# best front camber adjustment parts?



## kismetcapitan (Nov 25, 2005)

right, so over the years my front end has gotten lower and lower; I have all of 7cm of ground clearance now.

Rear wheel camber is slightly, but not dramatically affected. The inside edge of the tire rounds off, but the rest of the tread will go bald before it's an issue.

The front tires however, are a different story...









Yep, got the car up to speed and the tire started spitting off layers.

So, despite enjoying amazingly fast turn response, I need to straighten up my front camber.

Will these upper ball mounts be enough? Can't see from the description if I can **add** camber (which I'll need to do, because my mounts are stock and with as much lowering as I've got, I need to go positive in order to get an overall correction):
CUSCO Pillow Ball Upper Mount

Or do I also need to change the upper of the two suspension links? I know Nismo does a kit, but I'm pretty sure it increases negative camber (opposite of what I want), and it's not adjustable.

And these pillow ball mounts - perhaps I should swap the rear mounts to pillow balls as well?

Remarkably, I know very little about suspension bits; I have excellent coilovers, so I never felt the need to start in on upgrading my suspension (with bushings, change out the links, etc) - just wasn't worth it for my application. But after seeing what my poor tire has gone through, maybe I need to start looking at some basics.

(I have done all steering-related bits - tension rods, steering column aluminum bushing, lower braces, etc)


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## Adam Kindness (Jun 22, 2002)

raise the bloody car.... 70mm of clearance is a bit low!

We use adjustable upper arms to add -ve camber but they should be able to go the other way too.


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## freakazoid3 (Jan 19, 2008)

The adjustable camber arms I've got can't add camber as the arms are to short...So watch out before buying some arms :thumbsup:
Oh and I thinks they're nismo ones but I need to check to be sure


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## kismetcapitan (Nov 25, 2005)

so perhaps I should stick with the stock arms, and just try out this upper coilover mount?

can anyone comment on the difference in handling, when switching front and rear coilover upper mounts to pillowballs?


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## tarmac terror (Jul 16, 2003)

I use Midori front uppers and they are fantastic!!
Rears get Driftworks lowers and some unbranded uppers that I sourced.

Gives a good scope for re-alignment....

TT


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## Satansbodyguard (Oct 29, 2007)

can't you get Rob to make You Some. he's going to be making these...:thumbsup:

http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/139344-front-lower-adjustable-arms-r32.html


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## P3RV3RT (Aug 2, 2005)

As far as Im aware you will only be able to adjust camber via changing the upper arms or by lowering/rising the ride height on the coilovers.

Obviously you have the ride height set far to low and thats why you are losing the inner edge of the tyres.

So raise the ride height (R32s handle better when they are not lowered to the floor) or look for +ve fixed front upper arms. I beleave Cusco sell these at fixed measurements. Again you may ask the people who sell the adjustable upper arms if they will extend past the standard items giving you +ve camber to correct the huge amount of -ve you have.

One option Im going to look at when I get my car back on the road is having some custom arms made or having some others modified. Basically Im not keen on the adjustable arms due to a few reasons.
A solid arm which has been measured to give me the camber Im after will do me, I think Im looking around 1.5 - 2.0 degree's -ve. Ill be using my car mainly as a fast road/track toy so that will do nicely.

You must be running atleast 2 degree's-ve to wear the inner edge like that.

Baz


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## bigmikespec (Sep 5, 2008)

Raise the ride height to something more practical, all sorts of bad things happen when you lower GTR's too far. Tyre wear is one but worse is bump steer and bad drive shaft angles.

Raise it off the ground and go to a suspension shop to find out what your current suspension settings are and work out what you need to get the settings you want from there.

Also, is it street driven or track driven?


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## R.I.P.S NZ (May 7, 2004)

Toby, the link you have there is for a part that has nothing to do with adjusting camber in a gtr, they are for the top of a Mcpherson strut assembly.

I am working on fully adjustable lower arms for the front of a GTR, I was intending to make the arms suitable to increase camber only but if you want a kit so you can decrease camber I can do that as well.

PM me if your interested and I can make a start on a set for you in the next couple of weeks. 

Rob.


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## Cris (Sep 17, 2007)

I use these and beyond making sure that you loctight the threads so they don't unscrew themselves they seem to be OK after 2+ years.

Got to say though, as soon as I have all the bits for my rear end adjustment I'll be having the car corner weighed and raised up a fair bit. Mine isn't that low (approx 1 finger between the top of the wheel and the outside of the arch) but I think it would work better if it were a bit higher, certainly be quicker down b-roads.


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## kismetcapitan (Nov 25, 2005)

is this really too low?


