Should I care what my camber is?

For rally, should I even care what the camber is on the front and rear? Does it have any noticeable effect?

The car (96 Imperza AWD with DMS 50mm) had some noticeable front camber when I got it. Turns out to be around -3* Except the rear which has one side with positive 1*. That can't be right...

I figure the rear has to be bushings or something bent and I plan to go through all of that. But should I try to take camber out of the front?

Tim.

Is there anything on a rally car your shouldn't care about?

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Runamuck Rally

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Towona
Is there anything on a rally car your shouldn't care about?

Emissions?

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Towona
Is there anything on a rally car your shouldn't care about?

Wastes of time and money...

Tim.

I've been running virtually no camber on my 1st gen Impreza for 12 years. Since the road surface varies from one second to the next (unlike a road course), I don't see the need or advantage to run any. YMMV.

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Don Kennedy

After I get the engine issue in my BMW solved, I actually think my next order of business is going to be figuring out how to get rid of a bunch of camber in the rear. At my last hillclimb it was pretty obvious that I'm only using the inner 1/2 -2/3 of the tread.

I'd say try to even the car up and if you have the adjustments to do it, keep camber at a degree and a half or less.

Dave

Let me ask this another way.

I have about -2.7* of camber on the front. Should I spend money on nifty adjustable things to take some camber out, or will it not make a difference in grip or tire life?

Perhaps the answer is, 'depends on tire wear'? It ate my tarmac tires in a couple thousand miles but that was with 2* of total toe out and mostly regular highway driving (I was driving to and from events). I took the toe out of it and will be towing to NEFR so I don't expect such extreme road wear. But while on the gravel?

Tim.

The whole read knuckle/upright and geometry on those things is fucky-fucky. And all the OEM links are about as strong as curtain rods... sumpins bent...
Best plan is to start changing lots of parts to known non-pounded parts.

Modern thick sidewall gravel tires aren't the same cheeesoid junk snow tire we all ran when bunches of neg camber became the Carved-in-stone 11th Commandment.

They don't roll over like those old country fair balloons we had then but everybody keeps saying ya gotta have ______________ neg ---and that truly bizarre advice about toe OUT (!!!!!!)

Your DMS have at least 210mm/8.25" travel total---at static unladen hgt I cannot understand why we'd want any camber front or rear---but then again I hain't the most astute guy--and I was spoiled by driving vastly superior cars aka the mighty Saab 96

Find what's bent for now and look at Coleman racing for universal steel links that you can put together for cheap and have some spares...

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

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I thought hellaflush was the quick way 'round?

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Enablers, All of you.

That toe number is a much bigger issue on an Impreza.

You don't have the DMS camber adjuster washers? Which one are you using?

I pulled the strut bolts out, in one of the rears, though, and no camber washers. The holes didn't look at all big enough for that. Maybe it's a fronts only thing?

The toe has been corrected.

Tim.

Yeah, the washers are a front only thing. Your DMS should have a few different ones that provide different levels of camber when installed.

I've used aftermarket camber bolts on the rear for street cars and SCCA rallycross cars, but I'm not sure they would stand up to the abuse on a stage rally gravel car.

It does sound like something is bent.

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Jard
I've used aftermarket camber bolts on the rear for street cars and SCCA rallycross cars, but I'm not sure they would stand up to the abuse on a stage rally gravel car.

I feel the same and didn't want to consider it.

I'll check the fronts for the washers. Would be nice to find them. Would have been nice if the alignment shop had...

And yeah, I'm sure something is bent in the back.

I'm running NEFR as is. I'll dig into it when I get back.

Tim.

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Jard
I've used aftermarket camber bolts on the rear for street cars and SCCA rallycross cars, but I'm not sure they would stand up to the abuse on a stage rally gravel car.

I wouldn't. I think we had them on Scott's Open Light car and I think it moved around quite a bit in testing and stock ones went back in before 100AW.

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Grant Hughes

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NoCoast
I wouldn't. I think we had them on Scott's Open Light car and I think it moved around quite a bit in testing and stock ones went back in before 100AW.

I had them on my GTX and no matter how tight you got them, they'd move if you slid sideways into a hard rut. Suspect they'll snap easier if you actually hit something considering how much thinner they are at the weakest point.

Dave