[DarkHorse]

that would be funny

[swifty_ano]

Nope...hope not. But end of the coils are slotted into the control arm grooves.

[swifty_ano]

Well my camber was definately out something shocking.....However, heres how the story goes.
I was a warm Fridays night. Swifty and his best mate were working hard to install the lift kit.
With the invention of many new swear words and the repitition of some old words, The lift kit was finally installed.

We both looked at the front wheels and said "I dibs not driving". The car was taken for a very short drive on the road...It was then we both agreed a car trailer was in order.
Dropped it off at the tire shop at 1am in the morning. Get a phone call saying my car was done.

I arrived to pick up my beloved Tara; only to notice that the camber was just how I left it.................................
After discussions with the proffessional Tire fitter, he convinced me that my camber was out 5degrees positive and the camber bolts could not adjust these enough.

Heres where it gets interesting......He didnt even bloody try!! He just said "I know they won't adjust enough, I've been working on 4x4s all my life blah blah blah"
"first of all, the camber pins need to be in the bottom hole and not the top"

I asked him "why couldn't you swap them around, its just a bolt"

"WE DONT DO MECHANICAL WORK!"

Soooooo that is the last time I will return there.
I drove the car home driving over all the bumps. When I pulled up I noticed one of my wheels had near perfect camber. WHAT THE HELL! it was shocking when I left.
A phone call to old mate was neccesssary. His response was " thats just the camber bolt moving"
The logical response was "Well if it moved to the right spot....doesn't that mean they could be adjusted to get it right then?"
"No, how it is it will just take up slack in your wheel bearings etc etc"

OK! now I have the Kmac camber bolts that I will install and take them elsewhere. I kind of like the idea of the Kmacs as they are a full size bolt and in theory shouldn't move?
Thinking I might just drive it for a little bit untill the springs settled. I suggested it to old mate but he said "they are already settled....." even though I hadnt driven it?

PEANUTS

p.s I snapped my clutch throw arm lever....how on earth does one do that just my luck!

[suzukiboy]

Wasn't that hard when I did mine, installed my lift at my mates workshop at Springwood.

Adjusted the camber as much as we could and drove it home to Sunnybank, then on to Fulcrum at Moorooka with a set of camber pins.

Fulcrum guys said they could fix camber without pins as they had a special drill bit, but I asked for the camber pins fitted and they did no problems.

[DarkHorse]

My experience with Fulcrum in Stafford was good when I got mine done after putting the Cal kit in - they even did longer braided brake lines for me since their brake guy was in that day. Aligned and camber sorted plus brake lines in a few hours, thoroughly recommend.

I'd steer well clear (pun not intended) of that tyre shop. Mechanical work my arse, if they do wheel alignments they can do camber bolts. Clearly by "I've been working on 4x4s all my life" he meant he's been putting tyres on rims for 4x4s and that's the extent of his 'expertise.'

[swifty_ano]

I think I'm gonna go there now. Used them with my mims BMW. They did a good job.
Just wouldn't take my Ferrari there.

Took my vitara out for a spin today.....gears are a must!!! Better put some in.

[swifty_ano]

All cleaned

Worthwhile lift

[atari4x4]

looks great & that camber looks fine.... name the workshop so everyone knows not to go there

[suzukiboy]

What size tyres are you running?

[DarkHorse]

V nice.

[ninjamoses]

Looks tough!

[swifty_ano]

suzukiboy wrote:

What size tyres are you running?

31x10.5 bighorns. Scrub on the inner guard at the back but only ever so slightly.
Hopefully when the bumpstops go in, it will fix it.


Atari- I best not name and shame. They are quite a large franchise. I'm sure they are fine for cars and tyre changes but mOdified stuff I would steer clear.

Dark horse: I thought so too. Very happy with the lift. Even happier when I compare it to my mates patrol....mines as tall as it.

[swifty_ano]

ninjamoses wrote:

Looks tough!

Thanks buddy

[Bucket]

Makes me miss my Vitara .

+1 to Atari, you beat my bloody calmini install time haha.

[swifty_ano]

$400 later and the camber is now fixed.
Mechanics suck!!!!

So just the after installation cost:

$70 car trailer
$30 camber bolts
$100 knack camber bolts
$30 1st alignment
$260 modification of new camber bolts + alignment

Just my luck!

