# Single cam lean correction



## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

Has anyone had any success correcting or minimizing single cam lean by using a longer axle and spacers to move the cam around inside the limb gap. I have a split limb type bow and it looks like I could change the lean somewhat. I just don't know if I would be able to reduce a total cam lean of say 1/2" to some thing like 3/8" total lean or will I just make the cam lean more in one direction and lean less in the other direction.

Give me some success stories.


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## fletched (May 10, 2006)

jim p said:


> Has anyone had any success correcting or minimizing single cam lean by using a longer axle and spacers to move the cam around inside the limb gap. I have a split limb type bow and it looks like I could change the lean somewhat. I just don't know if I would be able to reduce a total cam lean of say 1/2" to some thing like 3/8" total lean or will I just make the cam lean more in one direction and lean less in the other direction.
> 
> Give me some success stories.


If you have the room in the limb gap to move the cam, then give it a try, it will make a difference. It doesn't take much movement to make a difference. I wouldn't spread the limbs any to make the gap bigger. I would stick with the current axle. I would change the spacers out and see if that would help but leave the gapping the same.


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

This bow does not have any spacers on the existing axle. The cam uses bushing and the sides of the bushings touch the inside of the limbs. If it had a couple of spacers I would be in business.


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## STUDENT-ARCHER (Jun 26, 2009)

jim the common fix is to twist one side if the buss cable to correct idler lean as viewed at full draw. I have seen no info on correcting cam lean.


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

Yeah, the idler wheel is a piece of cake. I had a bow that the idler leaned one way and the cam leaned the other. I left it the way it was because I was thinking that the leans canceled each other and gave me pretty good nock travel. Maybe I should lean the Idler wheel the opposite direction the the cam and see how this does for the bow. The only problem is that the idler wheel on this bow does not seem to lean from rest to full draw.

What I really am trying to decide now is if I can reduce the total amount of cam lean by moving the cam on the axle using spacers. I am thinking that there is a sweet spot where I will have a little left cam lean at rest and a little right cam lean at full draw instead of no cam lean at rest and a great amount of cam lean at full draw.

The way that I am measuring cam lean is to take an arrow and place it on the side of the cam and then check the gap between the nock and the arrow. At rest the cam is straight with no varying gap between the arrow and nock but at full draw the tip of the arrow swings away from the nock by 1/2". This seems like a lot but in reality it is probably one degree or two.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

jim p said:


> *1/2" to some thing like 3/8 total lean
> "*


If you have that much lean, you have a real problem. Take it to a good bowsmith.
First, there should virtually no play between the idler wheel and limbs. Do not spread the limbs to fit shims in. If shims are missing, then shim equally on each side of idle wheel.
What type guide rod do you have? If offset, the rod should only be turned enough for vanes to clear the cables. Any more than this adds to top wheel and/or bottom cam lean.
If having a static yoke, then twist one side to reduce or eliminate top wheel lean.
Lastly, a little top wheel lean is not necessarily evil.


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

The strange thing about the cam lean is that I took the cable slider off the bow and drew the bow and the cam lean was almost identical as the cam lean with the cable slider on the bow. The bow is shooting very good and this is not a severe cam lean. All the components in the system are snug with no slop.

I thought that maybe one side of the limb was weaker than the other so I swapped the limb sides but the lean stayed the same. So everything on the bow is as designed. I keep thinking that an axle 1/16" longer and a couple of spacers might make a difference. But unless I stumble across a good axle to try I will just probably leave things as they are.


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

One other thing. This is a split limb bow so is it still a bad idea to spread the limb tips a little with a spacer?


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## Spotshooter2 (Oct 23, 2003)

Don't spread the limb tips anymore than they are from the factory.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

*Are you reading the repies?*


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

I am reading replies. So keep the ideas coming.


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## jim46ok (Oct 9, 2008)

*Correcting cam lean...*

Cam lean is not a function of the pull of the cable slider. It usually comes from an imbalance of the buss cables on the limbs. This disparity is especially prevalent in the split limb bows. 

The twisting of the yoke cable ends to correct cam lean is the correct and accepted method to restore correct alignment. However, if your bow has a "floating yoke" such as an Alphamax, then the yoke needs to be served to "static" yoke so that it CANNOT slide from one side to the other. THEN you can twist and see results. Very rarely will the axle holes in the limbs be crooked, but it does happen.

This should be something your Dealer should have checked before he let it out the door. But some shops have no way to draw, hold and inspect a bow, such as a Shooting Machine or a Drawboard. These tools allow you to inspect every tiny increment of draw (or release) at all phases of the draw.

Cam lean can rapidly wear strings, impart "bad" stresses on the limbs and riser. Sometimes, on split limb bows, the "left side" limb and "right side" limb are not evenly matched. I would try the twisting/tuning method first. And keep asking in AT forum! There are a lot of smart folks here!! Good Luck..


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

Thanks for the reply. I am sure that the bow is well within the manufacturers specifications. I am only trying to see if there is any method that I can use to improve on the bows design by reducing the cam lean even more. The cam leans in the direction that makes the cable feed onto the cam better than the cable would feed onto the cam if the cam was straight. So this maybe the ideal situation for a bullet proof bow. I am probably trying to find a fix for a problem that does not exist but I was thinking that if things stayed straight that I might get better lateral nock travel.

Thanks again.


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