The BMW E36 chassis is a legendary platform for drifting, racing, and spirited street driving. But one of the most overlooked suspension upgrades is the rear camber arm. Whether you’re setting up your E36 for track grip, a slammed street build, or competitive drifting, adjustable rear camber arms are essential for dialing in proper alignment, correcting camber after lowering, and maximizing tire contact.
🔧 What Are Rear Camber Arms?
Rear camber arms – also called adjustable rear control arms – replace the factory fixed-length arms in the BMW E36 suspension. They allow precise adjustment of camber angle, which is the inward or outward tilt of the rear wheels when viewed from the front or back.
- Negative camber – Wheels tilt inward at the top, providing better cornering grip but increased tire wear.
- Positive camber – Wheels tilt outward at the top, rarely desirable in performance applications.
- Zero camber – Perfectly upright wheels, maximizing straight-line stability and tire life.
With stock suspension, lowering an E36 increases negative camber in the rear – sometimes excessively. Adjustable camber arms solve this issue by allowing the driver to bring camber back into spec or deliberately increase it for track and drift setups.
⚖️ Why Adjustable Camber Arms Are Essential for the BMW E36
Installing adjustable rear camber arms on an E36 provides several benefits:
- Alignment correction – Restore factory camber settings after lowering on coilovers or springs.
- Tire wear management – Prevent uneven wear that comes from running too much negative camber.
- Performance tuning – Add extra negative camber for drifting or road racing to maximize grip.
- Adjustability for multiple setups – Switch easily between daily driving alignment and track alignment.
- Durability – Aftermarket arms are stronger than worn OEM arms, resisting flex and failure under high loads.
📐 How Rear Camber Affects Performance
Camber is a key factor in handling and tire life:
- Street setups – Around -1° to -1.5° camber provides balance between grip and tire longevity.
- Track setups – -2° to -3° camber increases cornering grip at the expense of tire wear.
- Drift setups – Excess negative camber can reduce traction, so many drifters run closer to -1° in the rear for maximum forward drive out of slides.
Without adjustable arms, the lowered E36 can easily end up with -3.5° or more camber in the rear – which is excessive for street driving and destroys tires quickly. Camber arms fix this problem.
🛠️ Installation & Setup
Installing E36 rear camber arms is a straightforward process for an experienced mechanic or DIY enthusiast. Most aftermarket arms bolt directly in place of factory arms and use adjustable threaded turnbuckles for fine tuning.
- Lift the car safely on jack stands or a lift.
- Remove the factory rear lower camber arms.
- Install the adjustable arms using new hardware if possible.
- Pre-set camber based on your needs before alignment.
- Finish with a professional alignment to maximize results.
It’s recommended to also inspect subframe bushings and other suspension components while performing this upgrade, as the E36 is known for rear-end wear over time.
🏁 Best Applications for Adjustable Rear Camber Arms
Every E36 owner can benefit from camber adjustment, but some applications make them essential:
- Daily Drivers – Prevent expensive tire wear while keeping the car aligned properly.
- Track Cars – Gain flexibility to dial in aggressive camber for cornering grip.
- Drift Cars – Maintain forward bite by reducing excess negative camber in the rear.
- Slammed Street Cars – Eliminate “stance camber” caused by lowering springs or coilovers.
🔎 Conclusion: Why E36 Owners Need Adjustable Rear Camber Arms
Whether you’re building a track-focused race car, a drift E36, or just a slammed daily, adjustable rear camber arms are one of the smartest upgrades you can make. They restore alignment, improve handling, reduce tire wear, and give you total control over your suspension geometry.
For the most durable and drift-tested option, check out the SLRSpeed Adjustable Rear Camber Arms for E36 – engineered for performance, reliability, and precision adjustment.
