Here [right] we have a tire that was lowered aggressively and the car was not aligned and has a raw toe setting. Look how aggressively the tire has worn on the inside edge, so much so that the cords are even showing. This wear is caused by toe angle. The direction of wear here is dramatically different than a camber-worn tire. This type of wear will kill a brand new set of tires in a matter of months.
So why does the wear happen? Simply put, the toe-in condition coupled with positive caster and negative camber, will concentrate all of the tire wear on the very inside edge of the tires. In a straight line the tires should just roll with minimal wear. The perfect storm of misalignments induces a wear when going straight, and so the inside edges wear out very fast. Simply adjusting the toe will resolve 90 percent or so of the issue.
Oftentimes, people will lower their cars and fail to align them when they don't feel any pull. This dramatic wear pattern results and the users tend to blame it on camber. The timeline continues when the customer buys a camber kit, installs it, aligns the car and the wear goes away. Must have been the camber causing the wear, right? It was the toe being adjusted during the alignment that stopped the wear. The camber kit only marginally helped improve tire life.
Camber arms are designed specifically...
Camber arms are designed specifically for different cars. These Cusco upper arms adjust camber on RA Odysseys.
In fact, the added camber actually makes the car handle better when driven harder. In a car that is driven aggressively (onramp bombers, we're talking to you) one would actually notice outer tire wear and reduced traction if camber were at the zero setting. With negative camber in place, aggressive drivers will notice an even wear pattern, rather than inner or outer wear.
Our general recommendation is that the car should be lowered to your desired height then given a proper alignment to adjust the toe. The conscientious user should then monitor the tires and rotate them frequently to raise awareness of tire conditions. If drastic wear patterns develop it can be caught and fixed long before they need to be replaced.
If camber kits are not necessary why are there so many available? The fact is camber kits need to be available to those who actually need them. The finer a car is tuned, the more control a driver will want to have over alignment settings. Adjustability is the key to getting dialed in. Individuals using very expensive oversized wheel/tire combinations generally strive to get every last mile out of them before replacement is needed. Fixing the camber is the only way to ensure a completely even wear on a car built for cruising.
This upper control arm has...
This upper control arm has an adjustable ball joint mount. Care should be taken to opt for an arm with a high quality ball joint, such as this Ingalls unit.
When a car is lowered and the camber goes negative, the contact patch is compromised when it goes straight. Obviously this is bad for you drag racers and you'd want to maximize your contact patch by fixing the camber.
Negative camber is visually apparent from outside of the car. This is a big deal to some people and it is a look that is not always desired. This is particularly true of the Accord, TSX and TL crowd where the aim of lowering is to reduce tire gap, and unwanted camber angle is unsightly. The need for a camber fixing solution is clear.
Caution should be taken to opt for the best quality camber kits as well. Some units will replace factory Honda bushings or ball joints with aftermarket adjustable units. There has not been a comparable consistency in life or quality from aftermarket items with factory pieces here. Expect that installing a camber kit on your car may not be a permanent solution and that the replacement of a part may be due sooner than you expect.
There are many reasons to modify your car. Performance, appearance, personal satisfaction and pride of ownership all come to mind. With all the factors that need to be considered when designing a car, shouldn't at least some of this knowledge be present when modifying it? Our goal is to ensure that educated choices are made when choosing the products to put on their cars.