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      07-01-2021, 11:15 AM   #1
FaRKle!
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SPL Lower Control Arms for Camber and Track Width Adjustment

Most people use camber plates to gain negative camber on their BMWs, but you can also increase negative camber using an adjustable length wishbone/lower control arm and making it longer than the OE arms.

Other benefits of lengthening the wishbone/LCA are increasing caster, and increasing the track width. The caster increase helps maintain higher negative camber when the wheels are turned, and increased track width reduces roll on that axle. For reference, BMW increased the front track width on G8x by 1.5" over F8x (and the rear by only 0.2").

Using these arms with the stock springs/struts I was able to achieve -2.3deg of negative camber at max extension, which produced about 8deg of caster, and widened the track width by 1".

Here's an overview on these arms, their features, and how they work.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Index
0:00 Intro
0:14 SPL Arm Layout
1:17 Arm Length Adjustment
3:22 Roll Center Correction
4:11 Assembly Mock Up
5:40 Headlight Leveling Sensor
6:59 SPL Arm vs Camber Plates?
7:41 My Alignment and Conclusion
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      07-04-2021, 12:22 PM   #2
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I will be very interested to know the results.
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      07-22-2021, 12:10 AM   #3
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Thumbs up

In for the longer-term thoughts on these, and thanks for all the great videos!!!
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      09-07-2021, 02:15 PM   #4
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Hello FaRKle! can you share any long term impressions of these? Particularly, how many track days / track miles do you have on these and how are your shocks holding up? I remember reading that using control arms to achieve increased negative camber puts undue stress on the shocks due to strut top angle? Any merit to that?

Given my NVH horror stories (clunks) with GC camber plates, I would be interested in this as a way to achieve negative camber. But want to learn more from real world track use so would appreciate your thoughts and long term review.

Last edited by USSEnterprise; 09-07-2021 at 02:24 PM..
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      09-08-2021, 03:09 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USSEnterprise View Post
Hello FaRKle! can you share any long term impressions of these? Particularly, how many track days / track miles do you have on these and how are your shocks holding up? I remember reading that using control arms to achieve increased negative camber puts undue stress on the shocks due to strut top angle? Any merit to that?
Interesting...
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      09-09-2021, 05:20 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USSEnterprise View Post
Given my NVH horror stories (clunks) with GC camber plates, I would be interested in this as a way to achieve negative camber. But want to learn more from real world track use so would appreciate your thoughts and long term review.
I had a similar (nightmare) experience with GC camber plates - had a major death wobble and clunking at speeds.

Swapped them out for Vorshlag plates and have had zero issues…
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      09-11-2021, 06:44 AM   #7
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I found the latest video that FaRKle! did doing a review of the SPL arms: says he gets just a bit of fender rub and plans to do camber plates anyway.

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      09-11-2021, 06:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USSEnterprise View Post
I found the latest video that FaRKle! did doing a review of the SPL arms: says he gets just a bit of fender rub and plans to do camber plates anyway.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Index
0:00 Intro
0:26 M2 CS Racing Front Sway Bar
1:08 CSR Sway Bar Street Impressions
2:31 CSR Sway Bar Track Impressions
4:23 SPL Lower Control Arms
6:39 SPL LCA Downsides & Concerns
8:40 AP Racing Brake Kit
9:20 Pad Rattle
10:28 DS3.12 Impressions
11:40 AP Brake Kit Pad Swap Issues
13:03 More AP Brake Kit Observations
13:46 Conclusion
Hot dang, you're quick! Beat me to the post!

For the record, on stock sized wheels/tires you shouldn't rub the inner lip of the fender, but with the 18x9.5 +22 TA5R and 265/35/18 A052s I can get that bit of rubbing.

NVH-wise the SPL arms haven't added any. Been solid so far!
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      09-16-2021, 11:37 PM   #9
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Would you get rubbing with stock 19” wheels and 265/35/19 tires?
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      09-17-2021, 06:45 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle ben View Post
Would you get rubbing with stock 19” wheels and 265/35/19 tires?
If you are getting SPL arms to get camber, you are likely tracking your car a LOT. If you are tracking your car a lot, you are very likely running wider wheels with race tires. In which case the rubbing is a deal breaker. It's unfortunate, but it means camber plates are still the go-to to get track alignment and we have to live with the NVH issues.

Very hopeful that the new Millway street plates are better in that regard than GC.
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      09-17-2021, 09:39 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USSEnterprise View Post
If you are getting SPL arms to get camber, you are likely tracking your car a LOT. If you are tracking your car a lot, you are very likely running wider wheels with race tires. In which case the rubbing is a deal breaker. It's unfortunate, but it means camber plates are still the go-to to get track alignment and we have to live with the NVH issues.

Very hopeful that the new Millway street plates are better in that regard than GC.
I’m running my stock wheels right now, but went from the stock 255/275 sizes to 265/285 for a little more grip. I know that people run spacers for a more flush look, but I was thinking If these arms add track width, then I can skip the spacers, get more camber, and have no downside. I was considering the millway street camber plates as well, but I thought that these might do the trick on their own.
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      09-17-2021, 09:56 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle ben View Post
I’m running my stock wheels right now, but went from the stock 255/275 sizes to 265/285 for a little more grip. I know that people run spacers for a more flush look, but I was thinking If these arms add track width, then I can skip the spacers, get more camber, and have no downside. I was considering the millway street camber plates as well, but I thought that these might do the trick on their own.
If you intend to stick to stock wheels in long run, yes your approach makes sense.

However, the SPL arms only get you to -2 or -2.2 camber which is not enough. You want at least -2.6 or -2.7 to keep from tearing up outside shoulders of front tires. I run -2.6 and even then, outsides wear pretty good.
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      01-04-2024, 05:04 AM   #13
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Sorry to revive this old post but wondering about the rear control arm you did and there noise and vibration.

I have had both GC and currently Vorshlog and the noise upfront sucks. Plenty of negative camber though at 3.2
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