Front camber is ridiculous

[allaceshomeservices@gmail]

Master Mechanic
16 years repairing domestic, foreign and luxury cars
72,426 Satisfied customers

My 99 Eddie Bauer that I've owned 3 years had no tire wear abnormalities and I put 100 miles a day for work. 7 months ago I had to swerve into a freeway median hard enough to break my aluminum rim and since then my camber is bad enough to reduce brand new tires to showing radial after 2 months. A couple shops said I need new uca and ball joints and I plan on it when I can afford to but seems to me for the camber to go that bad that quick there's gotta be a different cause, I've owned numerous older vehicles over the past 35 years and never seen camber this bad in my life on any vehicle. I plan on replacing the worn ball joints and bushings when I can afford to in the near future but will a camber adjustment kit fix this or is the problem something else?

 

[Rick]

A bent control arm is a definite possibility. Or, the bushings could be so badly beat that the camber is way off. Can't really say for sure without looking at everything.

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto. The impact to break a rim suggests something else is badly damaged, the BJ's and the adjustment components are likely in need of ASAP work.

Most of these older models bought at this age, need four new BJ's at the least. I would expect and plan to replace all of the control arms, especially after an accident like that. With Moog parts, expect around $400 or so for those four. I like the UCA's from Mevotech, the heavy duty versions. Moog and Ford are the best LCA choices still, other brands are not as good. Look to Rock Auto for most things, Amazon too for price shopping and availability.

 

[Pete Deering]

Master Mechanic
16 years repairing domestic, foreign and luxury cars
72,426 Satisfied customers
View attachment 423069
My 99 Eddie Bauer that I've owned 3 years had no tire wear abnormalities and I put 100 miles a day for work. 7 months ago I had to swerve into a freeway median hard enough to break my aluminum rim and since then my camber is bad enough to reduce brand new tires to showing radial after 2 months. A couple shops said I need new uca and ball joints and I plan on it when I can afford to but seems to me for the camber to go that bad that quick there's gotta be a different cause, I've owned numerous older vehicles over the past 35 years and never seen camber this bad in my life on any vehicle. I plan on replacing the worn ball joints and bushings when I can afford to in the near future but will a camber adjustment kit fix this or is the problem something else?

The camber is Non-adjustable from the factory. There are adjustable camber kit available for the explorer. The upper control arm (& ball joint) is assembly. If your a mechanic by trade, why don't you just put it on a alignment machine too see what off. Check out the wheel for play. Just thinking; the camber bolt and the plate are key in to a mount that is welded to the frame. Did you damage the Mount on frame? A alignment machine will tell you what's off.

 

[allaceshomeservices@gmail]

A bent control arm is a definite possibility. Or, the bushings could be so badly beat that the camber is way off. Can't really say for sure without looking at everything.

Oh for sure I can see the uca bushings are worn badly and same for the boots around the ball joints, all of which I plan on replacing in the next month..

The camber is Non-adjustable from the factory. There are adjustable camber kit available for the explorer. The upper control arm (& ball joint) is assembly. If your a mechanic by trade, why don't you just put it on a alignment machine too see what off. Check out the wheel for play. Just thinking; the camber bolt and the plate are key in to a mount that is welded to the frame. Did you damage the Mount on frame? A alignment machine will tell you what's off.

I'm by no means a professional mechanic, I'm a painter/remodelor....I'm just a mechanically minded guy with a Haynes manual and tools. I can fix anything but just need to know what's gonna do it...guess I'll start with the camber kit and then uca s and ball joints then idk

 

[Pete Deering]

Oh for sure I can see the uca bushings are worn badly and same for the boots around the ball joints, all of which I plan on replacing in the next month..

I'm by no means a professional mechanic, I'm a painter/remodelor....I'm just a mechanically minded guy with a Haynes manual and tools. I can fix anything but just need to know what's gonna do it...guess I'll start with the camber kit and then uca s and ball joints then idk

You should do both at the same time. When you remove the camber bolts, you are ready to remove the upper control arm. What is left to do is to remove the upper ball joint nut and your done. You also have to get a alignment. Chris fix has a nice video on youtube. He shows you all the tricks And tools you will need, too make it a easy repair.

 

[CDW6212R]

The camber is adjustable, all vehicles have the adjustment. The camber kits have special camber "keys", the large oblong kind of washer with an off center square 3/8" hole in them. Those camber kits just allow a slightly greater camber adjustment range than the OEM parts(they replace them).

With a hard impact on the front suspension, and the old age, it's time to replace all of the CA bushings and BJ's. You might want to have a top alignment shop inspect it for more damage than the CA's etc. But it's about 99% for sure that all four complete CA's should be replaced. If you go cheap about it and save $100 or so by keeping the lower CA's and just doing those BJ's, the tire wear is likely to not be great due to the age of those CA bushings. Then the cost is the extra tire wear, plus the later on replacement of those lower bushings.

Do it now, spend a little time to decide on the four CA's. The wheel bearings/hubs may also need replacing, do what you can to check all of the main wear items, the bearings and brakes etc. If you don't change the ride height from stock, you may not need the camber kits, which are about $25 per side.

