Mercutio

Is there any way to get more front camber out of a V? My autocross tires are cording badly on each shoulder in front (I have flipped them inside to outside several times to extend life) with plenty of meat in the middle. The rears seem okay, but the car just isn't using enough of its tires in front. I've currently got -1.5 degrees and the alignment shop said they couldn't get any more out of it.

jerrad

iTrader: (5)

Get some caster/camber plates. I bet they have a ton more range than factory.

tweeter81

To my knowledge, camber plates do not exist for our cars. If you check out cadillacfaq.com you will find an alignment set up that will get you 2.2 degrees of negative camber in front, and I believe -2.0 degrees in back. I run that alignment and it is great and doesn't wear the tires any worse on the street than the stock alignment.

jerrad

iTrader: (5)

Really??? Wouldn't have thought that.

Mercutio

How would camber plates work on SLA suspension? I've never seen them on anything but McStrut cars. I saw the alignment specs on cadillacfaq but it also says "you might not be able to get that much camber." It's not a lot of info to go on.

tweeter81

I don't know enough about suspension to answer the first question. But as for the second, it was enough to go on for my alignment shop, I just printed out that page from the FAQ and they aligned it perfectly and they said they could have squeezed a bit more negative camber out it too.

jerrycecco

bump
found this:

Eibach Pro-Alignment Camber Kit 5.81260K CADILLAC CTS
Description:

After the installation of either an Eibach Pro-Kit, Sportline spring kit or Pro-Street coil-over kit, a vehicle's alignment should always be checked. Once a vehicle is lowered, wheel camber may become excessively negative, meaning the top of the tire is angled inward (toward the center of the vehicle). While some negative camber aids in improving traction and road adhesion, too much can result in compromised handling and accelerated tire wear.Eibach offers a complete range of Pro-Alignment kits, which provide a simple, affordable solution to correct excessive negative camber. These alignment kits not only assist in adjusting a vehicle's camber back to factory specifications, but they also allow an experienced chassis tuner to utilize the increased adjustment range to "dial-in" a performance-oriented alignment that uses negative camber to maximize a chassis' true potential. With correct alignment, turn-in becomes more precise and handling becomes gratifyingly crisp and predictable. High-speed stability is also enhanced, making an Eibach Pro-Alignment kit a necessity for the serious performance tuner.For the extreme lowering of Sportline and Pro-Street-S applications, look for the alignment kits with a greater range of alignment necessary to accommodate the extreme lowering. These will be listed below the standard Pro-Alignment kit in the applications section.
• Precision Alignment Kits for Maximum Performance—and Prevents Uneven Tire Wear
• Wider Range of Camber Adjustment—Suitable for Street or Track Tuning

--------------------
Eibach Alignment Kit
PART#:E27581280KMFR#:5.81280K

Zoom
EIBACH PRO-ALIGNMENT KIT -- Allows for plus or minus 1.75 degrees of front camber adjustment; This alignment kit can return camber back to factory specifications for everyday driving, but it can also be used by experienced chassis tuners to dial-in a more performance-oriented alignment, making turn-in more precise and handling more gratifyingly crisp and predictable; Recommended especially for vehicles with Eibach Sportline or Pro-Street kits; With Eibach's limited two-year warranty.

lubelizard

iTrader: (5)

There are no camber plates for an SLA suspension. Alignment adjustments are made via bolts at the control arms. Lowering the car should allow additional negative camber to be dialed in. Dunno what the Eibach kit looks like, but if they allow more adjustability, then the bolts probably have some kind of offset across the shaft of the bolts.

Darkman

iTrader: (2)

Maybe this.

lubelizard

iTrader: (5)

Bow before the power of the darkman. You have the winning numbers for Florida's next lottery?

AAIIIC

iTrader: (19)

Go read about double wishbone suspensions vs. MacPherson strut suspensions. You'll realize then that your suggestion to get caster/camber plates for our cars made no sense whatsoever.

I did the same as tweeter81 - gave the specs to the alignment guy and he produced the numbers I wanted. This was at Sears, not a performance shop, so if they can manage it, I would think any competent alignment shop should be able to do so, too.

I think his question was somewhat rhetorical. Either way, the answer is simple - they don't.

On my car they were able to get the camber to -2.25, but I had to sacrifice a little bit of positive caster to get there.

Interesting. $500 retail, $300 at GMpartsdirect.com, though, so not a trivial purchase. I'd be interested to see what the kit actually consists of.

lubelizard

iTrader: (5)

You're running -2.25 camber on the street? Front or rear? I know the best I can get from my local Tires Plus is an alignment that remains within OEM tolerances, no more or less. I have a lifetime alignment/balance/rotation package with them.