Honda Fit (GD) DIY Rear Camber Shim Mod
Introduction
This guide covers a low-cost way to add negative rear camber to the first-generation Honda Fit (GD chassis, sold as the Jazz in some markets). Owners who lower these cars often end up with the rear wheels sitting too upright for an aggressive wheel fitment, and the drop also pushes rear toe out of specification. By slipping thin tapered shim washers behind each rear hub where it bolts to the trailing-arm assembly, you tilt the hub inward, gaining several degrees of negative camber while partially offsetting the toe change. Builders in the source thread reported anywhere from a mild setting that just clears fender rub up to roughly -5 to -6 degrees. Treat this as a stance and fitment modification rather than a precision alignment fix: it relies on hardware-store washers instead of full-contact machined shims, and several experienced members caution against it for track or autocross use, where a machined full-contact shim or an OEM replacement hub is safer. It is documented on the GD Fit; the later GE chassis reportedly will not allow it because of how its rear hub is built. Plan to have the rear wheels professionally aligned afterward. Adapted from a community writeup by nxtfit_08 on FitFreak (https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-diy-repair-maintenance/64996-diy-rear-camber-mod-gd.html), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Floor jack and jack stands
- 3/8 in. drive ratchet with 6 in. extension
- Shallow 10 mm, 12 mm and 14 mm sockets
- 32 mm socket with breaker bar
- Hand-impact driver with 6 mm hex (Allen) bit
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Channel-lock pliers
- Digital micrometer
- Bench grinder
- Hammer
Parts Required
-
Two 5/8 in. steel square washers (about $0.25 each), reshaped to a tapered profile
-
Blue (medium-strength) threadlocker
-
Optional: longer hub-mounting bolts for extra thread engagement
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Support the car on jack stands and never rely on the floor jack alone while working under it.
- ⚠ These are point-contact hardware-store washers, not full-contact shims. Experienced members warn against this method for track, autocross, or high-G driving and note that some alignment shops will refuse it; use machined full-contact shims or an OEM replacement hub for hard use.
- ⚠ Do not let the brake assembly hang from the brake line; support it and avoid stretching or kinking the hose.
- ⚠ The 6 mm hex bolt strips easily, so use a proper-fitting bit and a hand-impact driver rather than forcing it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Raise and support the rear of the car
Loosen the rear lug nuts, raise the rear of the Fit with a floor jack, and lower it onto jack stands before pulling the wheel. Never work with the car held up by the jack alone. The mod is done one rear corner at a time, so repeat the whole procedure on each side.
2 Remove the brake drum and dust cap
With the wheel off, pull the rear brake drum. Then pry the central dust boot/cap off the hub with a flat-head screwdriver to expose the large spindle nut underneath.
3 Remove the 32 mm hub nut and slide off the hub
Fit the 32 mm socket on a breaker bar and back off the spindle nut, then draw the rear hub off the spindle and set it aside; it gets shimmed before it goes back on. The four holes in the hub face are only there for balance and play no part in this mod.
4 Disconnect the parking-brake hardware
Remove the 12 mm fastener securing the parking-brake bracket to the backing assembly so the plate can later be pulled clear of the mount.
5 Unbolt the ABS wheel-speed sensor
Take out the 10 mm bolt holding the ABS sensor and free the sensor so it is not strained or damaged when the assembly is moved out of the way.
6 Remove the four 14 mm backing-plate bolts
Undo the four 14 mm bolts that clamp the drum/backing assembly to the trailing arm. One of the four sits partly hidden behind a bracket on the inner side and is awkward to reach, so expect it to be slow; use the extension to get on it squarely.
7 Free the assembly and release the brake line
Carefully lift the drum/backing assembly off the mounting face and unclip the brake line from its retaining clips so nothing is under tension. Rest the assembly above the mounting point rather than letting it hang from or kink the brake hose.
8 Loosen the 6 mm hex hub bolt
Using the hand-impact driver with the 6 mm hex bit, break loose the 6 mm bolt behind the assembly. This fastener strips very easily, so seat the bit fully and strike the driver squarely. Loosen it only enough to open a gap behind the hub for the shim; it does not need to come all the way out.
9 Grind and measure the shim washers
Start with two 5/8 in. steel square washers, which measure about .121 in. thick as purchased. On the grinder, taper each washer across its face so one edge is thinner than the opposite edge, checking progress with the digital micrometer. Bring one washer down to .102 in. and the other to .098 in. The taper is what tips the hub and creates camber, so a thicker shim yields more camber; for a mild setting that only clears tire rub, a thinner shim of roughly .075 in. also works.
10 Fit the washers and set the hub flush
Slip the tapered washers in behind the hub on the lower mounting bolts, then angle the hub inward until it seats flush against them and snug the 6 mm bolt. Put the .102 in. washer on the forward bolt (toward the front of the car) and the .098 in. washer on the rear bolt. That small front-to-rear difference is what compensates for toe; using a single washer, or equal washers only on the rear, throws the toe off and makes the back of the car feel unstable.
11 Reassemble and set the hub nut by feel
Reverse the disassembly: refit the backing assembly and its four 14 mm bolts (apply blue threadlocker to them), reconnect the ABS sensor and parking-brake hardware, then reinstall the hub, spindle nut, and drum. There is no published torque figure for the rear hub nut; tighten it back to roughly where it originally sat, because overtightening preloads and overheats the wheel bearing. Since a 1/4 in. shim only engages two or three threads of the stock bolt, use threadlocker or longer bolts for added security. Finish with a professional rear alignment, as toe will be out and the tires will feather if you skip it.
Pro Tips
- 💡 If the 6 mm hex bolt strips, hammer a slightly oversize T30 or T40 torx bit into the head to bite in and drive it out.
- 💡 Expect one of the four 14 mm backing-plate bolts to hide behind a bracket on the inner side; it is the slowest fastener to reach.
- 💡 Match washer thickness to your goal: about .098-.102 in. for aggressive camber, or roughly .075 in. if you only want to stop fender rub.
- 💡 There is no torque spec for the rear hub nut; snug it to its previous position, since overtightening overheats the wheel bearing.
- 💡 This is documented on the GD Fit only; members report the GE chassis rear hub does not lend itself to the same shim.
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