FYI,
Just installed H-sport camber plates with stock MCS springs and just had a competition alignment set up for max camber. All we could get was -1.5 degrees on one side and -2.3 degrees on the other. It seems that the strut spring assembly interferes with sheet metal near the engine cradle mount point. Just the way it is I suppose . I will have to settle for -1.5 degree camber this season. Maybe next season I'll go with coil-overs to get more camber.

 

1.5 deg. neg. should be a fairly nice compromise when your driving turns to the street, however.

 

You will be able to get close to 3% neg if you switch out to coil overs. I run mine 2.5 % neg at the track and that seems to work out well.

 

minifinn,
Yes you get what you get when dealing with stock suspension parts.
If you moved to H-sport lowering springs you could get as much as -2.3 degrees negative camber in the front, maybe even up to -2.5.

Each side is different so you may see a disparity like you have so you do the best you can for now. -1.5 IS better than the stock -0.1 to -0.5 degrees. What are you setting the rear camber to?

In the future if you get either coil overs or lower springs you should be able to get -2.0 to -2.5 degrees in the front camber but don't go overboard as most drivers do find that about -2.1 to -2.3 is enough.

 

minihune,

I have stock rear arms so I have rear camber factory set. I went zero toe, however, out back.

As far as -1.5 degrees camber, it seems to make a big difference . I'm not dissapointed at all. I am supprised how this small amount of change along with 1/16" toe-out impacts grip and turn-in. I set my H-sport rear bar to "middle" and the car just rocks!!! I can't wait for some "test and tune" time to experiment with the rear bar setting and tire pressures on my Azenis.

You say that H-sport springs can get more camber clearance without going full coilovers?

 

minifinn,

So what are your current settings for alignment?
Front toe 1/16" out
front camber -1.5 degrees
rear toe zero
rear camber????? -1.5 degrees?

Normally we use rear camber one degree to 0.5 degrees less negative than the front camber so in your case about -1.3 to -1.5 would be OK but since you have no rear control arms (not legal) then you get whatever you've got unless you can find a way to adjust it (brute force!). You can adjust tire pressures to compensate a bit.

Yes, the -1.5 degrees in the front is very good and much bettter for autocross than the stock camber.

Right now you have a mismatch of right and left front camber. When I added front RDR camber plates to my MCS with H-sport springs I had no trouble getting both sides to -2.2 or -2.3 degrees with a max of about -2.5 but the least camber I could set was -0.8 on one side and -1.0 on the other.

H-sport springs puts you in another class and does give better performance but not as good as a set of coil overs. Your results may vary since there are some differences with each car and model.

For the rear bar the middle setting is a good place to start and the soft or firm would be worth a try but watch out, the handling will be different with more or less understeer a result of the bar adjustment.

 

minihune,
Current settings are
Front -1.5 degree camber with 1/16" total toe-out
Rear -1 degree camber (factory control arms) 0 toe
Everything else within factory spec tolerance.

With the H-sport bar on middle setting I can steer with the throttle in tight sweepers. It adds a whole new dimension to control. Controlled four wheel drift is easy. On higher speed turns I have to power-through the turn to be safe. It kind of reminds me of how an old 911 Porsche used to scare me when I came into a corner too hot . Throttle lift oversteer is just on the threshold. I think I will only use the max firm setting on the rear bar for auto-x for sure.

 

Has anyone modified the strut tower to add clearance for either stock springs or H-Sports?

It looks like the spring is hitting a stamped rib in the sheetmetal. I would rather keep the camber at the -2 degrees setting if it's possible to alter (with a big hammer??) the sheetmetal.

Background:
Early 2002 MCS with the front suspension upgraded to later 2002 specs
H-Sport springs
RDR camber plates
Stock dampers (the 2002 stiffer ones)
Front at -2 degrees camber, 1/16" toe out.
Rear at -1.5 degrees camber with 0 toe.

The handling is great but the clunking noise when the spring rubs is going to be hard to explain to the wife. (she doesn't know about this latest addition )

Thanks for any help.

 

MINIHUNE
Can you list the setting that are recommended for the MINI. I know you had a list of various setting for different setups but I can't seem to find them. Thanks

 

I banged mine out ...