knows how to set the cars up. It's a big of a haul, and for someone like me, worth it.

I do track my S. That's actually about the only thing I do with it. I've only put about 20 street miles on it since I've lived in Chicago and those miles were for local autocrosses here around Schaumburg in late summer.

Any thing you've got questions about I'm more than willing to help you out to the extent of my knowledge.

Are you planning on tracking your car at all?

 

all stock components except for the wheels/tires and springs.

There is a shop in Vegas that does a lot of the alignments locally and there are other S2000s that can get more camber on stock parts... some with less. It's interesting to see the variance between cars.