R32 Gtr Front Upper Camber Arm Help

[Sportmax]

Hi guys,

Im from the USA, i have a 1989 Skyline GTR. Im having some issues with my front upper camber arms. I did my alignment and the most i can get is -.9 degrees of camber. Thats with the arms adjusted all the way in. Could they be installed wrong. I know the adjusting sleeve has to be on the outer side but the cross member is off set. Does it have to be towards the front or rear? I have it towards the rear of the car. Hope im making sense. here is a picture of what they look like.

Thanks

Kirk

[Duncan]

HI mate, I'm not familiar with that style of arm, how do you adjust it?

If the centre section is threaded and you wind it out then lock it in (ie when lengthed you would be able to see thread in the pic you posted) then they are adjusted to minimum, and look to be to long for a gtr (maybe 300 and gtr aren't identical for target upper arm length?)

[Drift Motorsport]

Hi Kirk,

We sell those type of arms in Australia for $425 Delivered and that picture is from our old website.

It sounds like you have not installed the arms properly. Although we have not sold you the arms, my advice is as follows:

The arms must be installed offset to each tother. If you have installed them as pictured in the above post - then you wil not get the right alignment. The factory R32 arms are offset - and thus - the adjustable arms must be offset.

To adjust - you must undo the blue or red rings in the center (just make them loose) then turn the center turn buckle to lengthen or shorten the arm to your alignment specs. This can be done on-car.

On the D-Project arms - the ends are also adjustable for a tight fit into the control arm and chassis bracket.

ASCII Art Version:

.............|

|............|

|=====.|

|

= is the center adjuster

| is the sides. Note how teh right side is offset to the left side in the ASCII diagram.

Kakiimoto OEM style arm - notice the offset:

[Duncan]

What is the shortest length those arms can adjust to?

[lukesz]

I just bought those arms from UAS aswell for my 1992 gtr.

I didnt have any issues with installing them and getting the correct wheel alignment figures with them installed.

However after having them in the car i have a very loud crack noise from the front randomly over bumps now, not all the time though just randomly, or say if i jack the front of the car up it will crack aswell. I checked all the nuts, they're all tight.

I have no idea why its doing it. Sorry for hijacking your thread but could it be making the noise because its now a bearing and not a bush like in the OEM arm?

[Sportmax]

Hi Kirk,

We sell those type of arms in Australia for $425 Delivered and that picture is from our old website.

It sounds like you have not installed the arms properly. Although we have not sold you the arms, my advice is as follows:

The arms must be installed offset to each tother. If you have installed them as pictured in the above post - then you wil not get the right alignment. The factory R32 arms are offset - and thus - the adjustable arms must be offset.

Thanks alot for the advice man I did knotice the offset on the factory ones. Its my own dumb fault that i didn't put them on properly. I see your little diagram, that helps alot, I think ill get it figured out soon.

I may be installing Cusco tenson rods soon, what kinda caster is good to run? I do alot of autox racing and some track days.

Thanks again for the advice

I just bought those arms from UAS aswell for my 1992 gtr.

I didnt have any issues with installing them and getting the correct wheel alignment figures with them installed.

However after having them in the car i have a very loud crack noise from the front randomly over bumps now, not all the time though just randomly, or say if i jack the front of the car up it will crack aswell. I checked all the nuts, they're all tight.

I have no idea why its doing it. Sorry for hijacking your thread but could it be making the noise because its now a bearing and not a bush like in the OEM arm?

I think i know exactly what yours is doing. how much front camber are you running and how low is your car? I knoticed there is a pinch weld or some type of lip in the front fender that the control arm sits very close to. If your lowered enough and run minimal camber i think your spindel may be hitting that over bumbs. Thats what mine did the first time i set it down after installing the camber arms, but once i got the camber adjusted in some it stopped doing it. Good luck

[lukesz]

im running very minimal camber aswell, but the car sits VERY high, higher then stock maybe

the problem is they were installed incorrectly knew i should of put them in myself

im getting it sorted out today, just hope the bearings havnt flogged out because they were installed incorrectly

[Sydneykid]

However after having them in the car i have a very loud crack noise from the front randomly over bumps now, not all the time though just randomly, or say if i jack the front of the car up it will crack aswell. I checked all the nuts, they're all tight.

I have no idea why its doing it. Sorry for hijacking your thread but could it be making the noise because its now a bearing and not a bush like in the OEM arm?

