Adjusting VRS Camber Angle

[VRS Fabia]

After lowering my car on Eibach springs (from Skoda), I've got major problem with negative camber.

 

Obviously the camber can not be adjusted (easily), please can anyone help as my tyres are shot

 

In addition I'm in Qatar so trying to explain this to a Skoda technician will not be easy.

 

Any help would be great, thank you

[Sparkly]

After lowering my car on Eibach springs (from Skoda), I've got major problem with negative camber.

 

Obviously the camber can not be adjusted (easily), please can anyone help as my tyres are shot

 

In addition I'm in Qatar so trying to explain this to a Skoda technician will not be easy.

 

Any help would be great, thank you

 

The Eibach's barely lower the car, how much negative camber are you talking about?  I noticed no issue on my car with 40mm H&R Springs, the hunter alignment at my local garage spotted the increase in camber but it was not bad enough to do anything dramatic to tyres (observed over 10k miles)

 

What does "Tyres Shot" mean?  How many miles have you had out of them?  Hoe much tread do you have left? Presume inside edge more worn but by how much?

 

If genuinely an issue brought on by dealer fit Eibach's the explanation is simple, "fix it please and some new tyres while you are at if!"

[VRS Fabia]

Car has done 12,500km, both front insides are down to almost zero tread (about 1 inch into tread pattern), whereas the rest of the front tyres have about 4-5mm.

 

I have the printout at home from the 'hunter' alignment machine, I'm almost sure it said -4.00 in the red for the camber. :(

[Ootohere]

What is the spec of your vRS.    

Built in the EU. (same as EU / UK,  NZ / Aus Spec)  Right Hand Drive,  Exported to Qatar and sold at an Official Skoda Dealership., on Gigaros ?

 

Standard apart from Dealer Fit Springs & on Gigaro.  

 

 What tyres are fitted,  what pressures are they run at ?  

 

  Do you think the Dampers and Bushes are all OK, not affected by the heat?

 

'Ozfabia' runs a Lowered vRS in Australia (in heat) and can maybe tell you the Scores on the Doors figures with the Alignments on his car.

Edited 9 September, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[VRS Fabia]

Built in the EU, shipped to Qatar through Skoda dealership, left hand drive.

 

Standard car with gigaro's apart from Eibach springs (fitted two months after ownership at Skoda)

 

Pressures are 35psi fronts and 33 in the rears

 

I'm not technically minded so appreciate your efforts, I will ask the dealer to check the dampers and bushes, however the dealer is very poor

 

On the hunter machine, I observed the guy choosing the car model etc.  He choose sports suspension is that correct?

[Sparkly]

12,000km of driving in Qatari heat may have exaggerated what would be a milder effect of camber related wear in the UK

How much stick do you give the car when driving?

[Ootohere]

VRSFabia,

Well there can be differences.   The Technician chose the figures for Sport Suspension.   & Skoda call it Sport Suspension, on Fabias, Diesels and Petrols. 

 

But a Mk2 Fabia vRS Petrol is the heaviest of the Fabias,

even heavier than a diesel with Sports Suspension.

 

So maybe 'newbie69',  knows the Numbers for a Left Hand Drive on Lower Springs.

Edited 9 September, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[VRS Fabia]

Mixture of spirited and casual driving.

 

Problem has started to increased over the past 4 weeks, previously I used to do in town driving, now I'm site based and traveling on a long stretch of road out of town (road is OK), not sure if this would affect the tyres tho.

[VRS Fabia]

Is it possible to buy adjustable bushes for the camber?

 

I just know when the car hits the workshop the technicians are not going to have a clue about what to do.

[XK140]

Is it possible to buy adjustable bushes for the camber?

 

I just know when the car hits the workshop the technicians are not going to have a clue about what to do.

Have a look on the Whiteline website.They supply suspension enhancement items,including kits that give camber adjustments on cars that are non- adjustable ex factor.

[VRS Fabia]

I emailed Whiteline, but they don't have a product for the Fabia VRS to adjust Camber.

 

Any other companies / ideas?

 

Thanks

[multiskoda]

I emailed Whiteline, but they don't have a product for the Fabia VRS to adjust Camber.