[atari4x4]

what the actual fuck

[swifty_ano]

atari4x4 wrote:

what the actual fuck

My thoughts exactly. They had to modify the k-Mac camber bolts and it's still not perfect.
Best he could get.

[atari4x4]

what I can't understand is why didn't the LROR camber bolts work & what had to be done to the K-MAC camber bolts to fit them?

[swifty_ano]

Low range bolts didn't have enough adjustment.
The k Mac bolts had to have the strut mount Drilled out more the manufacturer says.

It's still not perfect but it's close

[suzukiboy]

swifty_ano wrote:

$400 later and the camber is now fixed.
Mechanics suck!!!!

So just the after installation cost:

$70 car trailer
$30 camber bolts
$100 knack camber bolts
$30 1st alignment
$260 modification of new camber bolts + alignment

Just my luck!

When I had mine done they charged me for extra work as well.


$145 - k-mac camber pins
$227.27 - fit camber pins/extra labour/wheel aligment

[swifty_ano]

suzukiboy wrote:

swifty_ano wrote:

$400 later and the camber is now fixed.
Mechanics suck!!!!

So just the after installation cost:

$70 car trailer
$30 camber bolts
$100 k mac camber bolts
$30 1st alignment
$260 modification of new camber bolts + alignment

Just my luck!

When I had mine done they charged me for extra work as well.


$145 - k-mac camber pins
$227.27 - fit camber pins/extra labour/wheel aligment

Thanks for that. Very similar price. Can I ask if the place yours was done was at Caboolture?

[suzukiboy]

It was at Fulcrum Moorooka.

They no longer do wheel alignments/etc there, have moved to Yeerongpilly.

[DarkHorse]

All that tells me is that the K-Mac bolts aren't the right part. Modify mounts to fit bolts? Bullshit - if they don't go in they're the wrong bolts.

I paid about $70 for mine from Pedders and they fit and worked with absolutely no drama. (Didn't get them fit at Pedders, they blew that when my $14 safety check came back with $1500 worth of work that 'needed' to be done )

BTW - your springs will settle and camber will improve as they do.

[atari4x4]

i've got some snake oil for sale... any takers?

[DarkHorse]

Blue label on the bottle?

[swifty_ano]

So for anyone wondering....


K-Mac Camber bolts
They are apparently a full size 12mm Bolt. They allow for much much more camber adjustment then competitiors.
Take a bit of work to fit as you have to drill through 1 side of the strut mounting plate.
So I have been told they should never move.



Pedders type camber bolt
Are undersize bolt. Has less adjustment to the K-max camber bolts due to the elongated shaft limiting the adjustment (so i have been told)
Are know to move and adjust occasionally. Take less work to fit then K-mac however, don't get the same results.

I kind of feel I have made the right choice with the bolts. I have to be happy with it now, its already done
Howver, they seem to be of good quality.

[Chop]

DarkHorse wrote:

All that tells me is that the K-Mac bolts aren't the right part. Modify mounts to fit bolts? Bullshit - if they don't go in they're the wrong bolts.

I paid about $70 for mine from Pedders and they fit and worked with absolutely no drama. (Didn't get them fit at Pedders, they blew that when my $14 safety check came back with $1500 worth of work that 'needed' to be done )

BTW - your springs will settle and camber will improve as they do.

Yep youve been had! First guy should've got it as good as he could, then you needed to drive it and get the springs settled. And then adjust the camber again.

[swifty_ano]

Attention!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone installing this kit. CHECK YOUR BOLTS!
Even if you had checked them and asked a mechanic to nip them up. Check Again!
I lost a trailing arm bolt even though my "mechanic" checked them. I had only done 50 km since it was in the shop.
These things happen but it can be fatal if they happen at the wrong time.

My suggestion to anyone installing, use nylon nuts or Loctite.

[atari4x4]

the same "mechanic" that did your first wheel alignment.

must have been heaps loose for it to fall out in the first place, which one went walkabout?

[suzukiboy]

It was that long ago I can't remember does the Calmini kit come with new bolts or do you use all the old bolts?

Lock nuts are better, I remember re tightening the bolts and my lift for a couple of weeks but I haven't touched them in a long time.