Wobble64

Many here are lowering their car and many have issues with the car pulling in one direction and/or with uneven tire wear. I recently installed the KW Clubsport Coilovers on my C63 (love them!) and did lower the car significantly vs before (when I had only HR springs). As a result I had 2.5 degrees negative camber in the rear and boy, did my winter tires not like that..... I also suffered from poor grip whenever the road was wet, especially with salt involved.
So I ordered the rear camber and toe bushings kit from K-Mac (K-Mac part number 502226) and had them recently installed.


Here are pictures of the kit as I received it. The quality is impressive. The design is very well thought through. The bushings are robust and designed in a way that allows a huge adjustment range that can be adjusted directly while on the alignment rack, without any need to disassemble - under load. The kit even comes with a special tool to press the old bushings out and press the new ones in.


Picture 1 shows the toe arm bushings, picture 2 a camber arm bushing and pictures 3 and 4 show the bushing insertion/removal tool.

Wobble64

Installing bushings is usually a messy affair. The original ones can be stuck so well, that one has to burn out the interior rubber and sleeve with a torch, then cut the remaining outer bushing shell with a saw to get it out. I do NOT recommend anyone to take this on themselves and in their garage (unless they are either very experienced, or masochists, or both....). Not an issue for an experienced mechanic, though.
Once installed the bushings work very well, the adjustment range is huge and adjustment is very easy. That kit will resolve your alignment issues once and for all, no matter how low you have gone.
Total cost: 405$ for the bushings (leadtime under a week shipped from Sydney, Australia, shipping included). Installation was 585$ for labor and alignment. Depending on whether the old bushings cooperate or not, you have to expect 3.5-5 hours work.
I now have 3.5 degrees neg. front camber (track spec), 1.5 degrees neg. camber in the rear, and only very small toe both front and rear (0.15 degrees if I remember correctly). The car runs straight and true, stable, but eager to turn in. Perfect!!


Picture 1 shows the camber bushing installed, picture 2 the toe arm bushing installed and picture 3 the OEM bushings we took out.

C63amg Tokyo

Looks quality!

I also had the clubsports on my previous c63 and absolutely loved them too. You're right about the rain, luckily Fuji Speed Way is a very forgiving track. Curious to know how the K-Mac fair.

Subbed

Mort

Nice post Wobble!

I am currently installing these same bushings in the rear of my car. One side is done and the other just needs to be bolted back together. Will do a post in my thread when I am done.

BLKROKT

Nice bud! Another thing to put on the list. Our arms race is going to get out of hand pretty soon haha.

Phil Chow

Interesting, do the OEM Camber Adjustment Bolts not allow you to fix the camber in the rears after lowering?

Wobble64

Somebody who has used those should probably chime in. As far as I know they have nowhere near the adjustment range. I wanted something that allows me to change camber repeatedly depending on track, tires etc. Also, camber and toe adjustments are interdependent. You cannot just adjust camber, but need to correct toe also when you do that.

Mort

Phil, there are no camber adjust bolts for the rear. You need to go aftermarket if you want any adjustment for the rear camber. There is only toe adjustment for the rear on our cars.

Badmeat

There are factory camber bolts that can be ordered through MB. They are not adjustable, and only provide about .5 degrees of positive camber over stock.

Wobble, it's funny that I ran across this post.... I literally just messaged Kent about getting the rear camber kit ordered/installed.
How are the camber plates treating you?

Mort

There are no MB camber bolts available for the rear just the front camber and caster.

oggie

It is definitely an arms race, I need to order the K-macs for the rear before attempting doing the KW install.

Wobble64

Badmeat, I removed (and sold) the K-Mac camber plates in the front, when I moved to KW Clubsport coilovers (they come with their own camber plates, different from the V3s). However, those same coilovers brought my rear down significantly compared the HR spring setup I had before, so I recently installed the rear bushing kit from K-Mac to get camber down to a reasonable value. Works great, has lots of adjustment range, but squeaks a bit, at least mine. Not an issue for me though, since I know there is a good reason for the squeaking. It will save me many sets of tires.....

BLKROKT

Apparently the K-Mac camber plates are allowing me to run the BS alignment specs. Car is almost done, just a few more days.

Wobble64

What are the BS alignment specs, for reference? I bet you cannot wait!

BLKROKT

I'll know when I get the car back, Harry's going to have a before/after comparison on the specs he was able to achieve. And I owe you a beer... 3 weeks and counting - waiting on Weistec to send my valve body back.

Mort

This is a sheet I found online for BS alignment specs.

Wobble64

Very interesting, thanks for sharing, Mort! Unusual to see higher rear camber than front camber. Those are obviously specs for everyday Street driving, not specifically track. Great reference to have!

Badmeat

Thanks, for the clarification. I'll be ordering some today. I believe 000-333-09-71 is the correct part number....? A total of 4 (2 for each side) is needed, I believe.

Nice. How do you like the Clubsport over the V3's?

I'm ordering the K-Mac rear bushing kit and MB front fixed camber bolts today. Hopefully within the next couple weeks I can get an appt. at TiC for the install, .5" or so raise on my suspension, and alignment. My camber is all out of whack (-1.8 & -2.4 rear, -1.8 & -2.0 front). I'm anticipating the rear feeling more planted when exiting a corner and getting back into the throttle. If I'm not happy with the front alignment, I'll pull the trigger on the front bushing kit or camber plates...still undecided as to which I would do.

I would imagine that some grease would help with the bushings squeaking, no?

That's in AUD, I believe. I just added it to my cart and proceeded to PayPal. It's showing up as $410 AUD shipped, which should be just under $300 US

Can you confirm in your billing?

Wobble64

Unfortunately the price was 405 USD, shipped.

Some more grease may or may not help. The squeak is more a rubber noise than a metal squeak. But as said, it is not bothersome, it only happens occasionally, and only when going over uneven terrain slowly.

need2speed

FWIW, K-Macs also squeek on the W124 kits. I know many, including myself, that took them out after awhile. Just something to keep in mind if one is noise averse.

Wobble64

So what did you do after you uninstalled the K-Mac bushings? Live with the excessive camber and resulting tire wear, or did you find a better solution?

QuartzBlueP31

Anyone ever try the adjustable camber arms?

deadlyvt

I had them on my w203 c32 worked good for adjusting camber... Tons of adjustability and didn't have any problems in the 10k or so I had them on for

Wobble64

The watch-out with camber arms are 2:
1. Longevity of ball joint or (in this case) bushings, and rust of the steel adjustment rod and nut. Should be stainless, if possible.
2. And second, camber and toe are related. When you adjust camber you need to correct toe also.


The latter is why I chose the K-Mac bushing solution

deadlyvt

Are the bushings stiffer than the stock pieces? Did you notice and difference in the handling (I guess with altered geometry it would be a guess which caused it if there was a change )