Any other companies / ideas?

Thanks

Try forge? It's a long shot though. They did adjustable camber thingies for my old bora. Nice kit.

[iRaceForPies]

After lowering my car on Eibach springs (from Skoda), I've got major problem with negative camber.

Obviously the camber can not be adjusted (easily), please can anyone help as my tyres are shot

In addition I'm in Qatar so trying to explain this to a Skoda technician will not be easy.

Any help would be great, thank you

Have you had the tracking done since lowering it?

[vRSy]

Is not the camber. I reckon your toe in/toe out bad changed and that's what's trading your tyres

[Jabozuma]

As above, wrong toe setting effects the camber. Have both left and right set to -0.4. Make sure they "zero" the steering before adjustment on "Hunter" starts as too many "technicians" just drive on the ramp, lift it up and off they go. Tech needs to open the door and move the steering wheel from left to right with short, small rocking movements and leave it in the neutral centre, then lock it. some just lock it by visually centering the steering wheel which is wrong, provides erroneous base read outs on hunter and leads to very badly screwed up geometry.

Camber can be adjusted on the front wheels, just needs more work, don't exactly know which nut needs to be loosened up so cannot tell you.

Back wheels are on torsion beam so no camber adjustment there but it is heavily influenced by front adjustment. If you observe what they are doing you will notice that when they are changing the toe settings camber settings change as well .

Tyres should wear evenly, you should be able to lift your hands off the steering wheel (by few millimeters, don't sit on them!) and on a straight road car should be driving straight on without needing your input unless the road heavily cambered. best done on wide motorways

[VRS Fabia]

Guys, how do I upload two pictures of my alignment results?

 

Got PDF's and an email of the results

[Jabozuma]

I use photobucket for everything, jpg's, pdf's etc.

[VRS Fabia]

Qatar has such websites blocked, anyone willing for me to send the files for upload?

[VRS Fabia]

As I cant upload pics of the alignment I will detail the results:

 

3 months ago on the hunter machine after modification (technician selected standard suspension & locked in the steering wheel) 

 

Front Left                    Front Right

Camber -1.15             Camber -1.00

Caster 3.40                 Caster 3.50

Toe -0.05                     Toe - 0.05

 

Total Toe 0.10

Steer Head 0.00

 

Rear Left                     Rear Right

Camber - 1.25             Camber -1.25

Toe 0.20                     Toe - 0.10

 

Total Toe 0.30

 

1 week ago on the hunter machine no modification made (technician selected sport suspension & didn't locked in the steering wheel).  Technician said the problem is the camber but we cant modify.

 

Front Left                     Front Right

Camber -1.35             Camber -0.42

Caster 4.08                 Caster 4.35

Toe -0.00                      Toe - 0.08

Total Toe 0.08

Steer Head 0.04

Rear Left                     Rear Right

Camber - 1.50             Camber -1.01

Toe 0.37                     Toe - 0.02

Total Toe 0.35

 

Any suggestions please, recommendation on a remedy

 

Thanks

[Jabozuma]

Just having a quick look I think the second set of data is worthless as the procedure not done correctly. Also, you always have to have before and after figures. I think you wrote that you have lowering springs, they naturally screw up the camber more into negative since the length of the spring is reduced (everybody saw an overloaded passenger car with wheels "slanted" inwards at the top and outwards at the bottom. Shorter springs do that as well. This has effect on the toe as well. So toe settings will have effect on camber. Caster is not adjustable as far as I know. The second set of numbers would indicate that you had a serious encounter with a kerb on the front right .

Get the technician to wiggle your steering wheel til neutral no matter how it looks and then lock it and start the procedure on Hunter.

[VRS Fabia]

Jabozuma, thank for the information.

 

I will get the car back on the hunter machine and follow your guidance.

 

If I change the toe to -0.40 either side (fronts) will this correct the camber enough to stop the unaven wear? Addiditanlly what impact will the negainve toe have/if any? Whats tolerable for camber and toe?

 

If the centre point of the steering is off when locked in place, is it easy to adjust back to centre once aligned?

 

Apologies for all the questions, I just need to try and sort this before I hurt this set of front tyres.

[VRS Fabia]

Any help guys?