i have a camber question, and a steering question

jeffast · Post by **jeffast** » Tue May 05, 2009 2:40 pm

problem one. I was looking at my front spindle the other day, because my camber is visibly positive, and my tire is wearing excessively on the outside edge. I am unable to afford an alignment at this point so I figured I'd redneck it a little to hopefully slow down my tire wear till I can get it done right. any way I go to spin the eccentric, and nothing happens, I watched the knuckle very closely, it didn't move at all i hit it with my "Crescent hammer" and it moved in, just a little, but it did move. I didn't have time to dig into it at that point, but i think that one of the previous owners may have replaced the eccentric bolt with a regular one. I'm looking for other ideas, has any one seen the hole in the knuckle get wallowed out? also where can i get good camber bolts if this turns out to be the problem, if i'm gonna have to replace them i'd like additional adjustment.
second part
The power steering rack on my car is shot it leaks quite a bit, and one of the inner tie rods has a lot of free play. I think its the right but I haven't been under there in a while. so I plan to replace it. i was hoping to get a rack with fewer turns lock to lock. any one here know where i can find a chart of the stock racks turning rate?

also car is a 92 legacy turbo wagon with 272,*** miles and a 5 speed swap
thanks in advance
Jeff

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Tue May 05, 2009 8:17 pm

Yo Jeff... it's Michael, formerly subyluvr2212.

You'd be surprised how many people think that camber isn't adjustable or that the top bolt isn't an eccentric bolt on these cars. I think they're looking for the bolt head to be offset, and not seeing that, assuming it's non-adjustable.

My understanding is that you can get -2.5º camber out of the stock eccentric bolts, so I'd say that will probably be enough.

As for the steering rack, I've dug into this a lot, and it turns out that the first-gen Legacies have the quickest rack of all the new-gen cars (16:1 I believe), the STi being the only exception (15:1).

So don't bother trying to find a quicker rack.

Get Whiteline steering rack bushings if you want improved steering feel. They work wonders.

jeffast · Post by **jeffast** » Tue May 05, 2009 8:47 pm

DerFahrer wrote:Yo Jeff... it's Michael, formerly subyluvr2212.

You'd be surprised how many people think that camber isn't adjustable or that the top bolt isn't an eccentric bolt on these cars. I think they're looking for the bolt head to be offset, and not seeing that, assuming it's non-adjustable.

My understanding is that you can get -2.5º camber out of the stock eccentric bolts, so I'd say that will probably be enough.

As for the steering rack, I've dug into this a lot, and it turns out that the first-gen Legacies have the quickest rack of all the new-gen cars (16:1 I believe), the STi being the only exception (15:1).

So don't bother trying to find a quicker rack.

Get Whiteline steering rack bushings if you want improved steering feel. They work wonders.

hi mike,
are you sure, not doubting your knowledge, but my impreza just felt like it turned faster, but if that is the case i guess i'll just get some poly bushing and a new legacy rack. as for the camber bolts, agree that i probably won't need the extra adjustment, but i just want it to be there.

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Tue May 05, 2009 9:15 pm

DerFahrer wrote: My understanding is that you can get -2.5º camber out of the stock eccentric bolts, so I'd say that will probably be enough.

-1.5 or so if you're lucky.

There should be some hash marks on the head of the bolt. If there aren't just order a stock camber bolt. The holes in the spindle and strut aren't the right shape to accept an aftermarket bolt.

Yes, finding another legacy rack would be your best bet. I've also heard they are the quickest. Not sure on the ratio, although I thought it was better than 16:1.

Imprezive · Post by **Imprezive** » Wed May 06, 2009 11:19 pm

I have a spare set of eccentric bolts form the rear, I think they are the same. If you want 'em let me know.

Also, +1 for only being able to get MAYBE -1.5 degrees of camber with the stock adjustment.

the impreza could have felt more responsive for multiple reasons (tires, alignment, difference in power steering etc....)

I've heard that any legacy rack up to '03 will fit, and I've also heard that only legacy racks up to '99 will fit (a fact that came directly from a suby recycle center, for what its worth)

jeffast · Post by **jeffast** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:35 am

ok, so for more camber i am gonna need camber plates. as far as racks go . I'm gonna assume that my imp was more responsive, because it was half the size. It just felt like it turned faster. I think if I can get my camber problem worked out the leggy will feel allot better, just getting it level made a huge difference for the rest of the race. i think i may have aq bent strut on that side as well so i am gonna replace both the fronts, and throw in a new rack along with some camber bolts and a fe other odds and ends like control arm bushings, and well see what happens. its gonna be a few weeks(read i am broke as hell) but i'll let you know what i find.
thank you all for your help advice and input

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:49 am

you can buy some plates, or use bolts, or slot the struts. In the front, slotting and aftermarket bolts should only be used in the lower holes.