 

[Pete Deering]

The camber is adjustable, all vehicles have the adjustment. The camber kits have special camber "keys", the large oblong kind of washer with an off center square 3/8" hole in them. Those camber kits just allow a slightly greater camber adjustment range than the OEM parts(they replace them).

With a hard impact on the front suspension, and the old age, it's time to replace all of the CA bushings and BJ's. You might want to have a top alignment shop inspect it for more damage than the CA's etc. But it's about 99% for sure that all four complete CA's should be replaced. If you go cheap about it and save $100 or so by keeping the lower CA's and just doing those BJ's, the tire wear is likely to not be great due to the age of those CA bushings. Then the cost is the extra tire wear, plus the later on replacement of those lower bushings.

Do it now, spend a little time to decide on the four CA's. The wheel bearings/hubs may also need replacing, do what you can to check all of the main wear items, the bearings and brakes etc. If you don't change the ride height from stock, you may not need the camber kits, which are about $25 per side.

My 95 was not adjustable. I added the adjustment camber kit.

 

[CDW6212R]

They all are adjustable, loosening the UCA bolts allows the UCA to move in or out some(that's the camber). Those large oblong washers rotate a small amount as the UCA moves in and out. The factory range of movement is minor, but they do move. If you loosen those bolts, the camber will be terrible fast, as the UCA moves to where it prefers to be. With the camber kits, you have to watch those bolts for tightness, they are kind of slick and don't hold tight as well as the factory bolts and washers.

 

[Pete Deering]

They all are adjustable, loosening the UCA bolts allows the UCA to move in or out some(that's the camber). Those large oblong washers rotate a small amount as the UCA moves in and out. The factory range of movement is minor, but they do move. If you loosen those bolts, the camber will be terrible fast, as the UCA moves to where it prefers to be. With the camber kits, you have to watch those bolts for tightness, they are kind of slick and don't hold tight as well as the factory bolts and washers.

No, my car Had only square plate in them. Non adjustable. It also state that in the service manual. Are you the orignal owner of the vehicle?

 

[CDW6212R]

There are two parts on each side, on the bolts, which contribute to the UCA moving in and out. I don't have the stock components on mine any longer because I lowered each truck a little, and needed the aftermarket kits to gain more negative camber to compensate. I have several of those stock spare camber parts left over.

They all adjust a small amount, 100% of all of them. Your service manual is wrong, sorry to say you are misinformed. All vehicles have a camber adjustment, small or large, they all have it.

 

[Pete Deering]

See

They all are adjustable, loosening the UCA bolts allows the UCA to move in or out some(that's the camber). Those large oblong washers rotate a small amount as the UCA moves in and out. The factory range of movement is minor, but they do move. If you loosen those bolts, the camber will be terrible fast, as the UCA moves to where it prefers to be. With the camber kits, you have to watch those bolts for tightness, they are kind of slick and don't hold tight as well as

There are two parts on each side, on the bolts, which contribute to the UCA moving in and out. I don't have the stock components on mine any longer because I lowered each truck a little, and needed the aftermarket kits to gain more negative camber to compensate. I have several of those stock spare camber parts left over.

See attached service bulletin. Which shows factory plates and the adjustable plates

 

[RangerNutt]

What others have said about repair, but camber alone could never account for the kind of tire wear you're seeing. Toe in (or "out," after the crash) could. If excessive, it causes a continuous scrubbing of the rubber as the wheels turn. The farther out of align the wheel, the greater the amount of rubber removed.

Fixing can take some pretty serious work, sometimes suited more to a blacksmith than a mechanic. Sorry no quick fix.

EDIT
To be more clear, the linkages that set the toe in are likely damaged, with camber deviation being most noticeable. If steps are taken to correct the more obvious camber problem so that it's perfect but the ridiculous tire wear remains, then when the real causal damage is fixed, guess what? The previously corrected camber will be out.

It's always better to do a good analysis up front to keep that sort of thing from happening.

 

[J_C]

See


See attached service bulletin. Which shows factory plates and the adjustable plates

The factory bolt does have a cam on it, which allows adjustment. Why would there be a cam at all if it didn't? Even the Moog page pic shows this. The double cam design allows more adjustment, so Moog is probably thinking "you bought this for more adjustment so to get that you need the 2nd cam, otherwise you don't gain that addt'l adjustment" when they stated you must replace the factory square plate.

 

[J_C]

I would plan on replacing the upper control arm on that side, which also gains the bushings and upper BJ, and get the double cam bolt kit for the heck of it as it's not expensive.

The lower BJ, I'd first check for play, but with two different shops stating you need them (assuming they meant the lower BJs too), up to you to look at and decide if lower control arm might be bent or if bushings are shot, replace it too.

If the other front tire is also wearing, it seems more like toe to me, as RangerNutt mentioned, or just general suspension wear, maybe other side hits a pothole or something... it happens. How much of it all to replace because it's due for it, all at once before paying for an alignment is up to you, but if you plan on keeping/using it a lot more, it seems timely to do as much as possible at once, as soon as possible to save scrapping more tires, then only paying for a single alignment.

However, in theory you can replace the lower BJs without needing a new alignment. At the same time it's not guaranteed, and more likely you'll need one replacing lower control arm or just its bushings.