So I have my tires (225/40/18) for about 2 months now and clearly have seen an inner wear on my tires.
To begin with I have a 2 inch drop all around, 18 inch wheels, and (225/40/18) tires as mentioned above.
What is occuring is that the inner (the side towards the engine) tire is almost worn out and i'm pretty sure this is happening because of my drop.
My question is, What would i do to solve this problem? Is what I need a camber kit or an alignment so that I can have an even wear on the tire?
What I do know is that if I were to get a camber kit I would need an alignment but my question is the one above.
Also, can you guys recommend which camber kit to go with if this is whats occur the problem.
Thanks guys.
our cars do not need camber kits. i dont care what anyone guy at some auto store trys to tell you, they arent needed. if you need to get your car aligned.
lol. Thanks for the strong emphasis on not needing a camber.
Something I came across. I read that cmaber kit it to help align the tilt inward or outward on the tire due to dropping the car. And thats exactly the problem i'm having. Since my car is really dropped the inner side of all the tires are wearing out extremely quick (in about 3months). And I see the wear of the inner side of the tire as a result of having an inward tilt.
Can anyone else back this up or provide me with my info if i'm wrong. Thanks
Thanks for your input StrippedCav
when an alignment is done they will check and asjust as needed the toe caster and camber.
when you lower your car, you put your cars allignment out of spec. the goal of the alignment is to get it as close to spec as possible.
some cars, Honda's for example, require a camber kit when they are lowered past a certain point. the reason why they need a camber kit is because the camber on a honda without the camber kit can only be adjusted so much before it is maxed out.
j-bodies do not have that problem. our camber can be fully adjusted with out a camber kit to allow for that extra adjustment.
what you need is an alignment done. it should have been done as soon as the car was lowered, but im going to assume it wasn't done.
and dont skimp out! get a 4wheel allignment done. 2 wheel alignment is going to be pointless (do places even still do a 2 wheel?).
your tires wearing like that might not even be because of a camber issue. a car with a toe out can do that aswell, but seeing as your car is lowered it is more than likely the camber that is out.
1997 RedR - ZedR
Excellent! Way to back up StrippedCav. I was sure he had a point and was possibly right but what you wrote confirmed it.
Also, does an alignment need to be done everytime I put on new tires?
Another question is, now that I will be getting an alignment done should I change all my tires? will the inner wear of the tires I have on now affect the new alignment?
Thanks Goose for the explanation.
Lambo Sunfire wrote:Excellent! Way to back up StrippedCav. I was sure he had a point and was possibly right but what you wrote confirmed it.
Also, does an alignment need to be done everytime I put on new tires?
Another question is, now that I will be getting an alignment done should I change all my tires? will the inner wear of the tires I have on now affect the new alignment?
Thanks Goose for the explanation.
no you only need to get alignments when you remove major suspension parts like control arms, struts, etc...
taking off and putting on rims is fine, no need for an alignment. i would suggest getting new tires and getting it aligned.
Thats sounds good to me. Will do, Thank you sir.
REDGOTE wrote:whitegoose( RedR-ZedR) wrote:and dont skimp out! get a 4wheel allignment done. 2 wheel alignment is going to be pointless (do places even still do a 2 wheel?).
No rear-alignment on J's
Rob
thats not entirely true.... there is no camber adjustment on the rear of a j-body, but toe can still be adjust with shims if needed.
1997 RedR - ZedR
Rear camber can also be adjusted with shims if need be or requested. Having not personally performed an alignment, I'd guess that it should be the same as adjusting rear toe but on a different axis.
Generally, though, barring an issue with a rear suspension component or the axle itself, the car shouldn't NEED a rear alignment unless you want different handling characteristics (autox or road race applications, for example).
Camber kit? Not needed.
Get an alignment at a reputable shop in your area. I typically go to a shop that uses old-tech; everything is done by hand instead of on a computer. Good stuff and very cool/informative to watch!
Have you seen the turbo wagon?
13.90 @ 105.46mph
street tires
rough tune
rear alignments are needed when you spin your car around in a 360, hop the front 2 wheels on a curb and you dont stop spinning until the rear wheel hits the very same curb your fronts are already on....
trust me, i can vouch for that.
1997 RedR - ZedR
whitegoose( RedR-ZedR) wrote:rear alignments are needed when you spin your car around in a 360, hop the front 2 wheels on a curb and you dont stop spinning until the rear wheel hits the very same curb your fronts are already on....
trust me, i can vouch for that.
Ahh, yes. That would indeed be just cause for a 4-wheel alignment! Might also call for new wheels, too, from the sound of it. Yuck...reads like a crappy experience to have.
Have you seen the turbo wagon?
13.90 @ 105.46mph
street tires
rough tune
ya it wasn't fun... i needed a new steelie (this was with my 4door LS)... thankfully the tire was still ok.
