20 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHTarret Camber Plates
Reported or suspected cause
too long
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause
There is a video on youtube of someone that installed an aftermarket front LCA on a C4 and it turned out to be too long.
Leading evidence: 'too long' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'too long' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Install aftermarket front lca' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
There is a video on youtube of someone that installed an aftermarket front LCA on a C4 and it turned out to be too long.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
As I mentioned in an earlier post (and another thread, a while ago) after the new suspension components were installed I brought the car to my local Porsche dealer for a $450 alignment
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Also, have you replaced the front LCA (coffin arm) in the front?
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
For this I was given the opportunity to pay them $1100.00 to replace my steering rack with a rebuilt unit (a one was over $3k).
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
As I mentioned in an earlier post (and another thread, a while ago) after the new suspension components were installed I brought the car to my local Porsche dealer for a $450 alignment
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
The most recent shop insisted I buy new tires before they did the alignment, or "it would change things when I put the new tires on" - when I think about this in hindsight, it seems like total BS (since when do you have to re-align the suspension because you put new tires on?), but at the time it seemed reasonable since I needed the tires anyway...Hopefully, the next place I call can figure it out once and for all...Wish me luck
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
If so, you must reuse the factory thrust bearing and spring seat and the shop needs to know that there's a specific way the set screws need to be installed with Loctite to properly locate the factory thrust bearing to keep it from moving around.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
The C4/Turbo uses a different style of camber plate because the top mounts for the AWD are different than the 996 C2 and 986, the Tarett version doesn't have a 2nd set of holes to move the pins and flip to gain/reduce camber, I think because the strut is tilted relative to the top mount.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
20 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T161109Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Anyone with a C4, C4S or Turbo using Tarret Camber Plates? I'm using them with H&R Sport Springs and Bilstein B8 shocks/struts. I just had my car in for new front tires (insides badly worn), bump steer tie rod ends and an alignment. After spending 10 hrs. at the shop, the best they could do on the camber is -2.8 on the left and 3.0 on the right (the rears are much better at about -.8 both sides). Anyone know what's going on here? Clearly the shop doesn't, as they didn't recommend any other parts or ideas of how to get it back in spec (I'd like it as close to neutral as possible). I've got an email into Tarret, and will be calling another shop - just trying to gather a little intelligence before "going in blind"...
Sorry, but the numbers you put down are confusing. You say the fronts are -2.8 and -3.0? The rears only align out to -.8? That seems backwards. Shouldn’t an aggressive street/DE align for an AWD be like -2.5 rear and -1.8 front?
Ok, not trying to be snarky here, but it seems you guys are missing something... I'm not looking for a track set-up. I'm trying to get as close to 0/neutral/stock spec. as possible (least amount of tire wear as I just went through a set of fronts in about 6k miles). What the shop is saying is that they can't get any LESS camber than what I've got. I originally went with the Tarret top-mounts/camber plates because they were about the same price as the stock rubber mounts and they're "adjustable" (the shop seems to think they're not though...). Thanks in advance...
Still missing some info. Tarret front and rear? If so, did they put them on reversed (if that is even possible)? Fronts on rear, etc? By “0/neutral/stock” alignment do you mean you want .10 toe and 0+/- .25 camber front; .20 toe and -1.2 +/- .25 rear? Those are the book numbers for non-X73/74.
'99 C4 - Tarret camber plates in front - stock tops in the rear. Yes - those "stock X73/74" #'s look like they'd be just about perfect. The fact that the shop/mechanic didn't/doesn't know this or how to achieve it has me just flabbergasted. I just wanted to take my car and hightail it out of there - unfortunately I couldn't (they talked a great game before doing whatever they did - essentially nothing). Now I have to find another shop (a qualified one this time) and start all over again.
I am pretty sure the bolt spacing is different front/rear and they can't be put on reversed. IT may be possible that they have moved the plates the wrong way, and are maxing out the camber when they think they are minimizing it.
In any event -3 front is a very aggressive street alignment. I had -.7 front -1.8 rear put in and it is very crisp handling, but still stable at high speed.
Can you pop the front hood and remove the plastic covers so you can view the strut top mounts and see where the three nuts are? If they are all the way inwards, that is max neg camber, if they are all the way outwards, that is min camber. Those
Tarrets
provide an extra .6 of neg camber, so that means with stock you would be at -2.2 and -2.4? How much lowered is your car?
