Camber adjustment (1 Viewer)

[jules781]

G'day everyone Julian from Australia. I had a wheel alignment done today on my 75 and I had +0°45' on the left hand front. So the guy tells me it's a little out of wack and I can put camber king pins bearings that's are offset. Now I'm due to do my swivel hubs as one is starting to seep and when I did it last time I just reused the shims which makes me think I shimmed it wrong. Could it be possible that wrong shims can cause camber and also looking at workshop manual it only says put shims on the top and my ute has shims on top and bottom. Could someone shed some light as I want to re do my hubs and I want it right.

 

[wedgetail]

a lot of people re use the shims, no harm in it. If you want to be correct get the tension right - shims don't ware out. I've found manuals are generous on tension specs, with no shims most cruisers can't get the tension the manual asks for. Shops round here suggest just "some" resistance...

But if you want to get camber correct, correcting king pin kits are the only way in a 75 and as you're rebuilding them might was well put them in.

 

[jules781]

Yes but I want it right who's to say the previous owner put shims in the wrong spot. Could that affect the camber if he put 2 thick on top and thin on bottom or would just affect preload

 

[wedgetail]

Not measurably, just pre load.

 

[jules781]

Ok so why do some say it centres the stub axle. I'm trying to work out what would cause such a bad camber before I put adjustment cones in

 

[Locked79]

Bad camber is either a manufacturing tolerance, bent housing or collapsed king pin bearings. Collapsed bearings and bent housings normally result in negative camber not positive like your experiencing. I'm 90% sure oem specs allow for up to 1* positive camber.

And as above, yes the shims allow the axle to be centered in the inner axle seal. This is if you have shims top and bottom. This will not change camber angles. On later models there are only shims on the top to set bearing preload.

 

[Locked79]

Your well within the oem spec of 1* +/- 45' min. Are you getting bad tyre wear?

 

[jules781]

Nuh havnt noticed yet as there new tyres. But I'm due to do my swivel hubs soon so want to do it right. What about bent stub axle could that cause it. Also if it's in spec why would the wheel alignment guy say it's bad. And just say if I had shims set up wrong my camber would remain the same

 

[jules781]

Also when shimming swivel hubs I'm going to get a spring gauge. Would any type of spring gauge do. Just say I have to add a couple of shims is it best to spread the shims out even between top and bottom or dosnt matter if there all on the top as I'm pretty sure it's not shimmed correctly as the previous owner was a real young bloke

 

[Locked79]

A bent stub axle from impact damage would result in negative camber. He is correct on the shimming, as this centers the knuckle to the housing and can not change the camber angle. The reason most people reuse the old shims is because you can not get the alignment correct without the correct sst from toyota.
See link http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjDuPWKtKnPAhUGkpQKHS4gCcIQFggaMAA&url=https://www.marlincrawler.com/hardware-tools/tools/knuckle-alignment-tool&usg=AFQjCNHXxMRtmeuo-GaUAp5WzrlUP6zOYA&sig2=78JY18WTCOrxnyqhJNlnrg

Any spring gauge will do, but if you don't get the knuckle height right, you will have leaking axle seals and possible binding.

An fyi on camber

 

[jules781]

Ok so when shimming them using a spring gauge do I space out the shims even. Just say it requires 2 thin ones do I put one on top and one on bottom

 

[Locked79]

You won't know where to remove shims without the knuckle aligment tool. Being that the inner axle seal has some (a little) room for misalignment, just keep the shims even top and bottom. It's not the correct way, but it's what most mechanics do if they haven't got the correct SST (special service tool). Its up to you, try it and rotate everything by hand to check for binding. If you have no binding or oil leaks, call it a day.

 

[jules781]

Ok sweet np. Well least mind is at ease that it won't affect the camber on the wheels