[s-cars] Re: S-CAR-List Digest, Vol 8, Issue 54 - 2Bennett Camber Plate Install - Road Test

[l.leung at juno.com]

Fred,

Thanks so much for all of the BTDT. Will prove very
helpful when I do my Camber Plate install. 

BTW, the reason toe goes out SO much with a camber 
change has to do with the tie-rod location (above
the hub center) and where the camber plate changes 
the camber (WAY above the hub line and the lower
steering knuckle). Since you are moving the shock
tower top out, you must also extend the length of
the tie-rod to accompensate for it moving out over
the pivot point of the lower steering knuckle. I had
this same problem with my 200Q after I had it aligned
for camber, but it had frozen tie-rod adjusters. Since
I was usually driving the winter BEATER (subie)in the
winter, except for trips (had a lot last winter, every
weekend), I didn't take care of things quickly enough.
The toe-out really wore the inside shoulders of both
my Summer tires and the winter tires. So, get your toe
adjusted ASAP, my tech says bad toe wears tires quicker 
than bad camber and it also causes cupping. Too bad I 
didn't listen soon enough. 

LL - NY



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Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 21:06:13 -0400
From: "Fred Munro" <munrof at sympatico.ca>
Subject: [s-cars] 2Bennett Camber Plate Install - Road Test
To: "SOS-cars" <SOS-cars at yahoogroups.com>, <s-car-list at audifans.com>
Message-ID: <ELEILALKJKMBKDDGOMAIGEIHENAA.munrof at sympatico.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"



After a good road test today ( my 150 km daily commute) I can happily report
a major improvement in the feel of the car and the absence of tramlining.
The steering now has a nice weight to it and the car tracks true over ruts
that had it dancing around with even the 215/55-16 winter tires. I am very
pleased with the improvement - the car now drives the way I always thought
it should. The tires howl at certain speeds, mind you, and it occasionally
feels like the tread has changed from "street" to "ultra grip mudd hogg",
but at this point I'm assuming that is from the weird wear patterns induced
by the previous alignment.

Since the caster is still out on the right side, I think the improvement
must be due to getting the camber to the centre of the spec. Moving it
from -1.04 to -0.55 really changed the toe - it put it right off-scale at
over -1.5 on both sides, so it appears that small camber changes
significantly affect the front end geometry.

Maybe those Audi engineers knew something when they set the suspension specs
:o). Now if I can just get right side caster in line....


Fred Munro
'94 S4 (point and shoot - what a difference!)



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