Also, have you replaced the front LCA (coffin arm) in the front?
There is a video on youtube of someone that installed an aftermarket front LCA on a C4 and it turned out to be too long. That would give you a big dose of extra neg camber.
You Tube
The camber plates don't look like they did before i brought the car there. It looks like they took them out and tried to adjust them, but probably screwed something up. FWIW I've got a email in to Ira at Tarret to see if he can shed some light on what might be going on.
dporto, are the plates these ones?
If so, they need to move the bolts to the other set of holes. One set gives you a stock setup, the other set adds a bunch of negative camber.
I did mine on the weekend for a track day. Will return back likely over the weekend. Maybe 1 hr job to swap them.
The C4/Turbo uses a different style of camber plate because the top mounts for the AWD are different than the 996 C2 and 986, the Tarett version doesn't have a 2nd set of holes to move the pins and flip to gain/reduce camber, I think because the strut is tilted relative to the top mount.
https://www.tarett.com/items/996-997...smt-detail.htm
^^^ Yes, these are the mounts I've got. According to Tarret, they add 1.2 degrees to whatever the stock camber setting is (which is more than 0 - according to Tarret "even the stock top mounts won't go down to 0"). My car is lowered about an inch - I don't have an exact #, but it's whatever you get with H&R sport springs with Bilstein B8's - 1"-1.25" I think... So, now the question is - What parts do I need to get it within X73/74 specs ?
It sounds like you are a dealing with a shop that has no idea what they're doing.
The C4 front camber plates are indeed different to accommodate the front strut and spring assembly's caster and kingpin angle inclination requirements to clear the front drive shafts. The rears are the same as a C2. It is my understanding that the fronts build in an additional -0.6 degrees of negative, not 1.2, so you should have no problem bringing this back into spec with the eccentric adjusters.
I think the main issue you are facing is that the shop doesn't realize that there are prescribed ways to orient the front plates depending on whether it is installed on the left or the right side of the car. This is how they should look:
Driver side:
Driver Side
Passenger side:
Passenger side
Are you using the stock spring and dampers? If so, you must reuse the factory thrust bearing and spring seat and the shop needs to know that there's a specific way the set screws need to be installed with Loctite to properly locate the factory thrust bearing to keep it from moving around.
Factory X73/X74 alignment specs:
Front max camber: -0.75 deg Rear max camber: -1.80 deg
^^^ This is helpful - Thanks (as are several of the earlier posts - no dis meant to other posters
). I can say that I'm positive that the camber plates were oriented properly when I brought the car in, as I installed them myself and was very careful about the orientation (and it was clear from the instructions). That's really as far as I can go regarding the alignment as the local dealer (I figured they should be experts...
) did it the first time, charged me $450 and didn't/couldn't get it within spec either. This is what wore my tires out (just the insides) in about 6k miles. The most recent shop insisted I buy new tires before they did the alignment, or "it would change things when I put the new tires on" - when I think about this in hindsight, it seems like total BS (since when do you have to re-align the suspension because you put new tires on?), but at the time it seemed reasonable since I needed the tires anyway...Hopefully, the next place I call can figure it out once and for all...Wish me luck
FWIW, I think the advice to get new tires before the alignment was valid. Old tires can make even a perfectly aligned car behave in very bad ways.
In my experience even fairly aggressive cambers usually don't wear tires out that quickly, however, aggressive toe settings will wear them out in a flash. Did you happen to lower the ride heights f/r without bringing the toe settings back into spec?
As I mentioned in an earlier post (and another thread, a while ago) after the new suspension components were installed I brought the car to my local Porsche dealer for a $450 alignment
The alignment "report" showed the toe settings as "green" - in other words within factory spec. (the latest shop did mention that the toe numbers were way out, and the new report shows them to be within spec. now as well)
In hindsight, sometime after the alignment was done, I had taken the car back to the dealer for an inspection. In the process of parking my car, the tech wound up blowing one of the seals out of my steering rack. For this I was given the opportunity to pay them $1100.00 to replace my steering rack with a rebuilt unit (a one was over $3k). In replacing the rack - even though they said they did an alignment, I'm thinking this is where my troubles began. They must have done a "eyeball/count the threads on the tie-rod" type of alignment...
