Focus Fanatics Forum banner

Camber Question

3K views 22 replies 10 participants last post by  6SPD_soul 
#1 ·
So I own an 03 SVT and recently bought new wheels and tires, went from stock EAPs to Rota Grids 17x8 et40 with 225/45/17 tires. I am still on the stock suspension and most likely will be that way for a while. Now since the new set up is wider I get a little rubbing on the fender. I have looked at it and had some other people look at it and have come to the conclusion that even if I was to get the fenders rolled it might not totally fix my problem. So I might need to do negative camber, nothing crazy 1 degree at the most. Is anyone else running a similar set up? Also how much of an effect would 1 degree have on my tire wear?
 
#5 ·
DO NOT buy SPC camber plates. They cause binding between the spring and the strut top and can cause the upper part of the strut to shear. The fronts are easy to roll and pull, I would strongly suggest doing that before dropping a single dollar on the SPC plates.

The bolts and arms (arms aren't needed in your application) in the rear are great however. I still suggest rolling your rear arches as well.
 
#7 ·
I'd be willing to bet that it would get you pretty darn close, especially with a pull and especially with only SVT springs

The Eibach design is the exact same as the SPC. Unfortunately they're all junk.

If you want camber you'll need to go to a full camber plate set-up like the LCR, KMAC, or FSWerks.
 
#12 ·
Wouldn't your car already have close to 1 degree in negative camber anyways? I'm not sure what the range is for the SVT but it seems like most Focus are close to -1 already.

I'm really surprised more cars don't run into rubbing issues...one has to do some homework on dimensions to be 100% sure there won't be interference, and sometimes not all the information is available
 
#13 ·
A 225/45/17 is half an inch wider and taller than a 215/45/17, that's a pretty big difference.

And you don't have to have micro tires to have them fit. A 205/45 or a 215/40 would alleviate quite a bit of rubbing on their own, heck even a standard 215/45 would help.

You've got to determine what bothers you more, not having the money in your bank account or rubbing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SVTFocusOnMe
#17 ·
I think 8" is pushing it on the Focus, the recommended wheel width is listed at 7" to 7.5". I'm sure there are plenty of people running 8" wheels but they have really dialed it in to avoid rubbing

I believe the stock SVT and EAP wheels are listed at ET49

So with ET40 wheels, you are gaining +9mm in clearance on outside. But with a 1" wider wheel, losing 13.7mm clearance on each side. So your net difference is 4.7mm outside clearance lost on just wheels dimensions. Add to that a larger tire in width AND height as Nick mentioned, it's easy to see how clearance starts to go by the wayside

I think it was talked about also in a different thread but tires in a 225/40/17 size aren't made besides racing applications, Which would have been a preferred size to 225/45

Hopefully the fender mods solve your problems!
 
#15 ·
No problem with that.

[thumb]

Start with a fender roller to get the inner portion of the fender the correct shape. Then have someone hold the fender where it attaches to the body under the hood and pull. You're not going to hurt it but you can start slow to get a feel for it. You'll be able to pull the fenders out at the top of the arch enough that you shouldn't have any more clearance issues.

Do it on a hot day with the car sitting in the sun for a little bit. A heat gun when rolling the fenders is a must!!! Cracked paint + road salt = sad panda.
 
#18 ·
Yeah I am familiar with the process so I am going to do some research and see who is good for doing that in my area. I just worried about the paint cracking and then I have rusty fenders and a bigger headache than rubbing [?|]

But thanks for all the intel I'll keep you posted on how things go. [headbang]



I think 8" is pushing it on the Focus, the recommended wheel width is listed at 7" to 7.5". I'm sure there are plenty of people running 8" wheels but they have really dialed it in to avoid rubbing

I believe the stock SVT and EAP wheels are listed at ET49

So with ET40 wheels, you are gaining +9mm in clearance on outside. But with a 1" wider wheel, losing 13.7mm clearance on each side. So your net difference is 4.7mm outside clearance lost on just wheels dimensions. Add to that a larger tire in width AND height as Nick mentioned, it's easy to see how clearance starts to go by the wayside

I think it was talked about also in a different thread but tires in a 225/40/17 size aren't made besides racing applications, Which would have been a preferred size to 225/45

Hopefully the fender mods solve your problems!
Yea I was pretty aware of the dimensions and what not when I made the purchase. I knew it would be tight but I like how it looks and drives so I'm happy.


YESSSS so much contact patch[grinking]
 
#16 ·


Proof that wheel width matters for contact patch. 225/45/17 on 7" wide wheel in front. 225/45/17 on 7.5" wide wheel in back. The front tires are also R-comps which tend to run wide, so that just magnifies the importance of wheel width.
 
#19 ·
#23 ·
I've got the SPC camber plates for 10K miles and they've caused no problems and stayed where I set them. I'm actually pretty happy about how they've performed, aside from squeaking during parking maneuvers and that went away pretty quickly after installation. Im on Eiback sportline kit FWIW, don't see that a little more or less ride height would cause problems. Whats your beef with them, I skimmed the thread and you mentioned something about shearing off the top of the strut?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top