Camber Bolts for 2017 Toyota Prius V Two

Lower a car, fit wider wheels, or let the miles pile up, and the camber ends up somewhere the manufacturer never intended.

A camber bolt is the cheapest way to put it back on your Toyota Prius V, and on plenty of platforms it is the only adjustment available.

What Is a Toyota Prius V Camber Bolt

A camber bolt looks like an ordinary bolt with an offset machined into the shank, which is why it also goes by cam bolt and eccentric bolt.

The offset sits between the head and the thread, forming a cam. Rotate the bolt in its hole and that cam pushes against the bracket, moving the hub a small amount in one direction or the other.

That movement changes the angle of the wheel relative to vertical, which is camber. Nothing else in the suspension moves, and no part is replaced beyond the bolt itself.

The adjustment stays where it is set once the nut is torqued, since the cam is locked in position by the clamping force of the joint.

What Is a Toyota Prius V Cam Bolt and How Does It Differ

They are the same component, and the naming varies by market and by catalog.

Cam bolts take their name from the mechanism, since the offset acts as a cam. Eccentric bolt describes the geometry, since the shank is eccentric to the bolt axis. Camber bolt describes the job it does on a car.

An eccentric bolt kit, a cam bolt kit and a camber bolt kit are the same purchase. All three terms turn up in listings and all three describe hardware that converts bolt rotation into hub movement.

The only distinction worth noting is that some eccentric bolts adjust toe rather than camber, depending on which joint they are fitted to. The mechanism is identical and the axis it moves differs.

How Much Adjustment a Toyota Prius V Camber Bolt Provides

A Whiteline adjustable camber bolt, listed in some catalogs as a camber adjustment bolt, delivers plus or minus 1.5 degrees of camber change.

That range covers the majority of situations people face. Bringing a car back into specification after it has drifted, dialing in negative camber after lowering, or finding adjustment on a platform the manufacturer gave none.

The adjustment is continuous within that range rather than stepped, so the alignment can be set to a number rather than to the nearest increment.

What it will not do is correct a large geometry change. A significantly lowered car or one with a lift kit may move camber beyond what 1.5 degrees can recover, and those need offset bushings or adjustable arms instead.

Check the current camber reading before ordering anything. If the car is two degrees out, a bolt alone will not bring it back.

Toyota Prius V Camber Bolt Sizes

Sizing is by shank diameter and it has to match the hole in the strut fork exactly.

The range covers 12mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm and 17mm, which between them suit the majority of enthusiast platforms.

Measure the original bolt rather than estimating, since 14mm and 15mm are easy to confuse by eye and the wrong size either will not fit or will leave the joint able to move within the hole.

Kits are supplied as a pair, which matches the job. Camber is set on both sides of the axle and a car with adjustment at one wheel only will not align correctly.

Check whether a camber bolt has already been fitted at some point, since a previous owner chasing an alignment may have changed the hardware without recording it.

Toyota Prius V Camber Bolt Location

The usual position is the lower of the two bolts clamping the strut to the hub carrier.

That lower bolt is the one that moves the bottom of the hub, tilting the top of the wheel in or out, which is the camber adjustment. The upper bolt stays fixed and acts as the pivot point.

Some platforms accept a camber bolt at the upper position instead, and some take bolts at both for a wider range.

Control arm applications are different again, with the eccentric fitted at the inner pivot where the arm mounts to the subframe rather than at the strut.

Which position your Toyota Prius V uses depends on its suspension design, and the listing for your application will specify it.

Why Lowering Your Toyota Prius V Changes Camber

The single most common reason people buy camber bolts, and the mechanism is worth understanding.

On a strut suspension the lower control arm swings on an arc. At standard ride height the arm sits close to horizontal, which puts the wheel close to vertical.

Lower the car and the arm swings upward at the outer end. That pulls the bottom of the hub inward, which tips the top of the wheel inward with it, producing negative camber.

