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All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - Robvwpolo

I am conducting a market survey, to gain information about what are the most desirable qualities in a camber gauge. I will be designing and building a new camber gauge product in December.

What are the most important elements in a do it yourself camber gauge, to you? Materials, Cost, Warrenty, manual or electric dial gauge, e.t.c.

Thank you!

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - RT

Needs the ability to interrogate a database from vehicle's registration number to get the vehicle specific information - to compare actual with specification and tolerance.

Needs to work in conjuction with Toe and Castor gauges, like Hunter alignment equipment.

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - Robvwpolo

Thank you for your reply was helpful. As far as I'm aware though most of the 'do it yourself', mobile camber/castor gauge's don't have that ability? The majorty that I've found on the internet anyhow.

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - bathtub tom

I don't recall ever owning a car with adjustable camber and castor angles. I've only been driving for fifty years!

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - Robvwpolo

A lot of cars have them now as far as I'm aware. Mk 1 and 2 golf do anyway.

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - RT

Thank you for your reply was helpful. As far as I'm aware though most of the 'do it yourself', mobile camber/castor gauge's don't have that ability? The majorty that I've found on the internet anyhow.

To be honest, I find a tape measure good enough to set toe-in and check the camber by eye.

Anything more than that, I'd pay to get full laser alignment done because any adjustment often affects more than one axis.

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - Sofa Spud

Although tracking is readily adjustable, I thought castor and camber angle are built-in attributes of the front suspension and can only vary as a result of damage, serious wear or modification with non-standard components.

Given that a lot of modern cars with semi-independent torsion beam REAR suspension display an alarming amount of negative camber on the BACK WHEELS as they age, often varying between each side of the car, minor inaccuracies at the front end are probably inconsequential!

Edited by Sofa Spud on 04/10/2015 at 12:15

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - Wackyracer

The first car I can remember working on with the ability to set the camber was a 1980's Audi. where the lower ball joint was bolted to the lower wishbone with slotted holes.

I have a spirit level with an adjustable bubble marked in degrees, that's good enough for me to do a DIY check of camber.

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - RT

Cars with "multi-link" rear suspension often have adjustment - my Santa Fe could have all three rear axes adjusted but the front could only have toe adjusted as it was strut type.

Even strut types can be adjusted with aftermarket eccentric bolts, and often need to be with lowered suspension.

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - martint123

Loads of eccentric bolts f and r on an MX5. Plenty to get wrong ;)

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - gordonbennet

Loads of eccentric bolts f and r on an MX5. Plenty to get wrong ;)

Yes its surprising how often you come across eccentric bolts on all makes, one of the reasons i always mark the head of the bolt and the part it butts up to before dismantling any through bolts, such as McPherson struts bolted to hub carriers.

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - Wackyracer

Loads of eccentric bolts f and r on an MX5. Plenty to get wrong ;)

Yes its surprising how often you come across eccentric bolts on all makes, one of the reasons i always mark the head of the bolt and the part it butts up to before dismantling any through bolts, such as McPherson struts bolted to hub carriers.

That is the reason why I keep a bottle of tippex in the garage!

All cars - Do it yourself Camber/Castor Gauges. - dadbif
Spot on, my Mk1 Mx5 has graduations on the suspension arms as reference points, properly engineered...just avoid the damned potholes!