Camber

[voteforpedro]

My control arms kit finally arrived. Is there anything I should know regarding camber before going ahead with the swap? I know to count the threads before removing the TREs to keep the toe near correct but what about camber?

I will take it for a toe adjustment but want to avoid camber if possible.

 

[voteforpedro]

Apparently camber is fixed, set by the control arms? So the control arms, where fixed to the bearing carrier and bottom of the hub, should rotate accordingly and keep the camber correct?

 

[aragorn]

Camber or Castor isnt adjustable on the front of a B5. Just bolt on your new arms and get the tracking set afterwards and you'll be fine.

Just make sure you dont tighten the arms with the suspension at full droop or you'll wreck the bushes. The top ones you use a measurement from the arm to the top mount, lower ones are supposed to be tighten with the car on the floor which is impossible without a ramp, what i did was jack the knuckle up until it just lifted the car off the stand and tightened them in that position. If you wanted to be more accurate you could mark the centre line of the hub against the wing when the cars on the road, and only jack it up as far as that line before tightening it.

 

[jcb]

camber is adjsutable on the B5, believe me. I spent 3 months trying to get mine right.
It involved slackening off the front subframe mounting bolts and effectively moving the car around the engine/suspension.

imagine a parallelogram, wider at the bottom.
now move the top left to right.
it moves the left and right camber in relation to each other but does not change the overall figure of the two added together.

If you think this isn't affected by a simple arm swap....thats what I thought!
new bushes was enough to screw mine up!
check it:

and you really felt it!
(you can also buy adjustable top arms if you really want to get down to it!)

 

[CraigG]

oh for sure you can adjust it right to left, however i'd never have thaught an arm swap would have moved the subframe enough to knock it out.

Is it not possible that it was out from a previous subframe removal? and that tightening everything up with the new bushes simply highlighted the problem moreso?

(Aragorn btw, posting on my bros computer.)

 

[jcb]

more likely that by changing my bushes/coilovers/arms it came back to how it should have been and previous subframe alignment had been done to counter act a) worn bushes, b) the bent lower arm I found, c) the possible left front impact that the previous owner lied about!

 

[CraigG]

Sounds like it!

Its probably worth checking if you've never had it checked previously, although i just had my tracking set at a local garage. But in general i wouldnt imagine changing the arms would move the subframe by enough to cause any major camber change.

 

[PaulJC84]

I am going to need to get my alignment checked as I have never had it done and have changed a few bits and bobs now. Plus will have hit a few pot holes over that time to.

 

[dieselfitter251]

..best £120 I ever spent on the car. I can really feel the difference, wierdly, mostly in a straight line! Though going round the bends is loadsa fun too, that's a given. The major test will be to see if my tyre wear improves. I reckon that if it's just the front your working on then pop it into tyre's 'r' us for an alingment. No point in spending the money on your arms & bushes only to have the handling and/or tyre wear compromised. In terms of camber or anything on the front end, I think Aragorn's post papps on the heed.

 

[jcb]

I agree, transforms the car.
Although I wouldn't give Audi the pleasure of touching my car.
I get mine done by an independant who sets up rally cars as well

 

[PaulJC84]

Jcb you ever heard of CLCM in Edinburgh? Thats who I am considering using.

 

[jcb]

yep, they are the place that everyone talks about. I was booked to go in but they are very busy. always a good sign
I went to Carcraft in Bilston Ind Est in Loanhead.
Neil runs his own rally cars as well as having a digital 4wd geometry system. cheaper too.

 

[PaulJC84]

Yeah I remember you mentioning him a while ago on pm's.

I will maybe give him a bash if he is cheaper, you know him dont you so could maybe have a word??

You got contact details?

 

[jcb]

Car Craft 0131 440 1100
Ask for Neil, or just pop down.
Head out to Penicuik, turn left at the Alex Noble Subaru/Rover/whatever dealership on the corner, next right into the Ind estate, first left, down the bottom on the right, green building.
Mention my name, He is doing my Goodridge hoses for my brake conversion also
May even give you a discount......doubt it though! : )

 

[PaulJC84]

Cheers, will give him a bell next week.

 

[sun and kath]

JCB
That print out is great , tells me the correct settings.
Is yours a saloon or avant? does anyone know if they are the same settings anyway?
cheers

 

[jcb]

Its an Avant
They are pretty much bang on with the exception of the front Camber.
I would like 1 degree negative at the front but in reality it is about 3/4 of a degree.
they have to be within a certain figure of the factory spec for the machine to read blue or green. but that is based on what Audi say they should be on stock running gear.
mine is on coilovers now so I prefer to do what I want....rather than what audi wants.

 

[aragorn]

i work just along from there in straiton business park. Much he charge for the alignment?

We should probably organise some sort of get together at some point, there seems to actually be quite a few members from the edinburgh / central scotland area on here!

 

[jcb]

Ha, small world. We should do.
I am not sure but £45 rings a bell, was a while ago though, he has gone all digital since then so don't bet on it being the same