My question is about a proper setup method. I dont have any fancy set-up equipment. What I used is four equally sized plexiglass squares with holes drilled in the center attached to the axles in place of the wheels. I then use a protractor and caliper to adjust camber angle, toe angle, etc.

My question, though, is what is the proper method? For example, when I read a set-up sheet that says 1 degree camber, is that "as the car sits" or do I prop up the car so no weight is on the suspension? And if it is a measurement as the car sits, how can I expect to to get accuracy within a few degrees. I mean, if I take a measurement, lift up the car, set it back down and let the suspension settle, I usually get a 0-1 degree difference.

Also, if I measure the angles with a protractor, until they are even, then I measure the thread space in the arm with a caliper, the two sides are mismatched by maybe .5 cm. Am I better off trusting the angle measurements or the thread space in the top arm.

any and all help is much appreciated



below are some pictures of what i mean

Good topic!!

I'm interested to learn something about this too.

There are sooo many possiblities on where the .5mm difference comes from it is hard to say. You are dealing with suspension arms so the smallest manufacturing defect can be amplified quite a bit on the other side.

Take my 9.5 Pro for example. The plastic ball ends have developed some slack in them (I have replacements, but I am lazy). Moving them about 1mm at the shock tower doesn't cause much play out at the hub, but when you travel in a perpendicluar direction, out to the tire tread, you can see that 1mm wiggle expressed as about 1/2 inch of slop. That doesn't even account for the slop in my c-hubs, or any other pivot point for that matter.

One thing I noticed from your pics, either you race your car mostly on-road, or have a really smooth track that doesn't require much travel for bumps, because you have your arms below level by quite a bit. I used to do the same thing when we would parking lot race our 1/10th stadium trucks.

i appreiciate your help! I still have a few questions. When someone says 1 degree camber are thay taking this measurement with the car sitting as is or with no weight on the suspensions??

Also, what do you mean by "you have your arms below level by quite a bit"? and what do I do to change this?

from the pics your car is "too low" put the wheels on it, drop it a few times and roll it back and forth to let it settle.

add shock spacers to get the rear arms so they are level with each other....

fronts are usually a bit ablove level ( at the diff case )


now... when using your set up jig, you need a smooth surface so it slides.

start with the rear and set your camber. you can use the protractor, BUT you cant line the bottom up with the piviot point and measure the top.
why? ok lets say you really have 2* of camber.... if you line it up with the BOTTOM and measure the top where your protractor crossed the plexi you made,
you will end up with 4* of camber...2* out aut of the bottom and 2 at the top.

that piviot point of the protractor will have to be in the CENTER of the wheel hub, be level and then you can see how far from 90* it is.

I appreciate your help with ride height!

But if I understand what your saying about measureing the camber angle correctly, you're wrong. Its basic geometry if two lines are parallel (the ground and the line at the wheel hub), any line (the wheel or plexi-glass piece) intersecting both of them will have identical angles. For example, in the illustration below A = A' and B=B' always.

If I misunderstood what you said, I apoligize, but I gathered your claim is A'=2*A and B'=2*B, which is false.