Not sure if those particular arms have roller bearings or ball bearings. The ball bearing style last about 2 race meetings before the balls get pounded out of round and knock like crazy, eventually they fail and the bearing locks up, which chews out the arm, in a couple of laps. The roller bearing style are a bit better, but even they are under sized. They last about 4 race meetings, then the cage cracks and the rollers fall out of alignment. The loose rollers chew out the arm instantly and the upright flops around noticeably.

The fact is R32's have terrible upper arm geometry, especially when you add some caster, plus the spacing across the arm is too narrow to absord the twisting load. That's why the design was changed for the R33 and R34 to a wide based wishbone style. Bushes tolerate the poor geometry better than rigid bearings, we get a whole season's racing out of a set. Plus they don't just fail instantly, you can see the wear and carry out replacement before it becomes an issue.

Cheers

Gary

[lukesz]

thanks for that information.

I got my car back after the arms were put back in correctly this time, but it seems like the front left arm's bearings are gone.

My car is mostly a street car and its nothing extreme, it'll prob end up seeing about 5 track days a year.

So im in need of some new camber arms again.

What is the best option for me? I need some camber adjustment.

This time ill take it to a suspension/wheel aligner that knows what they are doing.

Thanks

[Drift Motorsport]

The bearings are an off shelf part available from any bearing wholesaler. Alternatively you could give UAS a call.

Installing the arms wrong will put heaps of sideways force on the bearings and can crack cage which will damage the bearing race and/or rollers/balls. Speak to the wheel aligner about the problem if they installed it wrong.

[lukesz]

The bearings are an off shelf part available from any bearing wholesaler. Alternatively you could give UAS a call.

Installing the arms wrong will put heaps of sideways force on the bearings and can crack cage which will damage the bearing race and/or rollers/balls. Speak to the wheel aligner about the problem if they installed it wrong.

cheers will do, i didnt know i could just replace the bearings.

At the end of the day its a normal tyre shop i should of known better then to take it there even though they assured me they knew what they were doing.

Now i just need to see if i can get them to pay for their mistake.

UAS have been very helpful with my dilemma!

Hey i sent you a email regarding castor rods for my car. Did you get it?

thanks

[Sydneykid]

I don't know that particular brand of arm, some you can't buy replacement bearings for, they have non standard sizes. Just take the damaged ones along to your local CBC shop and they will tell you if they are a standard size. But do it before the bearing chews out the arm, because you definitely can't buy replacement parts for the arms themselves.

On our rough roads I wouldn't expect them to last very long, so it may pay to buy a spare set of bearings

Cheers

Gary

[lukesz]

so the arms are in the right way now, the bearings seem to be fine.

Now i have another problem, the control arm is hitting the inside of the wheel arch over bumps. Only on the left side though as the right side control arm clears the wheel arch.

Ill post up some pictures to show whats happening.

Edited June 5, 2009 by lukesz

[lukesz]

heres a pic of whats happening, this is after they put them in 'properly' . The arm is hitting the inner gaurd, causing it to bottom out

i think they haven't put them in properly again...

[Drift Motorsport]

If you have reduced the camber - then you have made the arm longer - hence why it maybe touching the wheel arch trim.

Cut/trim the wheel arch back for clearance.

In addition, your car may have a bent or previously damaged front chassis that may have been repaired incorrectly and you are getting a discrepency between left and right.

Apart from the wheel arch trim - is the camber aligned properly and does it drive better?

[Drift Motorsport]

Just to add we are working on a urethane bushed version as well for an OEM feel but with an adjustable arm.

[lukesz]

If you have reduced the camber - then you have made the arm longer - hence why it maybe touching the wheel arch trim.

Cut/trim the wheel arch back for clearance.

In addition, your car may have a bent or previously damaged front chassis that may have been repaired incorrectly and you are getting a discrepency between left and right.

Apart from the wheel arch trim - is the camber aligned properly and does it drive better?

yeah it drives fine now after the alignment.

I wish it was the case of just cutting that plastic away but there is metal right behind where that plastic sit which is part of the wheel arch. (the plastic is moulded to it)

the urethane bushed version sounds good.

Edited June 9, 2009 by lukesz

[ujin]

sorry, but i got a question regarding the r32 front upper camber arm. would the upper camber arm of a r32gts fit in a r32gtr?