I am going to be running on 17" Volks very soon, and I was wondering if I would need a camber kit, after installing H&R Sport Springs with Koni Yellows. I hope to achieve a 1.5" drop or less. What do you think? Camber kit? yes or no

 

i would definatly recommend them even though your camber correction is going to be minimal. I wouldn't sacrifice your R's reputation when someone gets behind you and sees your wheels slightly leaning in. It's def. worth the money... you're tires will last longer too. I have Ingalls front and back with a 2" drop in front and 1.5" drop in back and 17's. My kits are adjustable for about 3 degrees. Good Luck!

 

Absolutely not. As long as you have alignment done there is NEVER a need for camber kit in front and I get nervous about seperating the CV joint like that. Just correct rear camber with washers and you'l be all set. Why people buy rear camber kits is beyond me when you can do it for less than $2. I had my R lowered 2+ inches with Tein RA's. NO abnormal tire wear whatsoever.

 

assuming you lower your car more than .5" you are going to accelerate your tire wear more than normal. the camber kits are great b/c you have the ability to fully adjust your camber +/- 3 degrees with a good kit. as far as seperating the cv joint, if you get a quality kit than this shouldn't even be a concern. you can't adjust the rear camber 2 or 3 degrees with a few washers. there is not enough play in the stock suspension to allow this. go talk to your local favorite mechanic... the one that you would trust your cars life to, and see what he says... mine told me if i lowered mine more than about .5" then the more i went, the quicker my tires would wear as well as the possibility of less traction in rougher situations that required a lot of turning.

all i know is that after paying $140 a tire, I'm not gonna let some negative camber kill them.

 

If you're lowering your car to the point where negative camber is a concern you've lowered it too much. I wouldn't sacrifice the R's reputation by lowering it like a pimp. Camber kits should be used, but to TWEAK, not to completely change it. I've adjusted my camber kit to a degree or two on the street and my tires don't care at all. In fact it helps them to wear better at the track.

What's the difference between using washers or using a camber kit to kill negative camber? What kind of play is there not enough of? Either way you're increasing the effective distance from the chassis to the top of the trailing arm. You could even argue that using washers is better because the two pivot points of the upper control arm have the same relationship to each other as stock.

My whole point is don't bother with a camber kit, but make the right decision with your suspension.