afternoon peeps, hope you are well - Took my Zed in for an mot this morning - passed on everything but excessive tyre wear on all 4 tyres :( hole in my pocket time.

 

Looking at it, the camber on the front wheels are bad with excessive wear on the inside of the tyre, the rears are ok. im guessing the owner before me noticed the problem, and put the partially worn tyres on the back, and then purchased new ones for the front for it to pass its last MOT.

 

usually, with cars with a slight camber problem, adjusting the tracking a bit can remedy the problem or reduce the effects.

 

personally, i dont see this will happen on the zed - i can see the camber is out with the naked eye, so its well out. I spoke to Smithy this morning (the wurvly chap that he is) about purchasing some adjustable upper arms to remedy problem - i seem to recall that the zeds are prone to this issue, even on stock springs and wheels.

 

I am now on a really, really tight budget as i have 4 tyres to purchase and the suspension to resolve. (had a gearbox go not that long ago and still feeling the effects of that too - thanks SWZ for the bargain repair though)

 

anyway - to resolve my camber problem will just the ajustable upper arms resolve the problem? i would like to go fully adjustable, but for now i just need the essentials and can purchase other parts later

 

not that i do not trust smithy, but i feel that i should shop around - I have tried to call DTA Motorsport and SWZ to see if they have anything in also. any help will be appreciated as im starting to relise, working on a zed is not for beginners!

Do you have uprated springs? The camber can sometimes do this because of a combination of old sagging springs as well as worn top arms. I'd look at replacing the springs if they are original (with Eibachs) as well as getting adjustable camber arms. Would also advise on adjustable tension rods as well.

If you go for adjustable uppers then you need adjustable tension rods with the hard rose-joint or there will be trouble.

 

As for the back you can get the adjustable uppers, or a shim kit. USA ebay can get you a shim kit for a good price. As for the arms, you arent gonna get a better price or service than Smithys-Place ;), no need to shop around you got the best place first time!

:dance:

 

But there must also be a cause to your problem. You should be looking artound for a set of new springs at the least.

 

Expensive thing: camber! :wack:

i believe the springs in there to be standard, but do seem to sit very low for a zed.

so then to recap, to fix my problem I will need

4 New Tyres (doh!)

Powertrix Adjustable Front Upper Arms AND

Powertrix Adjustable Front Tension Rods.

 

This is getting very expensive :/

Would just buying a new set of OEM springs likely to remedy the problem for now?

Hallo matey - camber is a regular problem especially since the front is not adjustable. There have also been some camber kits which are for shims to readjust the saggy springs to the right dimensions. Some history here http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=18370&highlight=camber which has a link from Paul to spring dimensions.

That was 4 years ago and have I fixed it yet? Nope hahaha :D My suspicion is that fresh non-saggy springs and dampers should solve the problem but no time/money to test it. Mike at MJP (trader section) said he could get springs wound to size but never followed that up.

 

Camber kit thread here http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=89961&highlight=camber+kits

- 4 tyres

- adjustable front upper arms (Powertrix/SPL)

- adjustable front tension rods (Powertrix/SPL)

- adjustable rear upper arms (Powertrix/SPL) or Shim Kit

- new springs (oem or Eibach/Tein/Avo)

- new shocks (oem or KYB/Koni) be silly not to while its apart

 

 

 

just a small step further and fully poly-bush it, some Whiteline ARBs and some braided brake lines :cool: :wack:

the rears appear to be ok, im just thinking putting a new pair on and watching the tyres like a hawk. - if the rear is out of line then ill go for the rear uppers.

 

so bare min i can get away with really is

- 4 tyres

- adjustable front upper arms (Powertrix/SPL)

- adjustable front tension rods (Powertrix/SPL)

 

at least then, i can relaign the camber the same way is if i had lowered springs on there.

yup,

 

+£50 to get it all laser aligned.

 

yup, plus the laser alignment - just as bad down here in dorset! tis a challenge on its own :)

I had a similar problem. I only put on the adjustable upper arms and then had the 4 heel alignment done.

 

I thought it was because the car had been lowered but it turned out that the old suspension was still on it. Perhaps you could just change the springs and shocks and not the upper arms which in theroy should return the car to its original geometry. (waits to be shot down). This should mean you don't need the upper arms although should be something for the future.

 

Can you not just do the tyres for now to get through the MOT and then next month do the springs or arms etc.

 

Darrell

The rose-jointed upper arms would require rose-jointed tension rods in order to survive.

Coopers-SWB - twaz the idea anyway - full set of kumho tyres on their way :) - will then look into the front upper and tension rods, and prolly do the rears to be safe the following month

shimmed my top arms out using washers measured with a micrometer.as long as you have enough thread left on the mountings its fine.all you need to do is get the camber in spec. as the front springs sag with age the camber and toe out will increase.the washers will sort it til funds allow.done mine two years ago and never had any issues regarding tyre wear since.

If the car has just been MOTd and passed APART from tyre wear then the top arms cant be that badly worn.

the fact that the front of the car is low either deliberately or thru saggy springs deffo will resultin excessive camber.

Two simple and cheap alternatives to fix this.

New or good S/h front springs(stock)

Or pack/shim out the existing top arms.

A simple mechanical camber guage will give a good enough reading . Get it done now to see how many degrees out it is. Then pack out the mounting bolts with a thick washer and re check. If its not about correct then you will have the data that a x mm washer alters it by y degrees. Re-shim according to this data and voila.... it will be near enough right!!

Longer term... save up for fancy new adjustable kit, but meantime the car will be OK to drive.

 

Cheap... simple....... bit like me really!!! :wack:

If the car has just been MOTd and passed APART from tyre wear then the top arms cant be that badly worn.

the fact that the front of the car is low either deliberately or thru saggy springs deffo will resultin excessive camber.

Two simple and cheap alternatives to fix this.

New or good S/h front springs(stock)

Or pack/shim out the existing top arms.

A simple mechanical camber guage will give a good enough reading . Get it done now to see how many degrees out it is. Then pack out the mounting bolts with a thick washer and re check. If its not about correct then you will have the data that a x mm washer alters it by y degrees. Re-shim according to this data and voila.... it will be near enough right!!

Longer term... save up for fancy new adjustable kit, but meantime the car will be OK to drive.

 

Cheap... simple....... bit like me really!!! :wack:

 

opinions of http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Front-Upper-Control-Arm-Lower-Tension-rod-300ZX-90-96_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ42609QQihZ015QQitemZ250107853730QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD2V would that be ok?

 

i am so skint atm :(

anybody ?

No, if you are only going to use your zed occasionally for track and launches then they will probably do.

 

But for continuous and daily road use go with something that has been researched and manufactured in a quality controlled environment. You will be putting yourself and other at risk.

Of course Ebay cheapies VS Powertrix/SPL is a hot debate. That is my own opinion.

indeed - my Zed however, for now is for weekend use only - i cover about 3k a year in the thing.

 

My question ollie really, is what would you advise out of the washer technique/cheap ebay parts - which would you peeps rather persue!?

Pete's is a good idea and an effective remedy but I would only do that short term, not that there is anything wrong with the idea because many front cambers have been set with shim kits that do the exact same thing but costing more.

 

I would myself, and would have done by now but for other jobs that needed doing, shim the front to get the camber correct or as near as poss and wait until you can do a propper job on the suspension, and that means bush's too.

 

If you think about it whats the point in buying nice new arms with rose jointed ends and adjustability (is that a propper word?) and bolt them onto old worn out bush's.

Remember

 

DON'T CUT CORNERS!!!

 

Or the next one might be into a field or worse