Camber issues after lowering car
12-28-2010, 04:33 PM
#21
I lowered my car in April this year, and drove with summer 19" until November, since beginning of November I ride on 18" winter tires.
I have not seen any excessive tire wear yet. I think if anything I would have seen something with my winter set up, given the fact that it was pretty warm for a while and winters are much softer compound. I have 2005 4.2, and I only lowered by changing springs (eibach).
Cheers,
I have not seen any excessive tire wear yet. I think if anything I would have seen something with my winter set up, given the fact that it was pretty warm for a while and winters are much softer compound. I have 2005 4.2, and I only lowered by changing springs (eibach).
Cheers,
12-28-2010, 09:27 PM
#22
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Guys,
I've been away from the Audi scene for a few years now but I felt it was time to chime in to help you guys out. We all have the same A6 C6 suspension (regardless of Sedan or Avant), so it stands to reason when we use after-market suspension parts we all will have similar inner tire wear. Why? Our rigs do NOT have upper control arm adjustments on the stock control arms, negating any level of camber caster adjustment. We only have the ability to adjust toe on the fronts and that's NOT enough to compensate for aggressive inner tire wear due to altering the stock suspension geometry. If you canyon run like we often do out here in SoCal, you will destroy a set of front tires in no time without making a change. Yes, it's alarming and I nearly killed a set of 255/30/20 Nitto Invos until I smartened up and saved them from death.
Try this if you will - Park your lowered A6 on level ground out in the middle of an empty parking lot. Walk at least 30 yards away (front or rear doesn't matter), take a knee and site down the side of the vehicle so you can see the rear wheel in relation to the front wheel. If you have Eibach springs, air bags, H&R springs or coilovers you will notice the top of the front wheel will be inset slightly as compared to the rear wheel which will sit perfectly straight up & down. We all have the same suspensions so it stands to reason without any upper control arm adjustments we will all have the same tire wear. I had immediate tire wear on my Nittos for my 20" x 9" wheels and the wear was likely more pronounced due to a wider tire as compared to the stock 18" tires.
Thankfully we have an option and I have over three (3) years of experience with the solution so I will say it works. K-Mac bushings (k-mac.com) was introduced to me by the Audi TT guys. They have used k-mac upper control arm bushings with success for many years so I thought I would try them out, with clear aprehension and doubt. The design is so simple I thought they were a joke when I opened the box because I didn't understand how they functioned. I assure you guys, they are so simple if you overthink how they work you will think you got ripped off.
Now, I only have 23,000 miles on my 2006 Avant and I installed the k-mac bushings several years ago when the car hit 8,000 miles, but the k-macs have been trouble-free ever since and my alignment guys (also skeptical) nailed the setting perfectly to a point I can't get better tire wear with the 20's or the stocker 18's. My alignement guys have used them several times since, always with positive results. If you site down the side of my Avant now the fronts are standing perfectly vertical, in perfect alignment with the rear tires, despite the Eibach springs. I also have ZERO tire rub and I have yet to experience premature tire wear on the fronts.
Email me if you want to talk in greater detail. I'm happy to help anyone out to clear up any doubt or confusion.
I've been away from the Audi scene for a few years now but I felt it was time to chime in to help you guys out. We all have the same A6 C6 suspension (regardless of Sedan or Avant), so it stands to reason when we use after-market suspension parts we all will have similar inner tire wear. Why? Our rigs do NOT have upper control arm adjustments on the stock control arms, negating any level of camber caster adjustment. We only have the ability to adjust toe on the fronts and that's NOT enough to compensate for aggressive inner tire wear due to altering the stock suspension geometry. If you canyon run like we often do out here in SoCal, you will destroy a set of front tires in no time without making a change. Yes, it's alarming and I nearly killed a set of 255/30/20 Nitto Invos until I smartened up and saved them from death.
Try this if you will - Park your lowered A6 on level ground out in the middle of an empty parking lot. Walk at least 30 yards away (front or rear doesn't matter), take a knee and site down the side of the vehicle so you can see the rear wheel in relation to the front wheel. If you have Eibach springs, air bags, H&R springs or coilovers you will notice the top of the front wheel will be inset slightly as compared to the rear wheel which will sit perfectly straight up & down. We all have the same suspensions so it stands to reason without any upper control arm adjustments we will all have the same tire wear. I had immediate tire wear on my Nittos for my 20" x 9" wheels and the wear was likely more pronounced due to a wider tire as compared to the stock 18" tires.
Thankfully we have an option and I have over three (3) years of experience with the solution so I will say it works. K-Mac bushings (k-mac.com) was introduced to me by the Audi TT guys. They have used k-mac upper control arm bushings with success for many years so I thought I would try them out, with clear aprehension and doubt. The design is so simple I thought they were a joke when I opened the box because I didn't understand how they functioned. I assure you guys, they are so simple if you overthink how they work you will think you got ripped off.
