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Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Cars / July 2008

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1987 Toyota Camry Front Camber Adjustable?

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Tube Audio - 27 Jul 2008 01:20 GMT
I just had my 1987 Toyota Camry at the shop for two new tires, a control arm
and alignment.

They told me that they adjusted the front and rear toe.

They also said that the front right camber was out -0.4 and the spec is .01
to 1.1. He told me that the front camber is not adjustable.

When I got home I looked at the manual and it shows that the camber is
adjustable.

What gives? Am I missing something?

I called the shop but they were closed for the weekend.

The rear camber is also out on both sides, -0.4 left and -0.6 right, the
spec is 0.0 to 1.0, he also said the rear camber is not adjustable.
Ray O - 27 Jul 2008 03:34 GMT
>I just had my 1987 Toyota Camry at the shop for two new tires, a control
>arm and alignment.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> The rear camber is also out on both sides, -0.4 left and -0.6 right, the
> spec is 0.0 to 1.0, he also said the rear camber is not adjustable.

Which manual did you look at?  I don't think that the car comes from the
factory with adjustable camber although there are aftermarket bolts that
make camber somewhat adjustable.
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Ray O
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Tube Audio - 27 Jul 2008 04:47 GMT
>>I just had my 1987 Toyota Camry at the shop for two new tires, a control
>>arm and alignment.
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>>
> Which manual did you look at?

I have the original 1987 Toyota Camry Factory Service Manual and it has a
section on how to adjust the front camber

I don't think that the car comes from the
> factory with adjustable camber although there are aftermarket bolts that
> make camber somewhat adjustable.
Ray O - 27 Jul 2008 15:44 GMT
>>>I just had my 1987 Toyota Camry at the shop for two new tires, a control
>>>arm and alignment.
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>> factory with adjustable camber although there are aftermarket bolts that
>> make camber somewhat adjustable.

I don't really remember when the camber adjustment went away.  If the shop
manual shows that the camber is adjustable, copy and show the alignment
section to the shop that did the alignment so that they can do it properly.

Was the new control arm a factory or an aftermarket part?  I'm wondering if
the replacement parts have the adjustability that the original factory parts
had.  You can check this yourself by looking underneath for the eccentric
washers with alignment markings.
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Ray O
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Nick Bourne - 27 Jul 2008 21:22 GMT
>>>> I just had my 1987 Toyota Camry at the shop for two new tires, a control
>>>> arm and alignment.
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> had.  You can check this yourself by looking underneath for the eccentric
> washers with alignment markings.

as far am I'm aware the fount camber adjustment went by 1989. if the car
has had the fount hub carrier changed they may have put in the non
adjustable one. did someone have a look to see if the top strut to hub
bolt has the adjuster cam. it could be that the didn't know where to
look for that car to find the adjuster.  I cant say about the back
camber being adjustable but it being -ve and only slight i wouldn't worry.

If you want to fix the camber though and it doesn't have the adjusters
this is what you need. the first is the front one and the second the back.

https://www.whiteline.com.au/store/default.asp?part=KCA417
https://www.whiteline.com.au/store/default.asp?part=KCA415
zzyzzx - 30 Jul 2008 21:10 GMT
I have no idea if your front camber is adjustable, but a camber bolt
is a quick and easy way to do it.

BTW most places only adjust the toe and just give you your car back.
They don't have real technicians that actually understand alignment,
just trained monkeys who know how to adjust toe as per the machine.
They usually won't even center the steering wheel, even when you tell
them to.
ben91932 - 31 Jul 2008 02:04 GMT
> If the shop
> manual shows that the camber is adjustable, copy and show the alignment
> section to the shop that did the alignment so that they can do it properly.

I disagree.
I think the better way would be to find a shop that actually knows
what they are doing without your help.
Ask your friends, call AAA, and ASA, look at IATN and ASE,  whatever
it takes to find a true professional technician.
A real professional will not be cheap, probably wont be fast, and will
not offer discounts or coupons.
If the shop doesnt know how to align a 20 year old car, then for gods
sake, dont let them touch your car!
Rant mode on:
I hear a lot of grumbling on this board about dishonest/incompetent
mechanics.
If you get ripped off more than once it's your own damn fault. Dont go
back. Dont go back to chain shops like precision tune or goodyear.
(There are some decent honest technicians at chain stores, but by and
large they are the exception rather than the rule) Dont go to a
business  that offers coupons or discounts or advertises heavily.
There is a reason they need new customers! Every time you spend money
at one of these rip'offs, you not only reward them for their
dishonesty and incompetence, but you also endanger you and your
families safety, and you take business away from the guys that charge
an honest price for an honest job.
Here in SoCal, good tech's at honest shops charge $90 to $110 an hour
and are worth every single penny. Cars are more complicated than ever,
and the days of the dufus grease monkey at the corner gas station are
over, and the days of the average DIY'er are numbered.
Auto repair is not a commodity like groceries, and the sooner people
realize that quality costs money the better off we'll all be.
A good honest independant technician faces the following:
The need to spend appx $30,000 on his own tools
The need for 2 years of education up front and several years of on-the-
job training to get journeyman level skills (6-8 years on-the job
training with no formal training)
At least 40 hours per year update training just to stay current with
new technology, often unpaid
Intense competition from morons and rip'offs
Wages that lag way behind inflation
Oppressive environmental (and recently privacy) legislation
and their reward for all this? a public image rating (because of the
idiots and thieves) below new car salesman
Rant mode off:
Cheap a.s car owners will always find a way to spend a fortune trying
to save a buck, and then resent the guy who actually *fixes* his car
at a higher but fair price.

Ben
Ray O - 31 Jul 2008 04:03 GMT
>> If the shop
>> manual shows that the camber is adjustable, copy and show the alignment
[quoted text clipped - 47 lines]
>
> Ben

Good points, I agree, except that I think the tool cost estimate is vastly
understated if the cost of an alignment machine is factored in.
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Ray O
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ben91932 - 31 Jul 2008 05:33 GMT
> Good points, I agree, except that I think the tool cost estimate is vastly
> understated if the cost of an alignment machine is factored in.
> --
>
> Ray O

Yeah, except the alignment equipment isnt something a tech has to buy.
That would be an expense for the business owner, and a system costs
between $40k and $80k.
Ben
Ray O - 31 Jul 2008 06:17 GMT
>> Good points, I agree, except that I think the tool cost estimate is
>> vastly
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> between $40k and $80k.
> Ben

Yup, I was thinking along the lines of a tech with his own shop.
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Ray O
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C. E. White - 27 Jul 2008 04:27 GMT
>I just had my 1987 Toyota Camry at the shop for two new tires, a control
>arm and alignment.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> The rear camber is also out on both sides, -0.4 left and -0.6 right, the
> spec is 0.0 to 1.0, he also said the rear camber is not adjustable.

The camber being out indicates that you have another problem - springs
maybe? Did the mechnaic check the ride height? Anything bent? Howare the
ball joints? Bushings? There are aftermarket parts available that allow the
camber to be adjusted. See:

http://www.tirerack.com/SelectAutoModClar-1234/Toyota/Camry/1987/suspension.shtml
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?carcode=1272800&parttype=7448
&a=FRc1272800k1023526

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=camber+kit+1987+camry

Ed
 
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