Camber
When camber specifications are determined during the design stage, a number of factors are taken into account. The engineers account for the fact that wheel alignment specifications used by alignment technicians are for a vehicle that is not moving. On many vehicles, camber changes with different road speeds. This is because aerodynamic forces cause a change in riding height from the height of a vehicle at rest. Because of this, riding height should be checked and problems corrected before setting camber. Camber specs are set so that when a vehicle is at highway speed, the camber is at the optimal setting for minimum tire wear.

For many years the trend has been to set the camber from zero to slightly positive to offset vehicle loading, however the current trend is to slightly negative settings to increase vehicle stability and improve handling.

Caster
Positive caster improves straight line tracking because the caster line (the line drawn through the steering pivot when viewed from the side) intersects the ground ahead of the contact patch of the tire. Just like a shopping cart caster, the wheel is forced behind the pivot allowing the vehicle to track in a straight line.

If this is the case, then why did most cars have negative caster specs prior to 1975 ? There are a couple of reasons for this. In those days, people were looking for cars that steered as light as a feather, and cars back then were not equipped with radial tires. Non-radial tires had a tendency to distort at highway speed so that the contact patch moved back past the centerline of the tire (Picture a cartoon car speeding along, the tires are generally drawn as egg-shaped). The contact patch generally moves behind the caster line causing, in effect, a positive caster. This is why, when you put radial tires on this type of car, the car wanders from side to side and no longer tracks straight. To correct this condition, re-adjust the caster to positive and the car should steer like a new car.

Maximum Motorsports Caster Camber Plates

All new 4-bolt version: MMCC9994. They have improved on what was already the best Caster/Camber plate available. Our latest patented design is even tougher than before and now has a lifetime warranty against bearing failure and plate bending. That's right--if you can bend it, break it, or otherwise wear it out, we will repair or replace that component for free. This warranty applies to the original retail purchaser of our 4-bolt Caster/Camber plates.

The Maximum Motorsports Caster/Camber Plates address the issues of obtaining proper alignment, both static and dynamic, and achieving high performance handling.

Obtaining proper static alignment in your Mustang can be a challenge even on a stock car, as some Mustangs have too much negative camber at stock ride height. Excessive negative camber causes increased wear on the inside edges of your front tires. When you lower your Mustang, the camber becomes more negative. Once the car is lowered, the factory camber adjustment slots may not provide enough range of motion for reducing negative camber to a point where your tires will wear evenly.

The MM Caster/Camber plates will provide the ability to set the camber to stock specifications regardless of ride height. They also provide a means of adjusting caster in order to accommodate individual vehicle irregularities.

Dynamic alignment accuracy is the ability of your Mustang to maintain its static alignment settings during hard cornering. This accuracy is not possible with the stock rubber strut mounts because they deflect, allowing the camber and caster settings to fluctuate, which changes the effective toe setting. Any time the effective toe setting changes it creates a steering input which is not coming from the driver. When engineering our Caster/Camber plates, we discovered that the only design which allows the necessary strut top movement is a spherical bearing. The desired movement is a strut top which swivels without moving side to side, while the strut bottom is allowed to move in an arc.

Achieving high performance handling requires alignment settings different from the factory specifications. High performance settings would be more negative camber and more positive caster. More negative camber and more positive caster will help keep the tire more upright during cornering, thereby maximizing the size of the tire footprint on the ground. When cornering, body roll causes an increase in positive camber, which pulls up the inside edge of the front outside tire, reducing the effective size of the tire’s footprint. More static negative camber counters this effect. For example, if you have 1 degree of static negative camber, and the camber moves 3 degrees due to body roll, you end up with 2 degrees of dynamic positive camber. If you have 3 degrees of static negative camber, you’ll end up with 0 degrees of dynamic camber – resulting in a larger tire footprint. Due to the steering geometry in the front of the Mustang, just turning the steering wheel will cause the camber of the outside front tire to change, becoming more positive. This effect can be countered by increasing the amount of caster. Enough positive caster (around 4 degrees in a Mustang) will cause the camber of the outside front tire to become more negative while cornering.

