Negative camber only in reverse?

[Colby_e32]

I just rebuilt my whole front end, using new moog upper control arms, with offset bushings with new balljoints, new lower balljoints, new GM pitman arm, idler arm, new inner and outer tie rods.

I switched from stock decranked keys, to belltech keys was the only “change”

truck is lowered 3.5” front, and 5” rear.


today I noticed when going in reverse the wheels camber in. Probably 3-4 degrees.

when I pull forward the wheels straighten up. It doesn’t seem like the toe changes much at all.

Any idea what could be wrong? I’ve read about this happening on Ford vehicles but never a Chevy.

it may have been doing it previously, but I never noticed it...

 

[exp500]

Sounds like your Alignment cams are loose.

 

[gooffeyguy]

Does it also do it when going forward and braking hard?

 

[Colby_e32]

Does it also do it when going forward and braking hard?

here’s the deal, I got finished installing the suspension Friday night, Saturday morning I was dialing in the ride height by adjusting the keys a few turns.
Every time I backed out of the shop to measure I had crazy camber.

I’d go drive it, pull back in, wheels straight as an arrow.

I have yet to notice if it does it during hard braking, but going forward the wheels are straight.

literally as soon as I put it in reverse and move back a foot, the wheels lean in. All parts are new. There’s no way a part is causing this.

 

[gooffeyguy]

Just trying to rule out if weight transfer was effecting it.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Colby_e32]

Just trying to rule out if weight transfer was effecting it.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I can tell you for sure the cam bolts are tight.

What I’m thinking is the torsion keys are causing the issue, almost as if they aren’t supporting the weight of the truck as well as the stock decranked keys were. It’s sitting at the same height as before. 31 1/2” front ground to fender on a 285/50/20 tire.

 

[wjburken]

A couple questions.

1) Was your vehicle professionally aligned after you installed the new suspension components? Have you had it rechecked?

2) What is the condition of your jounce stops?

3) When you say the camber changes, what are you seeing/feeling that makes you say this? Are you able to measure it as being different or are you just feeling a difference in your steering that leads you to say it is changing?

 

[Colby_e32]

A couple questions.

1) Was your vehicle professionally aligned after you installed the new suspension components? Have you had it rechecked?

2) What is the condition of your jounce stops?

3) When you say the camber changes, what are you seeing/feeling that makes you say this? Are you able to measure it as being different or are you just feeling a difference in your steering that leads you to say it is changing?

Truck has not been aligned yet, it was aligned a week ago. I had 2 degrees of negative camber, caster was perfect, toe was perfect. I installed the moog problem solver upper arms which offer 2 degrees of positive camber. the wheel sits perfectly level now according to my camber gauge which mounts to the hub. That problem has been solved by swapping to the offset bushing upper arms.

jounce stops are like new, they are belltech jounce stops, and have been installed for several months.

when in reverse you can install the camber gauge onto the hub, and watch the wheel physically lean in 4 degrees. I have a video i can post a link to so you guys can watch this happen.

 

[Colby_e32]

I’ll upload a better video maybe with the camber gauge installed.

 

[wjburken]

You can see the wheel roll in and out, that is for sure. To get that much movement, there either has to be something that is not tight or something not seated properly. Have you checked your toe angles? If the front is toed in, it will want to pull the bottom of your wheels in going forward and pull the bottom of your wheels out going backward.

Personally, I'm not sure I would spend much more time trying to diagnose it as you should get it aligned again no matter what. I know you think that the only "change" is your keys, the fact is you replaced quite a few components up there and it needs to be re-aligned properly.