Help with camber alignment after 3" lift

[Paddo]

Hi all,

I installed my Toytec/Eibach (P/N TTHA-9602) lift yesterday, along with SPC Upper Control Arms (P/N 25460). It's supposed to provide 3" of lift over stock, but was actually a lot more than that with my 18-year-old saggy coils and shocks. It looks great and rides great now.

However, the camber on both front tires was visibly positive (top leaning away from vehicle). I adjusted the ball joints in the UCAs all the way inward toward the vehicle, and it was still too positive. I have the caster adjustment set at the default +2.0 setting on the UCAs.

Today I took it to Firestone (one of the few places open on Sunday) to get the alignment done. The tech there wasn't able to get the camber below 2.2 by only adjusting the lower control arm eccentric bolts. He said I would have to adjust the UCA and bring it back in.

My question, though, is if I already have the UCA set at the lowest camber setting, what can I do? Do I need to adjust the caster down, or does that make a difference? I'm hoping someone has specific experience with these UCAs or knows a lot more about alignment geometry than I do.

Any help is much appreciated as this is my daily driver.

 

[Paddo]

Here's the instructions from SPC on installing/adjusting the UCAs: http://www.spcalignment.com/instructions/25460-INS_WEB.pdf

I have the Caster setting at the default "D" location, and the camber should be as negative as possible (I think) because I have the ball joint slid as far toward the vehicle as it will go.

My numbers are pretty bad still for camber - overall I'd like to lose about 2 degrees of camber, but I could probably live with subtracting 1.5. When looking at the vehicle head-on, the tires are visibly not contacting the ground as well on the inside.

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

Here's the instructions from SPC on installing/adjusting the UCAs: http://www.spcalignment.com/instructions/25460-INS_WEB.pdf

I have the Caster setting at the default "D" location, and the camber should be as negative as possible (I think) because I have the ball joint slid as far toward the vehicle as it will go.

My numbers are pretty bad still for camber - overall I'd like to lose about 2 degrees of camber, but I could probably live with subtracting 1.5. When looking at the vehicle head-on, the tires are visibly not contacting the ground as well on the inside.

Many people have 3" lift WITH SPC UCAs (myself included) and have no problem getting the camber/caster in spec. I too am set at the "D" setting. Need more information and pictures. What is your Caster reading right now? If you could post a pic of you alignment sheet that would greatly help. Also some pics of your truck as it sits now. And to really hone it down, the current position of all 4 of your LCA eccentrics. Pics also work here

 

[rkntoy]

I'm at G setting on mine. Make sure your alignment guy understands this part of the SPC instructions:

" if caster is set for max positive by OEM lower cams, and final
alignment achieved with SPC upper ball joint setting,
more tire clearance may be obtained at rear of wheel
opening."

If you are on D and have a good alignment guy you should have no problems.

 

[Coward]

Many people have 3" lift WITH SPC UCAs (myself included) and have no problem getting the camber/caster in spec. I too am set at the "D" setting. Need more information and pictures. What is your Caster reading right now? If you could post a pic of you alignment sheet that would greatly help. Also some pics of your truck as it sits now. And to really hone it down, the current position of all 4 of your LCA eccentrics. Pics also work here

I second that. On mine before I aligned it. I had UBJ on the 'D" setting and as far out as it will go with a socket on it. And the LCA bolts were all in the neutral position. At that point it should only need minor adjustment of the LCA bolts to get it right.

 

[JayRolla]

I want to see a picture of your front lift. You should have more than enough space to adjust camber at the spc ucas. I feel you have too much front lift putting you way out of spec.

In my experience you want to max out the lower control arm bolts to get as much caster forward. The eyeball camber with uca bolt. Then the.alignment tech makes minor adjustments.

 

[phattyduck]

I want to see a picture of your front lift.

Along those lines - a measurement of the center of the hub to the fender lip will also let us know what your 'actual' lift is. (should be ~23" for a 3" lift)

Get under the truck and do your own visual alignment. You should be able to get it close. Start by moving the rear cam all the way 'out' and the front cam all the way 'in' and then adjust from there. This will also make sure both can move freely. The toe will probably be way off after all the lift/work, so aim those straight (steering wheel straight) so they are in line with the rear tires. If you have a good eye, you can get it to the point where the alignment tech only has to do fairly minor adjustments, as JayRolla said.

-Charlie

 

[Paddo]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm at work right now so I don't know how much more info I can provide, and won't have much time to get under the car and get pictures of the eccentrics. I'm going to call the tech today and ask him what he did with the eccentrics. I think part of the problem is that Firestone would only adjust the LCA cams and not anything on the UCA.

Here are pictures of the spec sheet, the wheel from the front, and the top ball joint camber adjustment.

 

[Coward]

You will want to move that top nut all the way in the other direction. You have it maxed and therefore the lower adjustment is probably maxed as well. Did your alignment guy refuse to adjust the top for you? Again, I would move it the other way as far as a socket will allow and torque it properly and have them re-align it.

 

[Paddo]

I need to move the top ball joint nut away from the vehicle to lower my camber? That seems backwards to me, but unfortunately the SPC directions didn't say which direction was positive/negative. The alignment tech did not want to touch the UCA, even though I provided him with the instruction sheet.

 

[4-Ripcord]

turn the ball joint around, its backwards.

 

[Coward]

I need to move the top ball joint nut away from the vehicle to lower my camber? That seems backwards to me, but unfortunately the SPC directions didn't say which direction was positive/negative. The alignment tech did not want to touch the UCA, even though I provided him with the instruction sheet.

Studied your picture a little more. It looks like you have the UBJ mounted 180 degrees out. The flat portion should face OUT as indicated in the picture for setting "D". If I am right then that explains why it is so badly positive. And yes simply moving the UBJ further out at the top will only make your problem worse.

Spin that UBJ around 180 degrees and adjust it out as far as a socket will allow, make the lower cams all neutral and it will be easy for your alignment guy to correct. What size tires do you have? The other guys mentioned maxing the cams has a lot to do with caster but also tire clearance for bigger tires.

 

[phattyduck]

I need to move the top ball joint nut away from the vehicle to lower my camber? That seems backwards to me, but unfortunately the SPC directions didn't say which direction was positive/negative. The alignment tech did not want to touch the UCA, even though I provided him with the instruction sheet.

Kinda. You need to move the top *ball joint* as far inward as possible. Where the nut is comes secondary to that...

-Charlie

 

[Paddo]

turn the ball joint around, its backwards.

You and Coward are right. I don't know how I missed this the first time around. I called SPC too and the tech knew immediately what I had done wrong. I'm guessing I'm not the first one to make that mistake.

I'll turn that ball joint around tonight and get it back to the shop tomorrow.

I guess I need to be better at :rtfm:.

 

[4-Ripcord]

Yeah it's pretty common mistake, some of their other applications for those type of ball joints do have it facing that direction.

 

[Paddo]

Yeah it's pretty common mistake, some of their other applications for those type of ball joints do have it facing that direction.

In my defense I was pretty tired by the time I got to this point in the installation. Anyway, thanks for all the help, everyone! I'll let you know if I still have problems after tomorrow.

 

[Paddo]

Installing the ball joints correctly helps immensely. Here are the numbers after the alignment today.

 

[phattyduck]

Installing the ball joints correctly helps immensely. Here are the numbers after the alignment today.

You aren't going to get much better than that!

-Charlie