Now, I only have 23,000 miles on my 2006 Avant and I installed the k-mac bushings several years ago when the car hit 8,000 miles, but the k-macs have been trouble-free ever since and my alignment guys (also skeptical) nailed the setting perfectly to a point I can't get better tire wear with the 20's or the stocker 18's. My alignement guys have used them several times since, always with positive results. If you site down the side of my Avant now the fronts are standing perfectly vertical, in perfect alignment with the rear tires, despite the Eibach springs. I also have ZERO tire rub and I have yet to experience premature tire wear on the fronts.
Email me if you want to talk in greater detail. I'm happy to help anyone out to clear up any doubt or confusion.
12-31-2010, 09:26 AM
#24
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
But what about s-line? Aren't sline cars lowered than regular? I couldn't find any sline control arms on the audipartsnationwide.com site. How do sline cars avoid having camber wear issues?
12-31-2010, 10:07 AM
#25
From what I hear 4.2 also had a different suspension. To my understanding shocks are from S6, so after putting Eibach springs, it feels like sport suspension. Maybe that is a reason I haven't notice any extra wear. After I lowered my car, I did alignment and my car had negative camber of -1,6 which is only about -0,35 off from Audi allowed spec. According to the guys at the shop, this isn't very much and I shouldn't notice any excessive wear.
Not sure what to think after reading this thread, but I believe it depends on how aggressive your drop is.
As mentioned before, I didn't have any issues yet.
Not sure what to think after reading this thread, but I believe it depends on how aggressive your drop is.
As mentioned before, I didn't have any issues yet.
01-01-2011, 08:08 AM
#26
Now, from I have heard, our A6 came with three different heights: Standard, sports suspension and S-Line suspension. However, I don't think Audi made three different control arms. Also fe341285 makes a good argument about factory air bag suspensions.
My guess is that you don't suffer too much irregular tire wear if you drop agressively. I'll find out soon. My sports springs have been shipped.
03-18-2011, 02:55 PM
#27
A good point. I was told that Audi normally makes different control arms for S-lines. They might not show up in parts lookup (most sites only show one type of springs as well) but doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist. But it'd be interesting to find out if they really do exist or not.
Now, from I have heard, our A6 came with three different heights: Standard, sports suspension and S-Line suspension. However, I don't think Audi made three different control arms. Also fe341285 makes a good argument about factory air bag suspensions.
My guess is that you don't suffer too much irregular tire wear if you drop agressively. I'll find out soon. My sports springs have been shipped.
Now, from I have heard, our A6 came with three different heights: Standard, sports suspension and S-Line suspension. However, I don't think Audi made three different control arms. Also fe341285 makes a good argument about factory air bag suspensions.
My guess is that you don't suffer too much irregular tire wear if you drop agressively. I'll find out soon. My sports springs have been shipped.
Any updates on tire wear?
03-20-2011, 09:33 AM
#28
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FYI: To reduce some of the tire wear w/o adjusting the camber,have the alignment set to zero toe (I think -1.5 is stock) it will reduce the wear somewhat... the K-MAC is the only real fix though.
03-21-2011, 12:27 PM
#29
I installed them about three weeks ago. I haven't had the chance to get a new alignment yet. Here is the post: https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho....php?t=2801453
The OEM sports only lowered it about 3/4". Not enough to cause any excessive inner-wear. Visually, I wish the springs lowered it more but it did get rid of "that is way too high" look. It looks like what the stock ride height should of have been from the start. I really would of have liked to get Eibachs installed but I think the inner-tire wear issue is inevitable with those. I'll post some pics once the rain stops.
The OEM sports only lowered it about 3/4". Not enough to cause any excessive inner-wear. Visually, I wish the springs lowered it more but it did get rid of "that is way too high" look. It looks like what the stock ride height should of have been from the start. I really would of have liked to get Eibachs installed but I think the inner-tire wear issue is inevitable with those. I'll post some pics once the rain stops.
03-21-2011, 12:46 PM
#30
I installed them about three weeks ago. I haven't had the chance to get a new alignment yet. Here is the post: https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho....php?t=2801453
The OEM sports only lowered it about 3/4". Not enough to cause any excessive inner-wear. Visually, I wish the springs lowered it more but it did get rid of "that is way too high" look. It looks like what the stock ride height should of have been from the start. I really would of have liked to get Eibachs installed but I think the inner-tire wear issue is inevitable with those. I'll post some pics once the rain stops.
The OEM sports only lowered it about 3/4". Not enough to cause any excessive inner-wear. Visually, I wish the springs lowered it more but it did get rid of "that is way too high" look. It looks like what the stock ride height should of have been from the start. I really would of have liked to get Eibachs installed but I think the inner-tire wear issue is inevitable with those. I'll post some pics once the rain stops.
It would be great to see some photos though(maybe before and after?)
I finally saw inner tire wear on mine. I guess I never saw it before because I have two sets of tires. I was in process of checking my breaks and I saw it. Not too drastic, but enough for a concern of ruining tires.
I am now seriously looking in getting k-mac kit.