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LazeR
12-04-2003, 11:04 AM
How do you adjust the toe in and out? and what exactly do people mean by camber? thanx

airheadedduner
12-04-2003, 11:23 AM
You adjust toe in by adjusting the tie rods. Camber is the angle the wheels set at.

LazeR
12-04-2003, 03:25 PM
ok so toe in and out is the top and bottom of the tire, and the camber is the way the tire is like forward, to the left or right?

skemp
12-04-2003, 03:32 PM
You have that backwards. Toe is the distance between the tires from front to back. This is how they are turned toward each other, or away from each other at the front of back of the tire. Common setting is 1/4", meaning that the tires are 1/4" closer at the front than the back of the tire. Camber is the vertical angle of the tire. This is measured from the top and bottom of the tire.

4wheelboy
12-04-2003, 06:10 PM
how do u adjust camber:confused:

Narly R
12-04-2003, 08:34 PM
Ok Ill help out since I need to remeber this stuff!:mad:

There is Caster, and Camber.

Camber is the amount of degrees that the tire and wheel is tilted in or out at the top in relation to the bottom of the tire. A tire that is tilted in at the top and out at the bottom is said to have negative camber. The farther it angles out at the bottom the greater the amount of negative camber.

For positive camber the top of the tire is farther out then the bottom. The reason for having camber in your front end is as fallows. An ATV's suspention is forced over in a corner and the suspention flexes. With everything in motion, all this force wants to flex the tire more upright, or reducing the amount of negative camber. As a bike enters a corner, the forces tend to bend everything over, adding positive camber.

Caster is the amount of angle the spindle has in relation to the vertical centerline of the wheel. If the upper ball joint is farther forward than the lower ball joint, it is said to have negative caster. If the upper ball joint is farther back than the lower ball joint it is said to have positive caster. The greater the amount of positive caster, the more stable thw ATV will be at speed. The less positive caster it has the eiser it will steer and the quicker it will turn. As the spindle is laid back, the tire has to lay over more when the front tires are turned. This adds stability. If there is not much angle, the wheel will turn more, making it quicker and easier to turn.


Recomended Caster: Positive

Moto cross 4.5 degrees
Cross country 4.5 degrees
Sand dunning 3-4.5 degrees
Desert racing 6.5 degrees
Recreational 3.5-4.5 degrees


Recomended Caster: Negative

Moto cross 4.5 degrees
Cross country 4.5 degrees
Sand dunning 2-4 degrees
Desert racing 2-4 degrees
Recreational 1-3 degrees

A bike should have about 1/4 inch of toe-in.

I feel helpful tonight. This is LSR setting's. Id think they might be close to stock arms too...I hope this is understandable.

Narly R
12-04-2003, 08:53 PM
Opps foregot how to adjust each. First off make shure there is equal tire pressure, and the bike is on level ground. Your tires MUSt be on too.

Setting the Caster

Prior to installing your A-arms thread the Heim joints all the way on the upper arms. Leave the front rod alone and back the rearward rod end out (3) complete revolutions. This is a good starting point. Now install your A-arms. Rest the straight edge aginst the side edge of the upper and lower ball joint threads. (make shure the straight edge is touching the same section of the ball joint threads) If the top of the straight edge leans towards the rear of your quad, you have positive caster. This is what you want. Rest the angle finder on the edge of the straight edge. This will tell you your exact caster setting. You may need to adjust the Heim joints by turning on in or out more than the other to get the appropriate setting.

Setting the Camber

The camber is a much easier process (so they say). Rest the straight edge aginst the outside of your front tire (making shure both wheels are pointing straight and you are touching the same part of the tire, top and bottom) The top of the straight edge should lean inward for negative camber. Now put the angle finder aginst the straight edge and note the reading. If you need more or less camber you are going to have to take off one ball joints to adjust it. First remove the castle nut, and cotter pin then take off the joint. Then "smack" the side of the spindle right where the ball joint goes through the spindle to jar the ball joint loose. It will take some pressure to remove it, and it helps if you lift up the arm itself as your hitting the spindle. For more negative camber, turn the upper ball joint into the a-arm (clockwise). *On most a-arms the upper ball joint require the jam nut on the outside and the lower ball joint will require the jam nut on the inside of the arm when properly set up.

Hope this is understandable too...

JOEX
12-04-2003, 09:09 PM
Good post NarlyR;) Copied it for myself.:)

Camber is not adjustable on stock A-arms.

Joe

1smokin400ex
12-04-2003, 09:14 PM
Nice Job Narly R , I don't think anyone could have explained it any better ....... NICE JOB .......

Narly R
12-04-2003, 09:43 PM
Thanks guys. Hey 1smokinex, i see ur from albany! I race in the salem indoor track, and will be racing at albany when the weather gets better. Ill PM ya with info. You to Joe, ur gunna race!:D

LazeR
12-05-2003, 03:40 PM
Awesome post man thanx.....I think my quad may have a toe in/out problem because it doesnt want to drive straight when my handlebars are straight forwards.

JOEX
12-05-2003, 08:41 PM
Originally posted by LazeR
Awesome post man thanx.....I think my quad may have a toe in/out problem because it doesnt want to drive straight when my handlebars are straight forwards.
You might have a bent tie rod or possible bent stem:(

Joe

LazeR
12-06-2003, 01:13 AM
bent steering stem would make it not go straight when the handlebars are straight? i bent mine...and had it hydraulically pressed straight....looked pretty straight to me...but that is probably my problem! now i prolly gotta take the thing apart again! grrr

member
01-08-2004, 08:58 PM
since my gibson a arms do not have balljoints (has kingpins and spherical bearings) should i do all the camber and caster adj. through the hemi joints?

boogiechile
01-09-2004, 07:44 AM
Good post knarly but one thing that I would point out is that when adjusting camber it is better to use a straight edge that is cut to about ten inches or whatever it takes to get it to rest on the lips of the rim. If you put the straight edge on the tire it will read more negative than it really is because of the bulge in the bottom of the tire from the weight of the quad. If you must use the tire then add enough air pressure to keep the tire from bulging at the bottom. Also all adjustments should be made with the rider on the quad ( or someone that weighs about the same).

as for a arms with spherical bearings for ball joints, yes you have to use the heims to adjust it. Some arms have a spherical on the bottom and a heim on the top (like Roll) and the top is used for camber adjusting. If there is a spherical on top and bottom then the heims at the frame mounts ( if it has them, like Burgard premiums) are used for both camber and caster adjustments. In this case the adjustment is a little harder because each time you adjust it changes both caster and camber at the same time. also adjustment is more limited.

I think the best setup is a spherical on the bottom for strength and range of motion with a heim for the top ball joint for camber adjustment and heims at the frame on the upper arm for caster adjustment.