1997 RedR - ZedR
yah you need an alignment, and the toe causes the most wear out of all three, even though u probably have a camber problem too, its probably the toe thats making your tires wear like that
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2092536
whitegoose( RedR-ZedR) wrote:rear alignments are needed when you spin your car around in a 360, hop the front 2 wheels on a curb and you dont stop spinning until the rear wheel hits the very same curb your fronts are already on....
trust me, i can vouch for that.
wow i guess if ur dumb enough to do that ur dumb enough to get a rear alignment..
if u think u got a rear wheel alignment.. its because either
your axle was bent from the curb
or your strut
theres noOO adjustment for camber on front OR rear of a jbody
the toe is about all u can do.. and really all that is needed for tire wear really.. unless u out out of whack parts, in which u have more problems then tire wear anyway.
u can usually save some bucks by going and just asking to set your TOE thats wut eating ur tires.. unless ur like 3'' or more no need for camber kit.
Jonathan shumacker wrote:whitegoose( RedR-ZedR) wrote:rear alignments are needed when you spin your car around in a 360, hop the front 2 wheels on a curb and you dont stop spinning until the rear wheel hits the very same curb your fronts are already on....
trust me, i can vouch for that.
wow i guess if ur dumb enough to do that ur dumb enough to get a rear alignment..
if u think u got a rear wheel alignment.. its because either
your axle was bent from the curb
or your strut
theres noOO adjustment for camber on front OR rear of a jbody
the toe is about all u can do.. and really all that is needed for tire wear really.. unless u out out of whack parts, in which u have more problems then tire wear anyway.
u can usually save some bucks by going and just asking to set your TOE thats wut eating ur tires.. unless ur like 3'' or more no need for camber kit.
Front Camber adjustment is on page 3-15 of the 2000 J-body Helm service manual volume 1 of 2 (the ones available on helminc.com).
As for rear camber adjustment, thats what shims are for. Hardly any shop does it, since it should never NEED adjustment, but it IS possible.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Sunday, July 08, 2007 11:53 AM
im curious to know how ud adjust camber, or even why. The knuckle is not slotted nor are the strut towers.. strut has to suck in or out for camber
Hah, the manual says you have to file the hole.
Jonathan shumacker wrote:whitegoose( RedR-ZedR) wrote:rear alignments are needed when you spin your car around in a 360, hop the front 2 wheels on a curb and you dont stop spinning until the rear wheel hits the very same curb your fronts are already on....
trust me, i can vouch for that.
wow i guess if ur dumb enough to do that ur dumb enough to get a rear alignment..
if u think u got a rear wheel alignment.. its because either
your axle was bent from the curb
or your strut
theres noOO adjustment for camber on front OR rear of a jbody
the toe is about all u can do.. and really all that is needed for tire wear really.. unless u out out of whack parts, in which u have more problems then tire wear anyway.
u can usually save some bucks by going and just asking to set your TOE thats wut eating ur tires.. unless ur like 3'' or more no need for camber kit.
did you read everything i posted or are you just jumping to conclusions here?
i already stated a few posts up that the only thing they adjusted on the rear was the toe and they did that with shims. its amazing how many people can read but are still illiterate because there is no other way you should have missed what i already said, expecially if you were going to jump down my throat about it.
1997 RedR - ZedR
whitegoose( RedR-ZedR) wrote:Jonathan shumacker wrote:whitegoose( RedR-ZedR) wrote:rear alignments are needed when you spin your car around in a 360, hop the front 2 wheels on a curb and you dont stop spinning until the rear wheel hits the very same curb your fronts are already on....
trust me, i can vouch for that.
wow i guess if ur dumb enough to do that ur dumb enough to get a rear alignment..
if u think u got a rear wheel alignment.. its because either
your axle was bent from the curb
or your strut
theres noOO adjustment for camber on front OR rear of a jbody
the toe is about all u can do.. and really all that is needed for tire wear really.. unless u out out of whack parts, in which u have more problems then tire wear anyway.
u can usually save some bucks by going and just asking to set your TOE thats wut eating ur tires.. unless ur like 3'' or more no need for camber kit.
did you read everything i posted or are you just jumping to conclusions here?
i already stated a few posts up that the only thing they adjusted on the rear was the toe and they did that with shims. its amazing how many people can read but are still illiterate because there is no other way you should have missed what i already said, expecially if you were going to jump down my throat about it.
whats more amazing is u bend your axle and fix it with shims.. shims r a poor mans way of fixing broken parts..
If it was bent only so far that a couple shims made it good, its not bent very far at all.
I personally would have had it shimmed, then started looking for a new axle time/finances permitting though. (maybe you ARE doing this, so don't take this wrong).
the axel is straight as an arrow, it was the bearing that gave out. thats been replaced. the reason why it was shimmed is because it was wearing the one rear tire akwardly.
of course, with a toe in akward tire wear will happen.
1997 RedR - ZedR
and of course wit ha straight axle and good bearings awkward tire wear wouldnt happen at all
you dont need to file the hole if you get the camber kit. its just a bolt with a lobe on it. not like its expensive either.
Meh, why spend 30 bucks on a couple bolts when you can file the hole for free if you have a file, or 5 bucks or less without? And a decent alignment shop should be able to file it too if deemed needed during an alignment.