It would be a good idea to make yourself some toe plates out of wood or something to get the wheels straight.

kimokalihi · Post by **kimokalihi** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:44 am

Imprezive wrote:I have a spare set of eccentric bolts form the rear, I think they are the same. If you want 'em let me know.

Also, +1 for only being able to get MAYBE -1.5 degrees of camber with the stock adjustment.

the impreza could have felt more responsive for multiple reasons (tires, alignment, difference in power steering etc....)

I've heard that any legacy rack up to '03 will fit, and I've also heard that only legacy racks up to '99 will fit (a fact that came directly from a suby recycle center, for what its worth)

I'm am almost positive they are NOT the same. I believe the top bolts in the front are 19mm and the rears are 14mm or maybe 17mm but I know they're not the same. I got some stock camber bolts from the front of a legacy at the junkyard and tried putting them in the rear struts of my car and that's when I found out that they were too big to fit in the rear holes.

By eccentric, you mean the camber adjustment bolts with the lobe on them? The rears do not even have those bolts. They have regular bolts. There's no camber adjustment in the rear.

kimokalihi · Post by **kimokalihi** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:49 am

I can tell from these pictures that the rear bolts are in fact 17mm and the aftermarket camber bolts for the rear were the 14mm bolts I was thinking about. The fronts are 19mm. The last picture is the stock non adjustable bolt alongside the aftermarket 14mm camber bolt.

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:57 pm

All the oem bolts are M14. The front adjustment bolt has a 16.5mm cam. Aftermarket bolts are M12 with a 14mm cam, and a tabbed washer as shown in the pictures to make up the gap between the shaft of the smaller bolt and the hole in the strut.

kimokalihi · Post by **kimokalihi** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:15 pm

Yeah you're right. I was talking about the bolt head sizes sorry. I think the bolt threads from the front camber bolt will fit in the rear but the cam Jamal is talking about does not fit into the hole in the rear because the hole isn't made oval like the front to fit the camber bolt.

jeffast · Post by **jeffast** » Fri May 08, 2009 12:38 am

does the smaller after market bolt allow for more camber, i understand that it will be significantly weaker

kimokalihi · Post by **kimokalihi** » Fri May 08, 2009 1:04 am

Yeah it does. I'm sure it's weaker. The quality sure isn't as good as the stock bolts. The stock bolt in the rear allows for no camber adjustment. The aftermarket one is like 1.75 degrees or something.

jeffast · Post by **jeffast** » Fri May 08, 2009 2:38 am

i was talking for the front, i know it was optional on the leggies but the rear of my car already has excentrics

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Fri May 08, 2009 6:05 am

what was optional?

I've done a lot of posting around here about alignments and camber bolts and stuff.

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Fri May 08, 2009 6:07 am

kimokalihi wrote:

Also, I'm not sure if this picture was taken sometime in the process of installation, but the tab on the washer should only be facing in or out.

jeffast · Post by **jeffast** » Fri May 08, 2009 6:29 pm

jamal wrote:what was optional?

I've done a lot of posting around here about alignments and camber bolts and stuff.

some legacies have the camber adjusment on eccentrics on the rear sub frame. it allows adjust toe as well as camber on the rear.

Post by **Legacy777** » Fri May 08, 2009 6:56 pm

jeffast wrote:
jamal wrote:what was optional?

I've done a lot of posting around here about alignments and camber bolts and stuff.
some legacies have the camber adjusment on eccentrics on the rear sub frame. it allows adjust toe as well as camber on the rear.

The rear only has toe adjustment. No camber.

jeffast · Post by **jeffast** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:12 pm

Legacy777 wrote:
jeffast wrote:
jamal wrote:what was optional?

I've done a lot of posting around here about alignments and camber bolts and stuff.
some legacies have the camber adjustment on eccentrics on the rear sub frame. it allows adjust toe as well as camber on the rear.
The rear only has toe adjustment. No camber.

really, i thought both of the bolts were eccentric allowing adjustment of both.
learn something new everyday

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i have a camber question, and a steering question

i have a camber question, and a steering question