Camber adjustment brackets

[Lina]

I have a few problems with steering post-resto and post-lowering and we are considering the camber fitments to adjust the camber now that it's been lowered - anyone got any experience of these? http://www.ricambio.co.uk/2996-front-camber-adjustment-brackets-2---classic-fiat-500-126?search=camber

[Gadge]

Yes I use them there’re brilliant. The car rides much better as they eliminate the bump steer you get.

[Lina]

Brilliant, thanks Gadge!

[Gadge]

You have to get them to fit firmly up against the inner wing though so they work more effectively. The ones I bought I had to grind about a millimetre off each end and bring some off the bump stop mount so they would fit flushly on the inner wing - it may be a BIS thing. It will also return the camber setting to a more factory setting so you’ll get more positive camber.

[Pete126]

Check and make sure it’s been tracked up Lina, cause when I swoped to the lowered  front spring it was nearly un-drivable it was all over the road when it hit bumps but tracking sorted it out

[Gadge]

Yes your tracking will be all over the place, mine was too

[Lina]

Yeah, the lowering 'settled' quite a bit over the 400 ish miles to Retro Rides and back, which threw the tracking way out too, but it's also grounding out on bumps and hitting the wing on my side (I'm somewhat heavier than the chap doing the work to it!!)

[Lina]

The camber adjuster brackets have been fitted & shims removed but now there's excess positive camber and the ride height has increased.
We've also noted that the leaf spring is not central to the car, is fitted in the mounting brackets correctly and is the same with or without the camber adjusting brackets fitted, any one else noted there spring is not central?
Ignore the whitewalls!

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[Pete126]

Looks to me that the tracking is out, looking at the photos the top picture rhs Looks like there is excessive toe in and the bottom lhs looks straight. With the steering wheel centralised and locked in the straight ahead position the track rod ends should be adjusted equally till the correct toe in is achieved 

[Gadge]

It looks like your having the same issues I had. If there’s too much toe in then the body of the car pushes against the wheels and rises up. I had to get the tracking sorted on mine first before I looked at the camber. Even with the shins removed I found too much positive camber so in the end I shaved about 1.5mm off the top arm bracket with a killing machine so it would bring the top of the wheel in. It took a while to set everything up right as when you bring the camber in you have to re-track the steering up again.  Not had the issue with the leaf though?

[Lina]

Thanks, I've passed that on to Keith!  Running out of money to pay for all this and really sad to be considering putting a standard spring back on it just so it can get back on the road.  After all this time, would be gutting to have the front end all jacked up on a standard spring!

[1973/126]

 Lina how about lowering the leaf spring mounting blocks and using the standard spring? Cheap and easy solution.
 That's what I've done on our last one. It doesn't give you a massive drop just evens the car out a bit more but at least it won't bottom out.

[Lina]

How much would you take off the blocks?

Lina how about lowering the leaf spring mounting blocks and using the standard spring? Cheap and easy solution.
 That's what I've done on our last one. It doesn't give you a massive drop just evens the car out a bit more but at least it won't bottom out.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[1973/126]

 I would say about 10mm. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but it all makes a difference. Also makes sure the leaf spring is well greased up. It will take a while to settle if it's new anyway.
 I know it won't look as cool, but it will be more driveable and the car is a bit lower when someone sits in it anyway.
 I've tried all the modes, flipped spring, lowered to the max but I'm a heavy lump so the car was often on bump stops:)

 The really early 126s had lower mounting blocks fitted. If you look at the photo of them the front is much more even with the back of the car.