Moderate negative camber is useful and helps the tire stay flat through a corner. Too much wears the inner edge of the tire rapidly and reduces braking performance in a straight line.

The amount depends on the drop and on the suspension design, which is why two cars lowered by the same amount can end up with different readings.

What Out of Specification Camber Costs

Tires are the most obvious cost of getting it wrong. Camber outside its range loads one edge of the tread and leaves the rest barely used, which can cost a set of tires well before they should be due.

Grip suffers alongside it, since only part of the contact patch is doing the work. That shows up under braking as much as in corners.

Cross camber matters alongside each individual wheel reading. A difference between the left and right wheels beyond the specified tolerance makes the car pull to one side even when both readings are technically within range.

The problem compounds on itself over time, because a car out of specification wears its tires unevenly, and an unevenly worn tire changes the contact patch again.

Fitting Toyota Prius V Camber Bolts

Mark the position of any existing eccentric before loosening it, so the setting can be returned close to where it was.

Fit the bolt with the cam oriented so the available adjustment covers the direction you need. Running out of range because the bolt went in the wrong way around means doing the job twice.

Set the adjustment on an alignment rack with the vehicle at ride height carrying its normal load, since the reading changes once the weight is off the suspension.

Hold the bolt against rotation while torquing the nut, because the setting moves as the nut is tightened if the bolt is free to turn.

Torque to the figure in the specification rather than by feel. These are clamped joints and the clamping force is what holds the setting as much as the cam does.

Mark the final position once it is set, so any future movement is visible at a glance.

Toyota Prius V Camber Bolts Against Other Adjustment Methods

Four ways exist to adjust camber, and knowing where the bolt sits among them helps.

Camber bolts are the cheapest and simplest, giving a usable range at a strut or arm joint using the existing components. They suit moderate corrections and platforms with no factory adjustment.

Offset bushings move the arm's pivot point within the existing arm, delivering a different range and often adjusting caster at the same time depending on orientation.

Adjustable control arms replace the arm with a length adjustable version, giving the widest range and the most precise setting. They are the answer for rear camber on multi link platforms and for larger corrections.

Camber plates replace the strut top mount with an adjustable one, moving the top of the strut. These give serious range and suit track cars chasing significant negative camber.

Start with the camber bolt before anything else. If the reading cannot be brought into range with it, move up the list rather than fitting two bolts and hoping.

Toyota Prius V Camber Bolt Replacement Cost

The hardware itself is among the cheapest suspension parts on a car, which is the point of it.

A pair of adjustable camber bolts costs less than a single set of tires worn out by camber that was never corrected, which is the comparison that matters.

Labor is modest wherever the access is clear. The bolt is already coming out if the strut is off, and fitting the replacement adds almost nothing to the job.

The alignment is the larger cost and it is required rather than optional, since a camber bolt fitted without being set does nothing.

Where the existing bolt has seized in the bushing sleeve, which is common on an older car, the labor climbs. Penetrating fluid applied in advance is worth the forethought.

When a Toyota Prius V Camber Bolt Is Not the Answer

Worth being clear, since adjustment cannot fix everything.

A bent component will not be corrected by adjusting around it. If an arm or a knuckle is damaged, bringing camber into range leaves the vehicle out in other ways.

Worn bushings and ball joints let the geometry move under load regardless of where it was set on the rack. Replace those components first, then have the car aligned.

A large ride height change usually needs offset bushings, adjustable control arms or camber plates, which deliver more range than a bolt can.

And a car that will not hold its alignment between services has a movement problem rather than an adjustment problem, which no bolt will solve.

Find Camber Bolts for Your Toyota Prius V

Camber bolts are a quick fix in our alignment parts lineup.

Select your Toyota Prius V to see the camber bolts available for it in 12mm through 17mm. Measure the diameter of your originals before ordering, check what your current alignment reading is, and have the adjustment set on a rack once fitted.