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Thread: How do you correct alignment with camber plates for steet/track

  1. #1
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    How do you correct alignment with camber plates for steet/track

    I have fixed camber plates on my that run about 3 degrees of negative camber on the front and my alignment is based off of that camber reading. I leave the fixed plates in there all the time. I was now thinking of going to some adjustable plates but am concerned with how your toe in is going to be off when you adjust the camber for street and track. How does this work so you can save the tire wear on your street tires.
    1997 BMW M3/4 Cosmos Black Luxury Package 437whp 378 ft/lbs torque Dyno Dynamics Dyno
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  2. #2
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    You'll add toe-in as you move the camber less negative. How much you'll get I don't know.

    I ran almost 3 degrees on the street and didn't see any abnormal tire wear, but I didn't have any toe up front either. I think camber alone is not the problem, it's having camber plus toe that wears the tires.

    Jv

  3. #3
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    With adjustable camber plates, you set your car up for street with say -2 camber and zero toe. Then, for track days you move the plates to give you say -3 camber. This will at the same time give you a little toe-out which is good for the track.

    You could do the reverse. Set your exact track setup, with the toe-out you want, and then move to less camber for the street which would move the toe towards toe-in, depending on how much camber you take away.

    Jay

    From wannabe to has been in a few short years..... the older I get, the faster I was

  4. #4
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    What he said. You set it for the street. I run -2.5 and 0 toe on the street and when I move the plates in, it goes to -3.5 and slight toe out.
    Doug (BMWCCA HPDE Instructor, Respect My Authoritay!)

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  5. #5
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    you can also get your alignment guy to help you figure out how to set it at the track. (there is a term for this but my brain isn't functioning)

    You go to the alignment shop and set the car up for the street, and note all the settings. Then while you are still at the alignment shop, you set it for the track, carefully noting exactly what you did to get there (how many turns on each toe adjuster, where you are on each camber plate, etc.). Then reverse the steps to get back to the street alignment. So in theory, you can take those same exact steps to get to your track setup, and then reverse them to go back to the street.

    That's more work than simply adjusting the camber plates, but it's more precise.
    97 Estoril/Black M3/4/5

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