Rear Suspension and Camber Compensator

On my IM I bit the bullet and purchased a set of Koni shocks.  Konis are adjustable, so I set the fronts at full soft and the backs at 3 out of 5 turns. 

Be careful about softening the rear suspension too much.  It could end up making your ride too 'mushy' and affect the handling. 

 

I know what you mean Ron.  I've had Koni shocks on other cars and they are a bit more but.....  Are there any particular ones for our cars with a specific range of motion etc? I hadn't thought about adjustable shocks until you mentioned it.
Thanks,
Frank

Removing the shocks entirely is not safe. Undamped suspension with the right road conditions will cause traction loss and potentially cause a crash.

 

If you have a CB Performance camber compensator (flat bar instead of bent, loops over the axles instead of unconnected rubber cushions) then yes, on a lowered car it could be pulling the axles down, increasing the rear spring rate (stiffer ride and raising the ride height a bit).

 

Swing axles will always have positive camber when the axles point down (like stock), but that also means your car isn't lowered too much in the rear, so don't worry about it.

I don't have a CB Performance camber comp.  I have one that attaches underneath the swing axles, has a metal strap that loops over and is bolted through underneath. The car is lowered and has positive camber when the suspension is settled meaning on the ground.  Would a photo help if I can get one?

Thanks,  Frank

 

Ron, 

do you have a Koni part # or supplier for the shocks you used.  What I found on a quick search was for muscle cars and such.  They were also about $250 US each.

Frank

Here's the link:  http://www.koni-na.com/cat_sea...puH2MQxKW6cMfUooG7jn

 

They're on sale. $182.25 per pair front and $182.25 per pair for the rear.

When I bought mine is 2005 I paid $258 per pair for the front and $258 per pair for the back.

$365 for all four is an awesome price.

Ron,

Thanks. That is a good price.  I almost pushed the button but wanted to ask you if they would work on a lowered car first.  As I recall your car is pretty low with the rims (Fuchs, right?) pushed way out to the outer edge on the rear.  Just wanted to be sure I wouldn't be hitting the bump stop on a more expensive shock.  My car sits 13 1/2 inches mounting eyelet to eyelet at rest uncompressed In the rear.

Thanks, Frank

Honestly, I don't know how they would work on a lowered car.  My IM is at the standard height.

Frank- The rear suspension may be adjusted and the ride height lowered, but as long as you haven't changed the upper and lower travel limits stock length shocks are what are required. You haven't removed the bump stops or modified the spring plates for more movement? 

Ron, 
Thanks for all of your help.  I think I'll try the Konis.

ALB,  I don't think so. I bought the car with a lot of mods on it that I'm still trying to figure out.  That's why all the questions.  I think I do have some adjustability in the rear( picture included) but not sure if it really is lower in the rear.

The pic tells a lot-

While you have adjustable spring plates to set the ride height, the car still has stock suspension travel; that hasn't changed, and that's why a stock length shock is the one to use. To add more travel up and/or down you'd have to remove the rubber bump stop (which stops the car from bottoming out and not in the pic, but bolted to the spring plate further back) and trim the spring plate to make it narrower where it hits the shelf it rests on (and on the top in the same place). This would allow greater total angle of movement (not recommended on a street car). I don't know how to draw on your pic to show you what I mean, and the kids aren't up yet (Cameron, my 10 year old will know) so I can't show you.  Al

ALB,

i know what you are getting at.  Mine doesn't have a rubber or any other piece bolted onto the spring plate further back.  Above there is a part that is sort of shaped like an upside down ice cream scoop that would land on something below if it were there.

on a related note, could you take a look at my camber compensator(pic. below). Anything set or adjusted incorrectly there?.

I would try mounting the outer ends of the leaf spring a hole down on the hangers; I would think that would stop it from preloading the suspension and lower the rear a touch. If that doesn't do any thing, maybe space the middle mount down a little bit? Or is that going the wrong way?

Good question.  I was thinking the same thing about stepping the bolts down a hole on the ends.  I was wondering, when the car is down, if the camber comp. is pulling down on the axles and restricting their travel enough to cause some positive camber by tying them together via the center mount. I was also thinking that maybe this could cause a pre-load on the suspension(torsion bars) with the axles down making the ride harsher even with the stock and low resistance stock shocks.  To the wrenches tomorrow.  Thanks, I appreciate your input very much!

After thinking about it some more I'm thinking that maybe the camber compensator (think of it as a leaf spring, because that's what it is) needs to be bent just a little more, to let the axles raise up a little bit and lower the car just that little bit more? A spring shop could do it. 

Flip it over?

You really don't want preload on your camber compensator as shown in your picture. Fitting one of that style with the straps will increase your spring rate regardless, but adding preload to the compensator will only serve to make the ride stiffer than it needs to be, it doesn't benefit you in any way. Also, because you have preloaded it in compression, it is less effective at resisting the wheel tuck the compensator was designed to prevent. That is, the preload makes it easier for the suspension to extend initially, and it won't start resisting that extension until it passes its unloaded neutral point.

 

Dropping the mounting bolt down one hole is a good first start, but if you can't or don't want to get the bar bent as Al suggested (see pictures of other versions of the camber compensator to see what he means) adding longer straps and taller end cushions are another way to remove the preload on it. That is, ideally, the bar would be flat when the car is sitting on it's wheels, not curved.

Exactly what I feel is happening.  This was installed when I got the car and I've been trying to sort out what's been done slowly but surely and most importantly why.  I understand the need for no preload and I think, on the ground at least, the car should be exhibiting some negative camber. I may have to contact CB and get a new one that is flat with pads. 

Does everyone else have a little negative camber when the suspension is at rest??

Thanks for the help,

Frank

You already have the style that CB sells. If you got one with the bent spring like http://vwparts.aircooled.net/V...mber-compensator.htm it might be closer, but you'd want to modify it to have straps over the axles like yours already has to get the added traction benefits.

 

I mentioned pads because if you lengthen the straps, you need something to take up the empty space between the compensator ends and the axle tubes.

 

The amount of camber your rear wheels have is based solely on your rear ride height. You just have to accept what camber you get after you set the height. (Unless you want to get into modifying trasmission mounting height which is a lot of work.)

Frank- I know this will sound like a little bit of work, but how does the car sit without the camber compensator installed? Might be good to work from a baseline? That way you could see if the cc is adding anything....

I see.  What other styles do folks have that are different from this one that might suit my purposes better?  Who sells a flat one that members are happy with??

I Ike that too Al.  I can take off the straps and the center point mount and drop the bar to see.  I can leave the transmission mount in place easy enough.  Good ideas from you two on this. Thank you. Maybe I can find another bar that
is already bent and goes into action only when cornering(what's supposed to happen anyway, right?).