Are RCA's + Adjustable Control Arms overkill?
 

I have Exact RCA's on my car at the moment, but I think I'm going to go ahead and order some adjustable control arms to get my camber in check.

Are the RCA's even going to be needed at that point? I would guess not as the arms allow for quite a bit of adjustment, but I figured I'd ask.

Thanks for any replies.

Im assuming you're already dropped.

Yes...RCA is still necessary to correct suspension geometry...esp. the stress on the lower ball joint. It provides additional stroke to shocks/coilovers when you raise it to compensate for the additional drop.

The adjustable control arms fix negative camber....nothing else.

Im sure other suspension gurus can chime in with more details.

is your camber maxed out??? if so whats your current spec?

PHML: just saw your sig.... love the VSKF on your car!!! I love those wheels!

but back on topic, no its not overkill, if you need it then go for it. I think RCA's are a benefit that will have positives under all conditions of suspension.

IMO, nothing is over kill when upgrading factory parts on a 10yr old car... Especially when it comes to the suspension :) I you've got the cash, do it :thumbup:

Can anybody confirm that with RCA's you need rear toe rods to get the factory toe settings back? I think I read that a while ago?

i thought RCA's are for the fronts not the rears?

EXACT has FRONT and REAR RCA

Thanks bro. And yes...correcting susp. geometry due to lowering is always good. :thumbup:

I agree. :D :thumbup:

There are a few members who needed adjustable toe arms to get back to spec. I believe not everyone needed them....anyone, correct me if Im wrong.

Available for both front and rears.

So does SAGE, You Zealand, and AutoFashion.

Only EXACT and SAGE are adjustable for rears...to correct camber.

so are RCAS the same as camber kits, seem slike theyre better right?

My camber is only slightly, sorry don't have the latest printout anymore, out of spec, so I installed the RCA's a while back and it definitely helped a little, but my tires still wear out much quicker on the inside. I've read that toe is often a big part of excessive tire wear, but toe was able to be brought into spec, so that only leaves negative camber. My tires wear excessively on the most furthest inner inch of the tire, if that makes any sense at all.

I thought the upper control arms would more than compensate for any camber relief the RCA's provided, but I didn't consider the positive effect on suspension geometry from the RCA's, so they are staying.

Thanks for all the replies so far.

My friend on this forum had his SC300 aligned 'to spec' and his tire wore out on the inside. I looked at his alignment sheet and found that the toe was off, even though the alignment computer showed that it was in the green section. Most techs will adjust until the monitor tells them to stop. So your toe coule be 0.05 degree on one side, 0.15 on the other, and it's still 'in spec'.:egads: I got fed up with incompetent shops that I'm doing my own alignment from now on.

Now unless your camber is severely off, most inner wear is from the toe adjustment. I'm running a moddest -2.1 degree camber in the front and my tires wear out fine.

Hey,

You know for some reason I think you are correct and it is in fact my toe that is causing that excessive wear to the inside of my tires, now that I think about it. I mean, it isn't a gradual wearing off to the inside of the tire, but rather an abrupt wear to the very inside.

I know you mentioned that you do your own alignments, god I wish I could too (lol), but how does one truly find a competent shop or is there anything that I should be looking at on the monitor while the guy is adjusting my suspension to make sure it's correct?

Oh, and I don't even think I'm at -2, thought it was more like -1.6 even though I'm dropped to no gap between tire and fender.

not everyones car are the same in specs... i needed adjustable toe arm after i install the RCA for my rears.. i was just one of those unfortunate one :( lol all good tho.. get MEGAN IS300 rear toe arms, they are the same for the GS..

I am running RCAs up front, and now i am thinking about getting SPC upper control arms. So no its not overkill!