How to install camber shims?

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70spider
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:05 pm
Your car is a: 1970 Fiat spider
Location: N.E. New Mexico

How to install camber shims?

Post by 70spider »

Hello, I finally finished getting the front end together and need to get it to the aleignment shop. The problem is I live 18 miles away and I feel the car has to much positive camber to drive it. So, I thought I could ballpark it, get it drivable, by getting some shims and putting them in. Does anyone know how to do this at home? It looks straight foward but what I have learned over the past year is not much is straight forward when comes to my Pesto :wink: .
1970 Fiat Spider 124 Sport aka "Pesto"
2002 Mazda Protege5
2013 Buddy 170i
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azruss
Posts: 3659
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 12:24 pm
Your car is a: 80 Fiat 2000 FI

Re: How to install camber shims?

Post by azruss »

This can be done at home. Do you still have your old shims? You can loosen the nuts that hold the bottom A-arm to the crossmember. Pry open the space with a hefty screwdriver or a pry bar and insert the shims and retighten. You can use a framing square on a nice flat floor and measure the distance from the top of the rim and bottom of the rim to calculate how much shim you need. I have seen fastener places carry shims for gm cars and such. They used them to align body panels.
User avatar
70spider
Posts: 676
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:05 pm
Your car is a: 1970 Fiat spider
Location: N.E. New Mexico

Re: How to install camber shims?

Post by 70spider »

I like your explanation on how to shim it, alot better than what I found from automotiverepairguide:
"CAMBER
Model 124 - If camber is not within specifications, adjust by changing shims. Raise front of vehicle, remove wheel and shock absorber. Using suitable tool (A.74174), compress spring to relieve lower control arm and loosen nuts holding control arm pivot bar to crossmember. To increase camber, remove equal amount of shims from both studs and add equal amount of shims to decrease camber. NOTE - Adding or removing equal amounts of shims will not affect caster. Reverse removal procedure and check camber."
Do you still have your old shims?
When I took it apart only the driver side had 1 shim, about 1mm on the front nut, thats it. I found these http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/shop_ ... t/124.html
I think these will work plus $20 and getting it drivable is alot cheaper than a $110 tow.
Thanks for the help.
1970 Fiat Spider 124 Sport aka "Pesto"
2002 Mazda Protege5
2013 Buddy 170i
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