94 vtec suspension help! Lowered and eating tires! - Honda Prelude Forum

twisted954rr · 05-25-2009, 03:51 PM

Okay so I bought this car from a kid already lowered...looks to be 1.5 to 2 inches via a koni adjustable shock/spring setup...the issue is the car eats tires like no other...specially in the the front. I am new to the whole dropped car thing but i like the way the car handles so i would prefer to leave the drop as it is. What is the way to adjust camber? I keep getting conflicting reports online here. Do i get a adjustable camber kit? which one? there are so many types and companies I just dont know? Some people have said you dont need a camber kit, jut get the car to a good alignment shop...again, please...someone shed some light on this confusing topic for me! thanks!

jsmooney · 05-25-2009, 04:28 PM

as far as I know....if you have it aligned and the toe corrected, it wont wear that much more than normal. the best thing is to get some camber kits. i have heard that ingalls is the best....but who knows. get the toe corrected and you should be fine. it is adjusted via the front outer tie rods - simple to do, but no one has a spare alignment machine they can use/borrow

petern101 · 05-25-2009, 06:23 PM

1. That drop isn't too crazy but is pretty aggressive.

2. Get an alignment. I don't know why you didn't do the the minute you installed it because you are taking apart the suspension and putting it back.

3. Toe has a great effect on tires than camber. FYI I have -2.5 camber and my tires do wear unevenly but after TWO years. So yes it will wear more if you have more camber but not at the rate you're talking about.

skyyskyy · 05-25-2009, 07:22 PM

2. he didnt install the suspension it came like that, he is asking advice on camber kits. Twisted i would go to a shop and have them take a look they should be able to tell you if it needs a camber kit or just a good alignment, good luck.

rayslude · 05-25-2009, 07:26 PM

ingalls camber kit and alignment, just do it

twisted954rr · 05-26-2009, 12:07 AM

im tending to lean towards getting the ingalls myself...are we talking the adjustable upper ball joint units? While I was researching, that seemed to be the direction i was leaning...glad to hear that it might be the good route.

And yeah, I didnt install the kit, I purchased the car with it already installed...i dont even know the rate of wear from first experience but by judging the wear pattern on the tires...ie 70 percent tread left on outside to about 1 1/2 inches inside with the last extreme inside completely down to threads, well I know enough from experience to know that this is the result of camber...the handling characteristics are more akin to camber than improper toe as is the physical evidence. Thanks much for the advice everyone!

minilogoguy18 · 05-26-2009, 12:35 AM

You're gonna also need rear toe links that are adjustable, the toe wears the tires more than the camber.

twisted954rr · 05-28-2009, 01:23 AM

hey as long as i have everyone here...is there any real advantage to the upper ball joint camber adjustment kit or the lower wishbone type? I would like to save some money as much as possible, but if i need to spend the cash, i would be happy...i would just like some input as i could save a hundred or more going the lower wishbone style rather than the upper ball joint...if it is vastly supperior, then i guess i would be happy to go that route, but if anyone thinks the lower is just as good or at least close enough to not warrant the extra cost, then i would love to hear that too...thanks for any information!

twisted954rr · 05-30-2009, 02:02 AM

lol...nobody must know

minilogoguy18 · 05-30-2009, 10:36 AM

Lower wishbone?
I know other than the ball joint type there's the ones that replace the brackets for the control arm that have sliders but they can be hard to adjust because of where they are located. Get the ball joint ones, what I did though for the rear since it still had a lot of negative camber was I got the sliding brackets so that I could return the rear alignment to only slightly negative. The main thing is the rear toe links though for the tire wear.

Kronn 98SH · 05-31-2009, 03:08 PM

I recommend everyone stop discussing adjustable suspension parts until the OP goes and actually gets a damn alignment.

Kronn 98SH · 06-01-2009, 03:14 AM

Listen child, that's no way to get help from your elders.

petern101 · 06-01-2009, 01:25 PM

FYI any name calling will not be tolerated.

vtecprelly · 06-01-2009, 07:13 PM

wheres it wearing the tyres? how wide are your wheels? have your guards been rolled... i would have thought all these would be the first questions to be asked. also are you scrubbing out?