AST Suspension

[BraveUlysses]

my camber maxes out at about -3.3 with ~6 of castor (max)...Vorshlag says they can get > -4 camber with the same plates

Why ?

You can also ajust the mounting pattern on the camber plate. They are sold in the max camber and caster setting, but you can change the configuration to gain additional camber at the expense of less caster.

[John in Houston]

my camber maxes out at about -3.3 with ~6 of castor (max)...Vorshlag says they can get > -4 camber with the same plates

Why ?

I get -4*... why don't you?

1) ride height
2) reinforcement plates installed?
3) rust coating holding the plate back
4) bent or disfigured strut towers
5) previous accident damage
6) Spindle to strut top bolt tightend with strut pulled away from spindle vs. pushed towards spindle

Just a couple of things to check

[BJO]

offset FCAB's can also limit the amount of camber.

[Danny318]

1) ride height - ~12.8ish
2) reinforcement plates installed? - no
3) rust coating holding the plate back - no
4) bent or disfigured strut towers - no
5) previous accident damage - none
6) Spindle to strut top bolt tightend with strut pulled away from spindle vs. pushed towards spindle - oh i get it. I dont know

[Eric98Sedan]

Regarding #6: I always tighten the bottom two bolts before tightening the top. This ensures and non-stressed strut body and no funky camber readings.

[M52 POWER!]

I only get a max of -2.8 camber with my ast 4100's but this is because I am running a lot of caster...

[HafaAdaiM3]

I have the AST4200's and I absolutely love them. I'll have them around the track this coming year.

[Fair]

I only get a max of -2.8 camber with my ast 4100's but this is because I am running a lot of caster...

That's very much not right.... you should get a lot more than that.

The strut towers are different on various E36 models, especially the non-Ms, but you should get way more than -2.8° even at max caster.



That's with 4100s and Vorshlag plates at max caster. Well over -4° of camber up front at a 12.75" ride height, so not super slammed.

If you are running offset lower control arm bushings that's screws up all manner of stuff...

edit: we have seen people put the plates on backwards. Make sure yours have the arrow next to "F" pointing Forward and that the PSGR marked plate is on the Passenger (right) side...

[Danny318]

they are in correctly. i will get some centered bushings in there and we'll see.

[///M3Augy]

What are people running for dampening settings on their AST 4100's. I have an auto-x on Sunday and I just installed them this previous weekend. Any input?(Previous PSS9 owner.)

Spring rates are 600/750.

[Danny318]

I'd do almost full hard front and rear with those rates..

[Danny318]

like 11/12 front and 10/12 rear

[///M3Augy]

Right now I have it at 11f/10r.

[raoke]

I have a couple questions...

I have stock lcab and strut-tower reinforcements so how can I get more camber up front?
Eyeballing it, I'm at about -2/-3... The top bolt is hitting the strut tower as well as the camber bracket at the bottom hitting the tower. Also my plates don't have marks on them- they are all blank so I'm guessing it's an early production thing??

Another issue is that I can only get 11 full clicks on all the struts. I tried adjusting the knobs differently to get another click and can get it to turn a bit more but not enough to click.

Lastly, I've read some of you getting 550/650 springs. I was told mine are 500/600 so are the additional 50lb springs you guys have custom?

[Danny318]

I have a couple questions...

I have stock lcab and strut-tower reinforcements so how can I get more camber up front?
Eyeballing it, I'm at about -2/-3... The top bolt is hitting the strut tower as well as the camber bracket at the bottom hitting the tower. Also my plates don't have marks on them- they are all blank so I'm guessing it's an early production thing??

Another issue is that I can only get 11 full clicks on all the struts. I tried adjusting the knobs differently to get another click and can get it to turn a bit more but not enough to click.

Lastly, I've read some of you getting 550/650 springs. I was told mine are 500/600 so are the additional 50lb springs you guys have custom?

no the springs are metric rates so people convert them to lbs differently. for a while i thought i had 525front and 615 rear, i guess its more like 500 front and 615 rear. there are custom springs you can get them in almost any lbs/length though, if you want.

i think i only get 11 clicks on some of the shocks too, but you get like half a turn on either end that doesnt click. not a big deal really

if the bolt is hitting the tower, theres nothing you can do i dont think there is much need to run more than -3.5 but apparently the vorshlag guys have better autoxing results with >-4 degrees.

i think if you put the plate to a less castor postition you get more camber

also non offset control arm bushings will give more camber.

[osborni]

I have a couple questions...

I have stock lcab and strut-tower reinforcements so how can I get more camber up front?
Eyeballing it, I'm at about -2/-3... The top bolt is hitting the strut tower as well as the camber bracket at the bottom hitting the tower. Also my plates don't have marks on them- they are all blank so I'm guessing it's an early production thing??

Another issue is that I can only get 11 full clicks on all the struts. I tried adjusting the knobs differently to get another click and can get it to turn a bit more but not enough to click.

Lastly, I've read some of you getting 550/650 springs. I was told mine are 500/600 so are the additional 50lb springs you guys have custom?

With the OE reinforcement plates and camber plates you need to grind off the small flange around part of it so that the camber plates will work properly.

Eibach, H&R, Hypercoil and some others have complete catalogs of springs in different diameters, lengths and rates.

[Fair]

no the springs are metric rates so people convert them to lbs differently. for a while i thought i had 525front and 615 rear, i guess its more like 500 front and 615 rear. there are custom springs you can get them in almost any lbs/length though, if you want.

Vorshlag is a stocking Hyperco dealer now.... http://www.vorshlag.com/index.php?cPath=76



We can offer a lot more spring rate choices than our three standard spring packages we offer with each AST kit shows...

[M52 POWER!]

That's very much not right.... you should get a lot more than that.

The strut towers are different on various E36 models, especially the non-Ms, but you should get way more than -2.8° even at max caster.



That's with 4100s and Vorshlag plates at max caster. Well over -4° of camber up front at a 12.75" ride height, so not super slammed.

If you are running offset lower control arm bushings that's screws up all manner of stuff...

edit: we have seen people put the plates on backwards. Make sure yours have the arrow next to "F" pointing Forward and that the PSGR marked plate is on the pannser (right) side...

Yes I have offset bushings which increase caster.

[raoke]

My wheels are turned slightly and I'm at max. If you guys need another shot I will get one. Let me know if this is good enough to guess what my camber is at.

[Don Nguyen]

Well, from the picture, it definitely looks like you have some negative camber. Can't tell you what degree it would be/is though.

[Fair]

Looks like about -3.1° according to my photoshop check, but the wheel isn't even straight so that's not a good picture to go by. I still state the obvious: the offset LCA bushings are borking your set-up.

[Danny318]

Well i went to the track with the 23mm swaybar and I liked it. Turn in felt good, like the car would plant and bite more. I also first went out on the track with the front camber at like -2.4ish and it was pretty good. I bumped it up to max which is like -3.3 and I didnt really like it too much. Middle corner felt better, but entry felt weaker. So I backed the camber down to like -2.8 ish probably and it seemed real good. temperatures were even across the tires too. strange

was using new 15in 205/50 toyo r888 tires

[raoke]

I'll get a better picture later.
What type/brand of lcab would allow me to run more camber?

[Don Nguyen]

What's the highest spring rates people are running on the 4100s? I am running 700lb rear springs and 600lb front springs, and they feel relatively soft still, at times.

[epj3]

You can not eyeball camber, and you can not eye-ball toe as I have found. Body parts simply aren't accurate compared to chassis itself.