Simplest and easiest way to change rear camber angle

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Frederic Prince
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Simplest and easiest way to change rear camber angle

#1 Post by Frederic Prince »

Hi folks ;)
Can someone explain a DIY easy way to change the rear camber angle ?

Do I have to only unbolt the arm from the axle tub so I can extract the arm enough to change both side of torsion bar ?

In fact, the car is actually a bit too high, and the camber angle is positive.

thanks
fred ;)©
1991 - 1993 - 2,7 Targa
2004 - 2013 - 993 Targa
2015 - 2016 3,2 Targa '84
2008...356 roadster T5 S90
2013...2,4 E 72 Sunroof under restoration
2016...3,2 Targa '86
2018...3,2 Speedster '89

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Mike Smith
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Rear Camber Angles

#2 Post by Mike Smith »

See what the guys say Fred - but I will talk you throught it, if you want me to

Parcel going off to you tomorrow with examples of Studs and also Steering Box Peg - full explanation in the bag
Mike Smith (Essex - UK)

Brad K

#3 Post by Brad K »

my understanding is that the rear camber angle will decrease, the lower the rear of the car is lowered - how to do that though is known not to me, but my mechanic! - hope this helps - brad in seattle

Jack Staggs
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#4 Post by Jack Staggs »

Mike Smith; Do you have more of the steering pegs? What is the cost? Are they original ZF? Remachined?

Guest

Simplest and easiest way to change rear camber angle

#5 Post by Guest »

Frederic,
The rear end camber and height are tied together. Since the
rear suspension being of a swing axle design the height of
the suspension dictates the rear camber. As you lower the
rear the more it moves to negative camber. There no easy way
there is only one way and it is to reset the rear higher or
lower. It does take some special measuring devices and some
experience with the rear system. My advice is to take it to
someone who has done it before.

Alan

Frederic Prince wrote:
Hi folks Wink
Can someone explain a DIY easy way to change the rear camber angle ?

Do I have to only unbolt the arm from the axle tub so I can extract the
arm enough to change both side of torsion bar ?

In fact, the car is actually a bit too high, and the camber angle is
positive.

thanks
fred Wink©


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Jing Pong
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#6 Post by Jing Pong »

The easy way; add weight to the rear end.

The slightly harder way, undo your rear brakes (you don't have to unhook the lines), just the bolts holding the axle to the swing arm. Move away from swing arm.

Undo the torsion cover. Mark position of splines. Remove swing arm (careful of tension!). Raise it up 1 notch. Replace bolts.

It's super easy to do on VW's and takes about 1 hour (max) a side. You can adjust the outer splines (gross), or inner ones (fine). The 356 has the exact same setup. I can do it perfectly every time without any measuring devices, just a simple marker.
1965 356

David Rennie
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camber angle

#7 Post by David Rennie »

I managed to get this down to 35mins per side and used a DIY store ruler that has an adjustable angle spirit level bubble thing.
David Rennie

Guest

Simplest and easiest way to change rear camber angle

#8 Post by Guest »

Jingh,
The problem with just moving it one notch is that is about,
depending on if you use outer or inner notches, it that
results in a height change of about 2+ inches or more.

Alan

Jing Pong wrote:
The easy way; add weight to the rear end.

The slightly harder way, undo your rear brakes (you don't have to unhook
the lines), just the bolts holding the axle to the swing arm. Move away
from swing arm.

Undo the torsion cover. Mark position of splines. Remove swing arm
(careful of tension!). Raise it up 1 notch. Replace bolts.

It's super easy to do on VW's and takes about 1 hour (max) a side. You
can adjust the outer splines (gross), or inner ones (fine). The 356 has
the exact same setup.


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Jack Staggs
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#9 Post by Jack Staggs »

Right on Alan. I was thinking Ping's method of 1 outer notch would result in a difference near 3"!!!

Jing Pong
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#10 Post by Jing Pong »

If you read carefully you can also do minor adjustments with the inner splines.

One outer notch is not a 3" drop.
1965 356

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Tom Farnam
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#11 Post by Tom Farnam »

Jing, reading from the Porsche Factory B/C Workshop Manual (page R74 for B, SR33 for C) you will see the inner end of the torsion bar has 40 splines, the outer has 44 splines.
When the inner end of the torsion bar is advanced one spline it turns 9 degrees. When the radius arm is moved one spline it gives a change of 8 degrees 10 minutes. As a result, the minimum adjustment of the radius arm is 0 degrees 50 minutes.
To say it another way - don't try doing this without the manual and a protractor.

