Stock alignment question.

[jtlctr]

So, I'm coming up on 5k miles on my CTR and I would like to rotate the tires soon. Unfortunately, I have no easy way of getting the wheels off because my driveway is gravel and uneven. Not exactly ideal for jacking up and supporting with stands, etc.

I was thinking about saving myself the trouble and just bringing the car to my favorite tire/alignment guy for a tire rotation.

My question is this: While the car is at an alignment shop, would it be worth pulling the alignment pins and having the front negative camber maxed out just for the purpose of having slightly sharper turn in? This would purly be for spirited driving pleasure as I don't track the car. Would a few tenths of a degree of negative camber even be noticeable? And would this cause the tires to wear any faster?

Any input for this suspension newb would be appreciated!

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[Eiching1]

You may be able to get the tires rotated by your dealer under the Service Pass. Also, from a tire site, " The tradeoff with negative camber is that it'll cause the tires to wear down faster and it will take more effort for the vehicle to reach its top speed, making it less efficient. "

 

[jtlctr]

You may be able to get the tires rotated by your dealer under the Service Pass. Also, from a tire site, " The tradeoff with negative camber is that it'll cause the tires to wear down faster and it will take more effort for the vehicle to reach its top speed, making it less efficient. "

Good info, thanks! Honestly, I try and avoid dealer service. I’ve seen so much shoddy work come from dealerships that it’s not worth saving a few bucks to me. Not that there aren’t good techs out there, but I think their being paid by book time encourages hasty work rather than quality work.

 

[Bazgab]

You may be able to get the tires rotated by your dealer under the Service Pass. Also, from a tire site, " The tradeoff with negative camber is that it'll cause the tires to wear down faster and it will take more effort for the vehicle to reach its top speed, making it less efficient. "

Negative camber can cause additional tire wear, but not always. I was finding that with my driving (mostly street but with an autocross every month or two) I was wearing down the outer shoulders of the tires unevenly on the OEM alignment specs. I am at -2.5 degrees of camber in the front and my tire wear is starting to even out across the contact patch.

 

[Eiching1]

I hear ya, it's a dicey situation with dealerships!

 

[citrus]

The point of negative camber is to maximize contact during turns. If you do a high proportion of spirited driving with an even balance of left and right turns, your tires will still wear evenly. If you're just going straight down a highway most of the time, the insides will wear faster.

If you want sharper turn-in, you're looking for more toe out. This will decrease straight line stability as speed increases, make the car more likely to tramline, and slightly accelerate wear overall.

 

[AZCWTypeR]

My past experience is significant tire wear in normal driving with added negative camber. Front grip increased, but car was a bit tail happy. Toe-in has to be reset as well.

I recommend picking up some 3/4" thick plywood at Home Depot or the like. I bought 2'x4' sheets and cut them down into smaller pieces. I used these under jack stands and jack on gravel and asphalt.

I normally only rotate front to rear, not changing sides. Only have to jack one side of the car, and usually one point under front doors.

 

[jtlctr]

Thanks for the detailed feedback, everyone! I think I’ll go with the old adage “ if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. After all, it’s not like I’m disappointed by the handling of this car!

AZCWTypeR: your suggestion about thick plywood for support is what I normally do, but I was thinking I’d do the recommended rear crisscross to front pattern of rotation, which will require extra steps to get all 4 wheels in the air. Maybe I will just swap front and rear as you suggest.

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