MM's Caster/Camber plates are unique:

• MM’s plates are double adjustable. They have separate adjusting slots to change caster and camber independent of one another.
• Our plates double the range of motion available for camber adjustment compared to stock.
• The range of motion available for caster adjustment is not limited by the design of the MM plate, but rather by the physical limitations of the strut tower.
• The MM plates use a spherical bearing instead of a urethane bushing. A spherical bearing accommodates the required motion without binding. Urethane binds and puts a bending load on the top of the strut shaft, which may cause your strut top to break.
• The steel construction and spherical bearing in MM’s plates provide a non-deflecting strut mount. With the absence of deflection, you will get better performance because of a quicker and more direct steering response.
• MM’s plates include progressive rate urethane bump stops which softens the impact when the suspension bottoms out.
• Our plates allow the use of the factory dust cover.
• Finished with durable powder coating or triple-plated chrome for great looks and long lasting protection.
• MM’s plates provide the greatest increase in suspension travel possible for lowered cars.
• All MM Caster/Camber plates are TIG welded.
• All MM Caster/Camber plates are suitable for use with coil-over conversion kits.

KENNY BROWN'S CASTER PLUS

Optimum positive caster with broader range of camber adjustment. Offers improved camber gain and delivers improved high speed stability with more on centre wheel and greater front grip.

• Unique Fixed Caster Design
• Heavy Duty Urethane Bushings
• Corrected Camber / Toe Curves
• Increased Anti-Dive

The Caster Plus™ System is engineered to enhance the handling characteristics of the 1979 to 2000 Mustang. The Caster Plus™ System relocates the upper strut mounting point to improve the front tire camber curve which, in turn, improves the cornering ability and increases anti-dive to improve braking. Caster Plus™ also increases the caster angle by approximately 2 degrees, aiding in directional stability.

The Caster Plus™ System is engineered to enhance the handling characteristics of the 1987-1989 Mustang. The Caster Plus™ System relocates the upper strut mounting point to improve the front tire camber curve which, in turn, improves the cornering ability and increases anti-dive to improve braking. Caster Plus™ also increases the caster angle by approximately 1.31 degrees, aiding in directional stability.

To attain maximum performance from the Caster Plus™ System, it is important that your car has the proper setup. We recommend the following components to help achieve this:

Proper springs and sway bars (call for recommended rates for your application);

KONI or Bilstein shocks and struts;

High-performance tires;

TracKit Plus™ rear suspension system.
Notes: Proper front wheel alignment is critical for maximum cornering ability and optimum tire wear. We offer these specifications as a starting point: -.7 degrees camber; .060" toe out and a maximum of .5 degrees side-to-side caster variation. These alignment specs may require adjustment to suit your particular driving needs and style. Careful monitoring of tire wear will help determine the optimum setting for you. Bump steer should also be checked and should be less than .050" per inch of wheel travel. Bump steer can be corrected with offset rack bushings or by other means.

The Caster Plus™ System should be installed by someone with adequate mechanical experience. Carefully read through the instructions before beginning. If you do not understand or feel comfortable with these procedures, have a qualified mechanic perform the installation;
The safety of your vehicle could be adversely affected if this System is improperly installed;

The responsibility for correct installation lies with the installer and not with Project Industries, their distributors or retailers;

The Caster Plus™ components are powder-coated and zinc chromate plated. This finish is very corrosion and rust resistant;

Any questions about kits, parts, installations or services are welcome. Contact Bishop by phone at  866-867-8324 or e-mail bishop@bishopsales.com and we will respond promptly. If you're in the neighborhood, then drop by the shop at 1130 West 15th Street North Vancouver BC and we will gladly give you a tour of our facilities, but beware – there may be a Monster and ferocious horsepower beasts in our shop when you visit! We really love to share the fun with other performance enthusiasts who want to take their cars to the next level of performance, appearance and handling!

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