Obtained 1* of neg camber by hitting a log

[xLibelle]

Drove up to Atl Friday night while a big storm was going through. Taking back roads up to Canton, there was a 4" hard wood log in the road that was impossible to avoid. I Ran square over it with the left wheels, bending both rims (Ronal Turbos), flattening the front tire. The rim is so bent, the bead wont seal air.

So i JUST had an alignment before i left for Atl and had -2.6 camber on each front wheel. Now one of them is almost -3.5. Here is a picture of the camber just for the heck of it.



My question to you:
What is the more likely component to bend in this scenerio? I lifted the car and made a visual inspection and took some quick measurements and couldnt pinpoint the fault.

I'm kinda worried that its something in the body. I think it unlikely, but god would that suck.


Oh, btw, TJ's old car, now driven by Kevin Hagler(sp?) beat me by one tenth a second Sunday. I was rolling borrowed hard 195 streets.

[bmwpower]

Probably the control arm is bent.
How fast were you going?

[xLibelle]

was still drizzling and had just rounded a corner so not that fast... 45-50

i'm not seeing the control arm being a cause for increased camber. the wheel is centered fore/back of the wheel well exactly the same amount that the right side is.

...and my toe is pretty much where i wanted it, at about 1/8" out

[gtdragon980]

By the sounds of it, i would only expect a bent tie rod or control arm...i don't know really if the control arm would cause camber but if they have bushings for them to create neg camber then there could be a possibility that it is the culprit.

[bmwpower]

was still drizzling and had just rounded a corner so not that fast... 45-50

i'm not seeing the control arm being a cause for increased camber. the wheel is centered fore/back of the wheel well exactly the same amount that the right side is.

...and my toe is pretty much where i wanted it, at about 1/8" out

What if the end that attaches to strut is bent "up"?
The only way to know for sure if to get under there and put some pressure on the joints and see if they are not toast. A bad joint could do that as well.

By the sounds of it, i would only expect a bent tie rod or control arm...i don't know really if the control arm would cause camber but if they have bushings for them to create neg camber then there could be a possibility that it is the culprit.

A bent tie rod should give you positive camber, unless it was stretched in the accident.

[gtdragon980]

^yeah i'm picturing it in my head and that makes sense.

[xLibelle]

bump for more input

[Goya20]

it really hard to see a bent control arm, just change the tierods and control arms. They have the set for $170 on FCP Groton. Idk it up to you where u buy your parts.

[Massive Lee]

Shock towers are notoriously soft on e30s

Yours is probably bent now.

Lee

[whiltebeitel]

I wouldn't mess with FCP Karlyn parts. Lemforder ftw. (Hates changing tirerods and control arms twice in a few months)

[xLibelle]

Yours is probably bent now.

thanks... thats just what i wanted to hear :crazy:

[Massive Lee]

thanks... thats just what i wanted to hear :crazy:

I know it sucks, but back in the days, it was exremely common for e30s hitting Montreal's famous winter potholes to completely wack their alignement because the towers getting all bent. All e30s should have a front stress bar to strengthen ths area. I don't mean that your towers are necessarely bent, but that you should measure them. It is posible your control arm got bent, but this would not change camber. Check gap between the rear of the wheel and the splash panel...

[xLibelle]

Only measurement i made (that i had time to) was from wheel center to the back of the fender on each side (since it was the most concrete place) and both were arguably within a 16th.

-Looking at the tower, it does not show any stress lines, creases, bulges, or anything of that sort. It looks exactly like the other side does.

-The subframe looks even and the curves and creases appear normal and the same on each side.

-The control arm looked straight but i didnt spend a lot of time on that.

-I havent broken out the tools yet but did perform a rudimentary test: get my finger between the tire and strut tube and measure as an angle. Bent side i couldnt hardly get it started and the straight side I could roll my finger between slightly better. Meaning my finger would go completely through being pinched and the bent side, I could hardly get the fingernail to slide on the strut tube. *Tire pressures were the same but i do not consider this a good test.

-Camber was a fixed plate and I did not inspect anything else regarding the strut mount bearing. (was no noise durring turning and when shaking the wheel with both hands, there was no movement)


Question, how would i go about measuring for a bent frame or tower?? from where to where? I'm thinking from a strut mount bolt to like three common places in the bay. One at center of firewall, one at back corner, another at front corner. Each place should have an easily definable mirror location on the other side of the car. Is this correct or is there an easier method?


All in all, I believe i will have to have a new (used) strut assembly and control arm to test fitment the problem, if i cannot measure the problem. If the case is that it is the body, then i'll just roll with it and purchase an adjustable camber plate and make the good side look like the bad side, lol.

btw, what is the measurement of the distance between the two strut towers? I just might invest in a tower brace now. :|

[E30SPDFRK]

Check the bottom of the strut tube

[xLibelle]

yeah, while under the car, it was a quick glance at that region. Didnt note anything out of the ordinary.
I should write Ireland Engineering to find out what bends when they add camber into the assembly.

I think i might go and check it out again tomorrow. Car is in storage while I'm in germany for the next couple months.