Camber Issue

[stueygonzales]

Good Afternoon All

In need of some advice regarding my Fabia vRS. Ive noticed recently that my rear wheel passenger sidelooks like its leaning inwards and the tyre is showing excessive wear on the inside . Ive just taken my car to a local tyre garage and he checked the alignment and all that jazz. He informs me that the camber is out, he suggested he was looking for a reading of 6......mine read 12.

So the camber is out.....Im wondering what the likely fix to this may be as im aware that this cant be adjusted on the fabia.

Im going to get this looked at with a garage that can do a geometry check on it which may enlighten me further but i thought id ask on here first for opinions and thoughts.

Is this likely to be an easy fix or a costly repair job requiring parts?

Ta Muchly!

[rum4mo]

That is not good! Some thing has been damaged, either by side impact with a kerb, or more likely, some one has been jacking the rear of the car up using a single trolley jack under the rear beam!

[Guest BigJase88]

Rear bush im thinking?

[stueygonzales]

Hmm i was thinking that its probably from impact, worrying but hopefully cab get it sorted easily. I just never trust garages thats the problem, trying to rinse me of my money.

Will have to get my wallet out this week.

[allias]

Do you have a print out? What you say about reading 6 and your 12 it could be a toe reading and that is still acceptable. To be able to really discuss what is wrong what is the solution a proper view of your suspension would help. It could be like other said that beam is bent and then without replacing it there is no fix. It its all fine but you "just" wearing tyres then using shims might be an option. If its out, you need to know - how far.

[stueygonzales]

Ill take it to a garage this week and take some pics then i should be able to provide more info.

Yesterday was just a quick pit stop to see what they said.

[rum4mo]

Rear bush im thinking?

Go on, expand on that theory please - bushes, I'd expect, would cause a change in toeing as the beam would be allowed to move out of alignment, but the OP is reporting camber, a visible, what sounds like heaps of camber error on one side only.

[allias]

With beam suspension setup bushings wont change toe or camber settings. It might change thrust angle but thats it. Camber or toe will be drasticly affected by bent item.

[Tech1e]

Going to be a new rear beam unless it's just a bent stub axle but that would give brake issues as the disc runs out of true.

[stueygonzales]

I do experience 'mooing' from braking but put that down to wearing dics?? Hoping its not a bent rear beam, nothing obvious looks bent so im hoping for bent stub. To be fair ive not had the wheel off to inspect it.

Nervous times with a house move iminent, hoping for the best case scenario!

BTW, its definately a camber issue on one side.

[Tech1e]

My money would be on a beam. Replaced quite a few due to people jacking up on them (hence the stickers warning not to) and kerbs in icy conditions but that would normally give positive camber as the bottom of the wheel gets hit.

[allias]

Get print out and you will know straight away.

[stueygonzales]

Yeah, thanks. Ive kinda ruled out kerb damage because of that. Will see, going to take it to a garage to get it check. Any heads up on exactly what to ask for? Geometry Check?

[rum4mo]

Yeah, thanks. Ive kinda ruled out kerb damage because of that. Will see, going to take it to a garage to get it check. Any heads up on exactly what to ask for? Geometry Check?

Yes, but in your case, to get started maybe just a rear camber check would be cheaper and enough. A full 4 wheel alignment check would be better saved until after you have got sorted something that you can see is very badly wrong.

I did start off wrong once with my daughter's old Ibiza, I could see that the (front)toeing was out so asked KwikFit to sort it out, immediately the (honest) fixer said - better to get the camber sorted out first and we can't do that here - only then did I stand back and look at it and he was spot on!

Edited 22 January, 2012 by rum4mo

[Guest BigJase88]

A cheaper option than a new beam may be eazishims?

[allias]

If you want to do it cheap first, do few pics and post them here. Picture of rear tyres exacly from a back of each wheel. Then on from ground level on your rear beam. If you have bubble level put it againt your tyre/rim verticaly and take a picture of that for me on both sides. As long you will do it on flat surface I will be able to tell you where to look for problem on your rear suspension.

[stueygonzales]

Ok thanks guys. Il try and get some pics up tomorrow. I can do all of what u said allias so will try and get that done. Cheers mate.

[allias]

Try to get as best quality as possible, that way we should be able to find out the most.

[Benjiman]

Interesting..

I'm suffering something similar - http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/224846-rarb-is-coming-off

but my issue is over both sides, and I can't see any obvious camber issue. Like the spirit level idea though, will try that.

Oh, and Allias, thanks for the final hints on the prev thread - just noticed I didn't acknowledge

[allias]

Benjiman... if you want you can do the same thing and I can revise it before you spend money on parts or alignment. To bad its such a distace for you guys to come to Leeds. I would be able to sort it or at least give an answer whats going on.

Well at least I will try to do it here :p

[stueygonzales]

Ive uploaded the pics to photobucket, ive got no idea how to upload the pics direct onto here so this is the only way i know how. If you need other pics then i can take some more, Thanks for looking though.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l585/stueygonzales/Fabia%20Camber/P1000774.jpg

This is the wheel in question.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l585/stueygonzales/Fabia%20Camber/P1000775.jpg

This is the other wheel.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l585/stueygonzales/Fabia%20Camber/P1000768.jpg

Dodgy wheel, cant really tell by the pic.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l585/stueygonzales/Fabia%20Camber/P1000769.jpg

Drivers side.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l585/stueygonzales/Fabia%20Camber/P1000773.jpg

Ground level of rear beam, not sure if this is what u wanted.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l585/stueygonzales/Fabia%20Camber/P1000771.jpg

Underneath affected wheel

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l585/stueygonzales/Fabia%20Camber/P1000772.jpg

Other side

Thanks

[Huxley vRS]

Thats shocking, had the wheel off to inspect?

[stueygonzales]

No, havent had chance yet. Doesnt look good though does it...... :S

[allias]

I was looking for something to be bent in obvious way. Luckly there is nothing huge. First to pictures points out as there seems to be a problem with left wheel. The way air bubble points out you can see difference in angles. To me it does look like one side ONLY is effected. There is a slight chance that by installing eazy-shims on left you could have it sorted. It would be nice to find a place that could do just print out for you. I think Hi-Q http://www.hiqonline.co.uk/hiqCentres/ does it (might be wrong). If you can have it inspected then you would know where you are... to me it doesnt look as bad as I though it would be. At this point I would need to get more in technical test to see what can be done.

[stueygonzales]

OK thanks Allias, I was going to take it to southam tyres which is fairly local which was recommended by the guy that did an alignment check for me the other day. Apparently they do a geometry check and can look into it a bit further. I shall keep you posted, thinking of taking it over tomorrow. Thanks for your help.