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MG MGB Technical - Negative Camber Front Alignment

I have a set of negative camber lower arms on the front of my chrome bumper roadster. I think they came from Moss. They have been on the car for a few years.
Soon I will be having a new pair of front tyres fitted so I was thinking of getting the front track checked/adjusted.

Does anyone know whether the standard setting should be used with neg camber lower arms? If not what setting should be used?

David
David Witham

David,

With 195's I prefer as close to zero as possible.

Paul
Paul

Buy, beg, borrow or steal a gunsons Trackrite (a bit pricey to buy). With this you don't need to know what setting to use. You drive over the thing, note the reading and then adjust the track arms until it shows zero deflection of the wheels. Most impressive gadget. It works on the principle that any toe setting is simply there to ensure that the wheels are dead parallel when the car is in forward motion. The Trackrite measures the wheels while the car is in motion, albeit slowly. I've no connection with the company - just amazed at the ingenuity of some clever bloke in their employ.

Incidentally, how much negative camber do you have? And does it make a worthwhile difference?

Mike
Mike Howlett

Mike,

I don't know how much negative camber I have. It may say in Moss's special tuning cataloge.

I think it does make a difference. My experience over the years has been that if some circumstances MGBs understear, fast bends, and in some cases they overstear, mini roundabouts in the wet. Since fitting the negative camber front arms I have had less of the former.

However, I should say that my rear springs, dampers and bushes are due for retirement.

David
David Witham

Since camber is also affects tire-wear, how are your tires wearing? I would expect to see additional wear on the inside of the tires with more negative camber.

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

Mike - The Gunsons Trackrite unit looks suspisiously like the old alignment set up in garages 30 orr 40 years ago. They were quite common on this side of the pond during that time period and I have often wished I could get my hands on one of them. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Zero degree toe in will help when you are cornering but makes it wander on the straight. I would try the standard setting first, it should be in the Hayes manual. if you don't like it try zero degrees. Peter
peter bramble

Wayne,

I don't do enough miles in the B for tyre wear to become an issue. My tyres get changed due to age. The ones I am changing this time were on the car when it was brought back from California 10 years ago.

David
David Witham

Peter,

Fair comment, I've used both and prefer zero toe with the set up I have 1.5 deg neg and 195's. At high speed cross winds are more of a problem so the Front spoiler should add more stability.

Wayne

I also have perfect even tyre wear with set up but any more neg camber would prob lead to uneven wear. I believe Doug Jackson may sell neg camber trunnions which should allow adjustment rather than the neg camber A arms.

Paul
Paul

This thread was discussed between 15/07/2002 and 16/07/2002

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