Ingalls Front Camber Kit Install [640x480 img's]

[agent87]

I helped install an Ingalls camber kit in a friend's car and thought I'd document the process. This is a fairly simple installation but I thought it might be helpful for some people. The car is a 1993 CX. The kit is the +1.25 - 3.00 degree kit. Here is his suspension with the stock anchor bolts. Those are Matrix coilover sleeves. I suspect that the shocks were old worn Tokico HP (blues) but they didn't have the Tokico stickers/emblems on them. Like many on this site, this car has been set up with a very LOW ride height. Installation is pretty basic. You'll be repeating a lot of the same steps you do when you change your springs and shocks. (sizes refer to head size, not diameters) -undo the 14mm pinch bolt on the shock fork. -undo the 17mm bolt that connects the fork to the lower control arm (LCA). -remove the fork. -undo the 14mm nuts that hold the shock/spring assembly to the shock towers. -remove the shock/spring assembly. -undo the 17mm nuts that hold the anchor bolts in place on the shock towers. -swivel the upper control arm (UCA) around so that you can remove the anchor bolts. -remove the 14mm bolts/nuts that hold the anchor bolts in place. pull out the anchor bolts and the bridge that connects them. These next few sections are the part I think many people forget to do! This is why some people complain about the polyurethane kits squeaking. It is also why simply spraying the outside will not work very well. Push out the metal cylinder. They're not that hard to remove but to make life easier, i used a socket connected to an extension and hammered it out. (I forgot what size I used but that looks like a 10mm. Just use whatever looks like it will fit best.) Lubricate! I used Energy Suspension lube and applied it with a cotton swab. The ES lube is actually kind of pricey and somewhat difficult to find. I bought my lube something like 2.5 years ago hoping to get it before I installed my own camber kit. Unfortunately, it didn't arrive in time. I instead used my friend's mountainbike suspension grease. (In my case I used Judy Butter - named after the Rock Shox Judy suspension fork.) You can get this stuff at a bike shop or you can use whatever water insoluble grease you want. Slide the sleeve back in. Note that in this picture you can actually see the grooves in the bushing that are meant to hold the grease in. Some grease will push out the other end. If you feel especially unwasteful, you can wipe it up with the cotton swab and add it to the lube you'll be using on the next one. Here you see the kit installed on the UCA. Note that in order for the metal bridge to fit, you must remove the small metal cylinders that the kit comes supplied with. Installation is reverse of removal. Torque specs can be found in the Helms manual or the instructions that come with the kit. Here is the kit installed. The upper anchor bolt nuts are now 18mm instead of the stock 17mm. The adjustment nuts on the bottom are 15mm. A hammer makes adjustment easier. Just loosen the adjustment bolts, tap to push in or use the nail puller to pull the arm out, and tighten to spec. And that's it. Make sure to get an alignment ASAP. After the installation, this car's tow-out was insane. The wheels are practically trying the steer the car in opposite directions and this car would actually pull itself in all sorts of directions. Not safe at all. Be safe, and remember this is a guide only. Make sure you know what you're doing before you start. Good luck!

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[Tirod]

put this in DIY also

[94civicEX]

Nice job on the documentation! I copied it to DIY .

[agent87]

Thanks. If there's anything anyone else wants to add, they're welcome to.

[Bumnah]

i usually find the lube they give you with their urethane isn't enogh i have a big jar of synthetic grease sittin' at home. i usually apply generous amounts of lube to metal pieces. i wipe off any excess crap. no sqeaks yet.

it look like you removed your springs and shocks to do the install. you don't need to remove those to do the install...


just addin' stuff to get this thread back to the top

[agent87]

Originally posted by Bumnah
it look like you removed your springs and shocks to do the install. you don't need to remove those to do the install...

True true. Did you remove the metal bridge thingamajig first or did you just swap them out while it was still turned around?

[b00gers]

very good DIY...

im going to take my camber kit off and relube them. at the same time adjust my trie height and put in new rims and tires. and of course, end it with an alignment.

where did you take the car? or where did your friend take it? the place over in oakland wants $120 to do it. also, will they also adjust the rear for me by taking out some shims?

thanks

[agent87]

Hey WiLL, thanks. I took my own car to the Firestone in Newark. They're ok but it's pretty much the only place I've brought my cars to get alignments. I purchased one of their lifetime alignment deals last year when I first lowered Fodoho so I'm pretty much "stuck" with them. I don't think they adjust camber or caster though, only toe, so I don't know if they'll add and remove shims in the rear. It's pretty easy to do that so I would assume they would if you asked them to.

