Camber...

[clio_racer]

Had the RT lowered about 35mm last Summer, should it greatly affect the camber, looked at my front tyres the other day, wearing much faster on the inside.

Is something wrong or do lowered cars wear insides more quickly (like its just one of those things). If so is it a full on job to sort?

Andi

 

[White16valver]

Umm.... YES and yes!

My RS is lowered 40mm and the inside of my fronts are slick - by lowering it, you pull the top of the wheels in, meaning the tyres dont sit flat. Instead they lean in so the inside is touching the floor and not the outside - hence inside tyre wear!

(Thats the basic version of what is probably a complex explanation!)

You can cure it though with a number of different options. Either un-lower it, get some Adjustable Track Control Arms (which pull the bottom of the wheels in a bit to match the top - can be risky as can put the driveshafts under compression, or something like that), or get Adjustable Top Mounts, so you can keep the suspension geometry the same but move the top of the shock/spring assembly in or out to increase/decrease the camber. In this case, youd move them out to decrease the camber.

Un-lowering it is the cheapest option, Adj. TCAs are a bit more (probably a lot more knowing the french) and adjustable top mounts can cost a fortune from what Ive heard, as apparently you have to weld them in.

This is what Ive heard, so anyone else please feel free to contradict every word Ive said.

 

[BigBoreBri]

Sounds about right, i know K-Tec make some camber adjustment bolts for the 172 etc to change the camber once lowered... dunno if they make owt for the earlier clios, give em a ring - u neva know

 

[BenR]

yes, camber is the natural effect of teh suspension following its arch through compression travel, and lowering effectively brings your car into its roll camber settings.

Anyway, it cna be corrected by adj TCAs, but since the clio uses wishbones and not an control arm its hard to get them, but fabricating your own can be come fairly simpley, nxt is the adj to mounts, which like White16 said, are expensive as hell, but allow you to fettle SAI and castor at teh same time. then Camber correcting bolts are the nxt and easiest solution but need to be checked as they can loosen themselves. You dont have to pay 40+ quid for a set of bolts, you can make your own camber adj strut bottom, or buy some ford motorsport camber nuts and modify your strut holes. All methods will require work........

 

[clio_racer]

Right... Cheers guys. I was pretty sure the tyre wear was part of the package as my mate Kev lowered his 60mm and it ate a set of front tyres incredibly rapidly.

Is there anything simple that can help, such as a strut brace? I know the reduce suspension flexing, so maybe theyd help (at least during cornering?)

ps Whats the deal then with tyres worn more on the inside, I heard that you had to have at least 1.7mm over 2 thirds of the tyre... true?

 

[BenR]

strut brace will do nothing.

as for tyre wear, weather or not a bald strip is tecnically legal or not, i sure as hell wouldnt drive on it.......

 

[clio_racer]

Good job theyre getting replaced tomorrow then... £58.75 each, pretty good.

So I assume there are no simple methods for fixing it then, oh well, it took a year to happen anyway! Will it wear the same at the back or less rapidly? Just wondering if swapping wheels after 6 months might help longevity, whilst they still have plenty of tread left.

 

[BenR]

the rear wont wear asy faster......

There are lots of simple solutions......which method do you want to do.

If you after the easiest then the camber bolts will do it, but the price Ktec ask for is extorsionate..........but they do the job.

 

[clio_racer]

Something a local garage could do without messing up would be nice. I dont entirely understand the procedures youre on about so a recommendation would be best.

My criteria are... Cheapish, simple enough for a local spanner... thats about it. Im not totally inept, so if I could do it myself thatd be good. Otherwise something I wont have to pay £s of labour for sorting.

 

[BenR]

buy the bolts and go to a reputable wheel place with lazer alignment and they will set camber. Just hand them teh bolts, its not hard at all...replacing 2 bolts......

 

[clio_racer]

Excellent... Camber correction bolts... erm... Where can I get them from and roughly how much do they cost? Do they adjusting regularily? Its just a bolt in the top mount then?

Cheers all (Thanks Ben... I still need to learn about this kind of stuff!)

 

[BenR]

off the Ktec website, they are just bolts that you replace the hub/strut bolts with........