It's Down to the WIre...

[Decipher]

I'm at a loss trying to choose between 2 camber kits for my 96 ex. I've narrowed it down to the Ingalls kit:

http://www.iapdirect.com/96-00-honda-civic-ingalls-front-control-arm-camber-kit.html


or the SPC set:

http://www.jdmultimate.com/product/i-398089.aspx?itemid=398089&Year=1996-2000&Make=HONDA&Model=CIVIC



The Ingalls kit employs the fixed balljoint, whereas the SPC kit offers the swivel type. I've not been able to determine whether one is better or more reliable than the other. If anybody can offer first hand experience or any sort of insight I'd be very grateful. Thanks

 

[R3dline]

why would you spend money on this? your not that low man, and a little camber isnt gonna hurt anything. do the washer trick in the rear, and get a alignment

 

[Decipher]

I was afraid I'd get this response first off... and I'm afraid the myth of "all you need is an alignment" doesn't apply here. I had a good alignment done only 3 or 4 months ago (immediately after installing new wheels w/ brand new tires and lowering the ride height) and despite this, the camber wear has been constant and apparent since day one. In the last 3 months my brand new nitto rubber has been reduced to bald and nearly useless landfill donations. The alignment is still good, toe is spot on. I just had them rotated and balanced and the rear set is now suffering the exact same wear now that they're up front.

I just need advice on which design and make of kits work best on these cars. Thanks again!

 

[R3dline]

has the car been wrecked? is the tires aired up to spec? a alignment should fix this problem, i was way lower than you , had the correct alignment, toe was correct, and i had minimal if any tire wear, , same with my truck, it has negative camber on the front, i have 0 tire wear

sounds to me like you have a problem somewhere. no need to slap something on thats not needed

 

[lagunak47]

I was afraid I'd get this response first off... and I'm afraid the myth of "all you need is an alignment" doesn't apply here. I had a good alignment done only 3 or 4 months ago (immediately after installing new wheels w/ brand new tires and lowering the ride height) and despite this, the camber wear has been constant and apparent since day one. In the last 3 months my brand new nitto rubber has been reduced to bald and nearly useless landfill donations. The alignment is still good, toe is spot on. I just had them rotated and balanced and the rear set is now suffering the exact same wear now that they're up front.

I just need advice on which design and make of kits work best on these cars. Thanks again!

i have the same problem. the inside of the front tires are nearly bald where as the rest have 80% tread. i then realized the only reason it was like this was from tire spin, as the back wheels which had more negative chamber were fine. If you don't drop the clutch all the time you should be fine. Also negative chamber greatly improves cornering. just my 2cents

 

[Decipher]

has the car been wrecked? is the tires aired up to spec? a alignment should fix this problem, i was way lower than you , had the correct alignment, toe was correct, and i had minimal if any tire wear, , same with my truck, it has negative camber on the front, i have 0 tire wear

sounds to me like you have a problem somewhere. no need to slap something on thats not needed

I'm unaware of any accidents, it's a possibility though. Tire pressure is where it should be. The thing is, the alignment is good and I'm still getting camber wear, so I'm going to address that symptom rather than chasing around mystery problems.

The frame of the car may be warped, I've suspected that since I installed the coilovers and had to set the perches at different heights from left to right in the front to achieve a level stance. But camber wear is camber wear and, regardless of the cause, a good quality adjustable UCA should allow me to account for the bad geometry...

i have the same problem. the inside of the front tires are nearly bald where as the rest have 80% tread. i then realized the only reason it was like this was from tire spin, as the back wheels which had more negative chamber were fine. If you don't drop the clutch all the time you should be fine. Also negative chamber greatly improves cornering. just my 2cents

Trust me, I really enjoy the improved grip in the corners... but it's not worth a new set of tires twice a year. If i wasn't experiencing adverse wear from the negative camber, I'd probably be buying adjustable UCAs so that I could set it out a little more! I don't drive like an ass, and my car is an automatic, so wheel spin is something my tires almost never see.

 

[R3dline]

just get the ingalls

 

[Decipher]

Should I do the entire UCA replacement assembly or just get the adjustable ball joints that they offer?

 

[R3dline]

well if you are gonna do it. mine as well replace it all

 

[TigBitties]

they are all right though, and this very much might not affect your tire wear problem. and those kits are pretty expensive and first one doesnt include ball joint

 

[JohnS.]

I've read good things about Hardrace: http://www.buyhardrace.com/product/hardrace-front-camber-kit-96-00-civic-ek_13.html

I don't quite understand why you're chewing through tires so quickly as well.... My toe was off by almost 2º in the back and yet my S. Drives still lasted 2 seasons (usually April-September). 2 tires probably have another season left in them but I wanted to buy 4 new ones and get an alignment done on all 4 new tires. And I drive my car pretty hard on corners/turns/twisty roads on a daily basis.

 

[TigBitties]

maybe you got a shitty alignment, it happens

 

[CHILD]

have you replaced your inner and outer tie rods? You can align them all day, but if they are bad, everytime you drive they are constantly changing the toe angle and eating tires.
Camber wear should be so slight that it takes quite awhile before you notice (when toe is in spec)

 

[Decipher]

There's no play at all on the inner tie rods, and I replaced the outer tie rods about 7 or 8 months ago.

 

[TigBitties]

hard to tell you then without looking, but in the end. camber kit wont fix your issue

 

[JohnS.]

I would honestly say try getting your alignment done elsewhere. If the tie rods are good, it's gotta be the alignment. With toe in spec, camber really wouldn't effect your tires all that much, and especially not at the rate it is for you.

And just for kicks and giggles, you sure it's camber wear and not toe wear right?