My friend was supposed to try to get an alignment during his lunch break the next day at a Firestone in Mountain View but I haven't talked to him yet to find out how that went. This installation just happened this last Sun so I haven't followed up.

Oh, and $120 is a LOT. For that much, I hope they do custom alignments and put your weight in the driver's seat while they make adjustments and stuff.

[b00gers]

how much did you pay? im going to give them a call.

[agent87]

Originally posted by WiLL
how much did you pay? im going to give them a call.

I paid $150 for the lifetime alignment deal. Not the best price judging from what I've heard others paying elsewhere but it works for me since I'm planning on going quite often. Where have you gotten alignments in the past?

[b00gers]

ive gotten mines...my one , from a shop called C2 in oakland. they specialize in rx7s. thats the only i can find that was willing to do a lowered car and had a wood ramp.

with the $150...can you take it back for ANY reason? even if you decide to adjust your ride height or swap suspension parts or something?

[agent87]

Supposedly I can take it back for any reason. I asked and made sure first that they didn't have a problem with aftermarket suspensions and their lifetime plan. They told me at the time that as long as they can adjust it, it's fine. The only prob is that everytime I go there, the manager seems to be different. I usually keep my car pretty high though so it's not a problem. I just drop my car for meets and such. Most recently, I got it aligned because I had to swap my axles and since I undid a few of the ball joints, the alignment was a little off.

[b00gers]

im trying to remember the way the kit works.

can i take my kit out, relube it...all without lossening the adjustment bolt?

[agent87]

Originally posted by WiLL

can i take my kit out, relube it...all without lossening the adjustment bolt?

Yup. All you need to do is push that metal cylinder out, clean things up, lube lube lube, and push the cylinder back in.

[b00gers]

thanks.

[reece]

Is that metal bridge thing necessary for installation? have a 91 civic si and installed without it. the car is not very low and i set at +1.25 (instructions say any more than 2.0 and might need fender modification) but it looks like it may need fendor mod even here..... am i missing something?!....any reply is appreciated.

[PacificDude]

Nice write-up. I recently installed the SPC adjustable balljoint kit(1.5-3 degrees) for the front of my '89 CRX. This kit will make it alot easier and save time for your alignment guy to adjust the camber. I didn't have a digicam at the time of install so sorry I don't have pics to do a write-up. What I will say is if you are considering the adjustable balljoint kit instead, know this. The 88-89 civics have the balljoints welded on the top of the upper control arms, so I don't recommend trying to cut them out for safety concerns down the road later. Instead look for upper control arms from a 90-91 civic, the balljoints are removeable. I got mine from a '90 DX 4-door. Take the rubber boots off the balljoints on the new upper control arms and you'll see a ring-clip(C-clip, whatever you call it) holding the balljoint in place from the bottom. Take the clip off and use some type of hydraulic press to push the balljoint out from the bottom(use safety goggles people!). They are pressed in really good, with rubber sealant, so I don't recommend trying to pound it out by hand. Once off just follow the directions that came with your kit, put it all back together, get an alignment and call it a day.

[agent87]

reece - I don't think it's absolutely necessary but I'm guessing that it helps to keep flex out of the upper control arm in relation to the anchor bolts. I'm not sure if that makes sense but that metal bridge just helps to keep things aligned.

Pacific Dude - Thanks and good tips too for the adjustable balljoint type kits.

[sickcivicsedan]

I have a slightly differnt camber kit than the one used in the procedure at the begining of this posting. This camber kit is for all 4 wheels, and princible seems the same. I bought this kit over a year ago on Craigslist w/o instructions. Can somebody help me out finding out the name, for I can get the instructions. I can send youa pic via e-mail. Get back to me thanks. biomadman1@aol.com

[4exm820]

agent87

anyone can help?
i just bought a camber kit off ebay and there are two pieces for the front and two pieces for the back. i saw your posting and you use two pieces for one side of the front. Does that mean i am missing two pieces for the other side? all of the selling on ebay is 2 pieces for the front only. thanks

[agent87]

sickcivicsedan, if you're still around, post the pics. Maybe we can help.

4exm820, is your kit like the Ingalls one posted? If so, you need 2 anchor bolts per side. My guess is either your kit is different or they were only selling kits per side.


BTW, to reanswer reece's question about the metal bridge thing, I realized a long time ago one of the, if not the major reason, for its existence. I just haven't paid attention to this post in a while. But I'm sure it also helps to distribute the force put on the points where the anchor bolts contact the shock towers. The force simply gets spread out over a larger surface.