GT2rainge

Is it ok to use the upper dog bones to adjust the camber on the rear.
My set up is Rs rear lower arms with shims and I have fitted locking plates to remove the eccentric bolt which I found kept moving.
I've got all the rss adjustable stuff, toe arms/ dog bones etc.
But my rear camber is just above 3 degrees on one side and just below 3 degrees on the other with the dog bones set to the same length as the stock upper arms.
My question is, is it fine to adjust the camber with the upper dog bones and how much can you adjust them without effecting the dynamics of the suspension as it travels up and down?
Also do you have to both arms on each side equal so not to upset anything?
I'm trying to get the camber to 2.4 both sides.
Any help and advice greatly appreciated.

Spyerx

NO!!! Every suspension guy I've talked to stated these need to be Oem length. I don't know why but something about it messes the geometry up, camber or toe steer or something.

Bernie930

Better find some new guys! Grand AM and RSR cars come with diff length links

tcsracing1

+1

I had someone who knows grand-am cars set up/align my Suspension and I love it!

Tom@TPC Racing

Adjusting the length of the dog bones alone will change the kinematic. Usually the change decreases cornering grip, unless the mechanic have the acquired experience for such an adjustment and knows exactly what he's doing. Otherwise the mechanic would serve his customer best by leaving the length stock. However, I would increase the length of the dog bones by the same amount that I increase the length of the lower control arms if I were looking to widen the track width without changing the kinematic.

In the recent years I have seen an increasing trend of people using adjustable dog bones to reduce rear camber and getting better "static" rear toe numbers on street cars with lowering springs or very low height coilovers. I guess if one were only looking to get better tire wear on a much lowered car with stock lower control arms and stock toe link then this approach is all fine and dandy.

OP- We don't know how many shims are on your RS rear lower control arms. If there are a lot of shims on them, say 10-15mm longer than stock, then it would be a good idea to lengthen the dog bones to 1) bring the kinematic closer to the stock range, and 2) get closer to the desired rear camber. It is my opinion that the portion of the increased length of the dog bones should not be greater than the portion of the increased length of the lower control arm.

Serge944

If this is a DIY, I would suggest to reduce the amount of shims, before playing with suspension link length. It is very easy to ruin the handling of your car. Ask me how I know?

I'm not saying there is no merit to adjusting the lengths, I'm saying it's not obvious for the backyard mechanic and requires a bit of setup experience.

Tom@TPC Racing

+1.

betonred

I went with oem lengths

cfjan

Tom,

How much track can you widen with adjustments on upper and lower links, before you run into problem w/ the axles length / CV joints? i.e., can the axle handle extending by a inch or so? (just curious)

Tom@TPC Racing

I am afraid there isn't a straight forward answer for your question because of variables such as ride height(which dictates the static angle of the axles), the total travel of the shocks and stiffness of the springs(which dictates the dynamic angle range). The cage for the axle ball bearings are slotted so there is some tolerance but one inch per side is definitely too much unless you have special longer axle shafts which some race teams pay $$$$$ for. Usually +5mm per side is safe. Keep in mind that there's compromise involved too; when the rear track is widen the axle life is usually somewhat reduced. On the pro race cars we get only so many service hours from an axle.