Solid Axle Camber Adjustment?

[atomicjoe23]

Can you adjust the camber on a solid axle?

If so, how? The only way I can think that you might be able to would be with a torch to heat the tubes and set it that way. . .seems like camber for a solid axle is something that once it's set that's what you've got.

Thanks!

[SPONSOR]

Membership in the largest desert racing community has its advantages - Participate in Forum Discussions - Send and Receive Private Messages - Maintain Public Photo Albums - Access to Groups - User Profile in our Social Network - Increased Access to more Sub Forums - Reduced Online Advertisements Join our community today

[Chris_Wilson]

It looks like they do this in nascar, guessing with some sort of ball splines on the axle / drive plate.

Does not sound like a good idea for dezert racing.

Of course if you are talking undriven solid axle camber, that's easy. Just look at my trailer axles after hauling a class 8 back from la paz.

[Moss2]

Can you adjust the camber on a solid axle?

If so, how? The only way I can think that you might be able to would be with a torch to heat the tubes and set it that way. . .seems like camber for a solid axle is something that once it's set that's what you've got.

Thanks!

They make tapered shims to go between the knuckle and spindle or some can use eccentric bushings on the upper balljoint.

Just realized you may be talking rear axles. For floaters they do make snouts with camber set in them but takes special axles /drive plates I think. Pretty hard on axles and splines in spool.

[3.4Toy]

I don't like the sound of tapered shim between knuckle and spindle. Because of the taper none of the nuts will be flush with the spindle, they will always be bitting into the side where the shim is thicker and not touching the other side (depending how much taper you might not actually see the gap). Think about what caster shims between axle and spring do to u-bolts.

I have seen eccentric kingpin bushings - personally i'd go that route

ohh and if you find your axle is not with-in factory camber specs it's most likely bent but probably already knew that

[atomicjoe23]

Thanks guys. . .I was thinking about all the articles on making your own axles (front or rear). None of the articles that have been popping up in the magazines lately have said much about camber and I know that the axle tubes would pull a little from the heat of welding. You put the axles in a jig, weld them up (skipping around to minimize the warpage) and then let them cool in the jig and they should be fairly straight. . .theoretically. I'm sure that you experiment a little and figure out that the axle is still warped a little one way or the other and you compensate with the jig so the axles end up where you want them. . .

. . .just got me to wondering what was done for camber on solid axles (front or rear) or if they are made with no camber. I guess asking whether solid axles are set-up with camber or not would have been a better way to phrase the question I was looking for an answer to.

Thanks again, though.

[3.4Toy]

In Herb Adams chassis engineering he mentions heating rear axle tubes to induce slight toe in. Also I think most solid axles generally have a 1/4 to 1/2 degree positive camber built into the knuckles.

I just did a quick search and found some f250 alignment specs.
Excursion F250 F350 4x4:

Caster:______Left + 3.5°____Right +3.5°____Tolerance +1.5°- +5.5°____Left to right split ideal 0° never more than 1°+/-

Camber:______Left + 0.25°____Right +0.25°____Tolerance -.75°- +1.25°____Left to right split ideal 0° never more than 1°+/-

Toe:_______Left 0°____Right 0°_____Tolerance 0°-0°_____Left to right variation .03° +/- .25°

Dogtracking: Maximum (Centerline of front tires compared to centerline of rear tires) 1.2" or 30mm

Clear Vision: (Steering Wheel Alignment) -0.4° ± 3°

also after a little more searching it seems the camber shims moss was talking about are not all that uncommon, still don't like the idea my self though.

[scottm]

Its common in stock car racing. You can get snouts with 1-2° built in from Coleman, Mosier, etc, that weld into the tubes for toe and/or caster. I think you have to use a special drive plate with more slop in it.

[Bro_Gill]

Set up a floater rear with an outboard CV joint on the end to handle the angle. Pretty simple really.

[gawdodirt]

Set up a floater rear with an outboard CV joint on the end to handle the angle. Pretty simple really.

Sure you could do it. But solid axles can already handle almost 1 deg of offset.

GD

[zippy7]

Or you can do it this way. This is from one of the Ultra 4 guys.
Before anyone says anything, the knuckles were not finished at the time the pictures were taken.