If Frederic (who started this thread) would like pdf copies of those two pages, I'll be glad to provide them. However, he really might want to seriously consider buying a Workshop Manual for his car.

Tom
Tom Farnam C356C Reg. #450
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Frederic Prince
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#12 Post by Frederic Prince »

Hi,
Tom, I already have the workshop manual, but actually moving my garage so is under tons of parts/paper.
thanks to all
fred ;)
1991 - 1993 - 2,7 Targa
2004 - 2013 - 993 Targa
2015 - 2016 3,2 Targa '84
2008...356 roadster T5 S90
2013...2,4 E 72 Sunroof under restoration
2016...3,2 Targa '86
2018...3,2 Speedster '89

Rick Woltz
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Simplest and easiest way to change rear camber angle

#13 Post by Rick Woltz »

The easiest way to increase the negative camber is to put rims with wider
offset and or spacers behind the rims. The further away from the center of
the car increases the lever action on the axle. I had too much negative
camber when I put 5 1/2" rims on my B Coupe.
Rick

-----Original Message-----
From: Frederic Prince [mailto:repoussage@free.fr]
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 11:38 AM
To: 356talk@356registry.com
Subject: [356Talk] Simplest and easiest way to change rear camber angle

Hi folks ;)
Can someone explain a DIY easy way to change the rear camber angle ?

Do I have to only unbolt the arm from the axle tub so I can extract the arm
enough to change both side of torsion bar ?

In fact, the car is actually a bit too high, and the camber angle is
positive.

thanks
fred ;)C

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993 targa ocean blue/black 1997
356 Roadster 87705, thanks to THE list




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john fletcher
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rear camber

#14 Post by john fletcher »

Hello Fred,
Not sure whether you've had the answer you wanted.
You really need a Workshop Manual because the information on setting the rear camber is very clear. It will take you the best part of a day and you may sweat a bit. You could also get your golfing slacks dirty.
I noticed suggestions of putting weight in the car or fitting wide wheels but frankly that is just silly.
The rear torsion bar set-up is quite clever (just like a VW). You can get very precise adjustment because the outer end has 44 splines and the inner 40. By moving clockwise at one end and anticlockwise at the other the radius arm can move in increments of 0.818 of a degree which correspond to change of only 6mm in ride height at the wheel arch. You can do the sum yourself but that's what you get with a radius arm of 420mm. Or another way of thinking about it is if you move the outer on its own you will get a 66mm change in height and moving the inner in reverse gives a 60mm reduction. Furthermore because you deal with each side of the car separately the final variation in height from side to side is never worse than 3mm (half of 6mm) - amazing.
It does not matter which model of car, A,B or C you are dealing with (there are three different diameters of bar) the incremental change is always 6mm in height.
You might now ask what has this got to do with the camber? Well if you follow the settings in the manual using a simple pendulum protractor (or modern digital angle gauge) to hang on the radius arm you will end up with the factory camber setting of zero to - 1.5 degree. If you want a little more negative camber to look "racey" then just move the arm one more "increment".
However it is worth remembering that the Porsche engineers at the time could thrash the arse off these cars along autobahns and up and down the Alps and they arrived at their setting for good reason.
Best of luck.

John Fletcher

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Frederic Prince
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#15 Post by Frederic Prince »

thanks john for the explanation, very clear and things I already know about the degree, but didn't know the relation between angle and heigh (didn't know the length of the radius arm).

I know that Porsche did 0 to minus 1,5 ° for the camber angle (wich is not a "racey look"), as my mechanic told me.
But when I go reverse, the wheels come with such a negative angle that is not nice seing, and the car is a bit too high for my eyes, that's why I want to lower it a bit, so camber angle will be more "racey".

And in fact I wanted to know if just unbolting the arm from the axle tub will bo ok to release the arm to change that heigth.
thanks
fred ;)
1991 - 1993 - 2,7 Targa
2004 - 2013 - 993 Targa
2015 - 2016 3,2 Targa '84
2008...356 roadster T5 S90
2013...2,4 E 72 Sunroof under restoration
2016...3,2 Targa '86
2018...3,2 Speedster '89

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