Rep Power: 268

A while ago I researched camber settings on this forum and found some good info from someone with a similar setup as mine (KYB AGX with Eibach springs and 205-60R15 tires). The other user had a camber setting of -1.2 front and -.75 rear. I have been using this spec for years now with different tires and have been happy. This past set of tires I had other issues to deal with and did not rotate as I should have. When I finally got the front tires replaced, the interior was dead bald, the center of the tire was very worn, and the exterior still had some tread. I was thinking bad camber and got an alignment. The starting specs were -1 camber and -.02 toe for left and -1.6 camber and -.12 toe for right. The left was close to set spec, but the right was a bit out. Yet both tires "looked" the same, or very similar. I have always heard toe eats tires faster than camber, but the inner wear is from camber.

So did my fronts get eaten because of the camber, or because of lack of rotating? I would guess rotating to the rear with less camber would help reduce inner wear, but the inner will still wear quicker than the outer. Should I reduce camber to save the tires? I live in TN and truly enjoy the curvy roads, so the camber is a benefit for daily driving. It's just with the price of tires going up, they need to last at least a while.

And when did the price of tires get so high? I was going to get a set of Falken tires this past time and they were over $100 each. For $100 a tire, I'm going Michelin. But of course Michelin discontinued everything and I ended up with the Pilot Exalto. I had already purchased the tires before I found they are the stock tires for new Civics. Well, now I'm stuck with them for a while.

So in a nutshell: Should I reduce camber? Is there a good decently priced tire out there?

 
Rep Power: 367

this is from me other thread, but i think this applyes to your case.
So, start checking your bushings, etc, etc. Could be anything going wrong. Especially if it was working before but not anymore. something on your car is not straight anymore.

 
Rep Power: 268

Thanks sdaidoji. Last summer I had an incident that led to replacing front hub bearings and LCA bushings, and the camber bolts. Since the fronts only have the camber bolt, I don't see how there could be any damage similar to your Miata's bolt. I am hoping it was just a "too long with no rotation and alignment" problem, but jsut don;t want to keep eating tires.

And dirty red, search button is your best friend...

 
Rep Power: 367

the bolts on the miata are just examples. civic case could be worn bushings (likely) or other stuff worn or damaged, so recommend taking stuff apart once (not as much work as my miata, actually ) and inspecting them. Could even be bent arms. Mine arms i had one cracked
Yeah, i know, lazlong, here it goes for the 4th time!


Again, it could be anything wrong in the suspension.

so check the ball joints and other stuff too,even the top mounts... like i said, took some years until i found out the real culkprit, because i never took the arms out at this level before. I had more time since my tires were wearing normally, though.

Mods, thanks for the quick response on the third unruly member that invaded here

 
Rep Power: 367

ah, tire prices have been going up 3 or 4 times a year... supplier prices (they are mostly foreigner suppliers...and dollar falling, including debit ceilings to help...)

 
Rep Power: 294

I'm currently running close to -2 degrees front static camber with 0 toe. I wear pretty evenly across the tire. The movement of front suspension (and dynamic camber encountered with driving) is vastly different than the rears.

IMO, it is more likely to get inner tire wear from running with worn front rubber bushings (dynamic toe out would cause a "more even" wear rate, than your mismatched static toe would lead you to believe). My old alignment guy used to dial in less camber and toe on the driver's side to compensate for my weight.

Worn struts could also contribute. How's you damping?

Dial the toe to 1/16 or 1/32" inwards, (I don't know the measurements in degrees). This setting should zero out while driving. Does your car pull? Toe in reduces any wandering and/or pull.

As Sdaidoji said. Give your suspension a once over, it never hurts.

 
Rep Power: 352

you can run up to -3 degrees before drastically reducing tire wear.

 
Rep Power: 268

I would love to take a weekend to dismantle the suspension, but I already have too many ***** in the air. My repalcement tranny is split open awaiting new bearings, I am diagnosing a probable head gasket leak, my A/C clutch flew off and needs to be replaced, throw in a wife and kids and the suspension takes a back seat. But as I said, everything except the struts are new as of last summer. When I pulled the LCAs they matched up so one is not bent (at least any more than the other one...).

If up to -3 is relatively acceptable, then I guess I will keep the -1.2F and -.75R settings and be more diligent on alignments and rotating. Hopefully the tires will thank me in the end.

On a side note, when I got the alignment this past time I didn't take my settings with me. I stood there at the counter and remembered the -1.2 and -.75. Sadly I gave them backwards, so I am now riding with -.75F and -1.2R. Let's just say there is a big difference. I looked last night at the specs and realized they were backwards, and gave myslef a big slap on the forehead! The corners are sloppy and it feels like it is pushing more. I am hoping realigning with correct specs will take it back to normal at least. I still think the sidewalls of the Exaltos are too soft and allow too much bodyroll.