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## St3f (Mar 14, 2009)

Little off-topic, but damn, dangerous look, the one in the parking garage :thumbsup:


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## R.I.P.S NZ (May 7, 2004)

Nah, thats not real low, just "lowered"


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

Kismet- what's your measurement from centre of wheel to the centre top edge of the wheelarches front and rear?
I just ask as if you go to low you start wasting power and upsetting the handling with bad front drive shaft angles.

Do you run shorter caster arms?

Cusco do the front uppers in longer lengths. +5mm from memory.

There's lots of good info on suspension settings for R32's on SAU if you search.

Nismo don't do anything other than fixed standard arms painted silver with Nismo stickers and uprated harder bushes. The Nismo upper link brackets are however different with thicker gauge steel and possibly slightly repositioned mount holes.

Those driftworks upper arms are such a poor design - terrible lateral stiffness under braking loads - R32 upper arm design is bad enough without adding to the problem. It's pretty obvious why they went for a proper wishbone on the R33. The Group A car had a lot of careful redesign in this area to improve the poor stock design. The cage picked up on the back of the mount bracket and the arm was a 2 piece rose jointed affair with a diagonal brace to maximise lateral stiffness.

With a non Macpherson strut design the R32 doesn't benefit from spherical bearing top mounts like a 200SX or AE86 would. The only difference is the shocks see the change in load more directly without the damping effect of the rubber bushes. Nismo do sell harder bushes for the top mounts if you want a half way house solution.


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## bigmikespec (Sep 5, 2008)

lightspeed is 100% on the money.

Most people for a street driven car can get away with slightly lowered than standard and a camber bush kit in the front upper arms, similar in the rear. You can also go adjustable caster bushes.

I would not start playing around with adjustable lower arms and the like unless you know what you are doing.


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## Cris (Sep 17, 2007)

Was looking on SAU for other info and found this - might be of interest - UAS Pivoting Front Camber Arms (Started 29-4-2009) Current participants only to post - The Australian 300zx Owners Association


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## lofa (Dec 20, 2009)

Best way (in my opinion) on a very lowered R32 to get the suspensionarms to line up again is to, raise the inner mount of the top susp-arm (need to modify on car and holder for susp-arm), that does correct RC and camber. Then mount a RC shims under spindles, so the lower suspensionarm is horizontal. 
More job to get bumpsteer and Ackerman correct tho.

Then i would suggest moving suspensionparts fully mounted on car without coiloverfeathers, just to see that coilover and suspensionparts are in its working area and doen´t get out of range (outer top susp-arm and coils can bottom out). You need to have quit short coilovers if you use original mounts. 

You can´t just put it in suggested ridehight, you need to find out that everything can move in a proper way, up and down, or else the car can be dangerous on road.


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## kismetcapitan (Nov 25, 2005)

jeebus, very complex nd if this is what it entails, I think I can't be bothered!!

I like the steering response I have now, and I don't get bump steer. Tramlining yes, but it's to be expected to some degree or other when your front tires are that wide!

And it literally took three years of bad camber to get the front tires to wear out like that. I think I can live with that tire replacement interval...


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## P3RV3RT (Aug 2, 2005)

Ah well, you cant complain if your are getting some mileage out of the tyres befor they end up like that.

Here in the UK we have the 4wd laser alignment, they offer a free test an then have set prices if any changes are to be made.
Why dont you get your alignment checked, you will then no the setup you have at present. Id still say around 2-2.5degrees

Baz


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

Revisiting this topic. Seems to be varying information on the net regards to camber arms and twisting of the top front when caster angle in introduced. Now having bought a set of the Nismo front circuit link with a set of top arm brackets they appear not only thicker but also has an angle in them to prevent the much spoken twist of bushes issue that occurs. 

I haven't bought the top camber arm yet but I am not convinced by so many arms out there but all seem to have issues with them working loose or having to keep taking them out to adjust them. I am tempted to just go for the Nismo top arm if it gives a good level of fixed camber.

In buying the circuit link kit I am sure someone like Nismo would do their homework to give the optimal camber, caster, and Ackerman angles for street and track use - a compromised solution that works for both. 

Please note I am not looking for fully adjustable rose joint setup as my car will be used mainly on road with some track day use.


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

The Nismo upper link is same length as stock but has the stiffer Nismo bushes.
I have the Nismo brackets and lower arms (slightly longer than stock due to Nismo offset drilling the outer ball joint hole) but with stock length Ikeya roller bearing arms.


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

So camber is added by lengthening the lower arm, caster is added by reducing the rod that connects to the lower arm. Interesting that the top arm is the same length.


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