Ebay Camber Plates

[gespinal0301]

Hey guys, I was wondering if everyone has bought camber plates off eBay? I can't justify spending 300 on camber plates from uuc and Turner lol

[SkiFree]

If you can't justify decent camber plates, then why justify needing camber plates in the first place? If you want to do it cheap without going with "meh" plates, just go with fixed camber plates.

If you want a decent plate and have stock diameter springs, it is a very nice feature to have a urethane-dampened spherical bearing. If you want a decent plate and have 2.5" springs, look for one whose upper spring perch incorporates a needle bearing and compliance spacers. Without these features I would not bother (unless you like things binding).

[Northern]

I ran the "Project Silver" or "Poland" ebay camber plates for a year. They don't have any provisions for spring rotation, so they bind terribly and make the steering wheel want to stay turned. You could buy thrust bearings to remedy this somewhat. I also had to make spacers, and countersink the backside of the camber plate to fit the stock spring hat on because it would rub on the underside of the camber plate. Then there were the shitty bearings they come with. First set lasted a month before I noticed the outer race was split. New bearings had significant play right out of the box, and I went through another set after that during that summer alone.

There's a reason I bought GC plates after that summer.

[gespinal0301]

If you can't justify decent camber plates, then why justify needing camber plates in the first place? If you want to do it cheap without going with "meh" plates, just go with fixed camber plates.

If you want a decent plate and have stock diameter springs, it is a very nice feature to have a urethane-dampened spherical bearing. If you want a decent plate and have 2.5" springs, look for one whose upper spring perch incorporates a needle bearing. Without these features I would not bother.

I have the gc coilover conversion, but my passenger front tire has a degree or two of camber so I just wanted to fix the issue since my budget is a little tight right now

I ran the "Project Silver" or "Poland" ebay camber plates for a year. They don't have any provisions for spring rotation, so they bind terribly and make the steering wheel want to stay turned. You could buy thrust bearings to remedy this somewhat. I also had to make spacers, and countersink the backside of the camber plate to fit the stock spring hat on because it would rub on the underside of the camber plate. Then there were the shitty bearings they come with. First set lasted a month before I noticed the outer race was split. New bearings had significant play right out of the box, and I went through another set after that during that summer alone.

There's a reason I bought GC plates after that summer.

Might have to wait a while and save up then, thanks for the advice!

[AndrewBird]

If you have uneven camber from side to side, you likely have a bent control arm or strut tube or the strut tube wasn't welded on straight during the coil over conversion.

[gespinal0301]

If you have uneven camber from side to side, you likely have a bent control arm or strut tube or the strut tube wasn't welded on straight during the coil over conversion.

I don't think it was welded on straight because I installed new control arms when I was refreshing my suspension and the shock absorbers went straight in without any problems.

[DRTSRFR]

To check for a bent knuckle or strut tube, measure the distance between the inner tire sidewall and the strut tube.

[Kershaw]

I don't think it was welded on straight because I installed new control arms when I was refreshing my suspension and the shock absorbers went straight in without any problems.

I can't figure out if you're saying you don't think it was welded on straight or you think it was welded on straight because your shock absorbers went straight in without any problems.

[AndrewBird]

I was thinking about this and with a GC coilover setup, you don't cut the strut tube off like with other coilovers, so it couldn't have been welded on crooked.

Do you have offset control arm bushings? If so, are then installed with the hole offset correctly?

How do you know the camber is off?

[SkiFree]

I can't figure out if you're saying you don't think it was welded on straight or you think it was welded on straight because your shock absorbers went straight in without any problems.

BC/Fortune/CA and other private labeled versions of the Tawainese coilovers that are welded at the base of the e30 strut housing can be welded at variable angles unless mounted on a jig. The "shock" doesn't go all the way down and therefor is not centered like a normal separable insert.

This isn't a bash on those coilovers, it's just something I've said before and should be taken into account by the welder. I have been getting at least a call or two a month from this kind of mistake.

EDIT: Oop, looks like Andrew beat me to it.

[gespinal0301]

I can't figure out if you're saying you don't think it was welded on straight or you think it was welded on straight because your shock absorbers went straight in without any problems.

I don't think it was welded straight. My struts shouldn't be bent because the shock absorbers went straight in, sorry proper grammar escapes me sometimes haha

I was thinking about this and with a GC coilover setup, you don't cut the strut tube off like with other coilovers, so it couldn't have been welded on crooked.

Do you have offset control arm bushings? If so, are then installed with the hole offset correctly?

How do you know the camber is off?

True, if the spring perch wasn't welded on correctly then it would only affect the spring itself. I have r3vshift bushings with no offset.

Just to rule some things out I've installed new control arms as well as bushings, tie rods and sway bar links. Everything is torqued to spec if that would somehow affect anything lol

When I went to get it aligned the tech was saying that my passenger front is a degree or two off which I found really weird. So it's either the machine wasn't accurate or he didn't align it properly.

BC/Fortune/CA and other private labeled versions of the Tawainese coilovers that are welded at the base of the e30 strut housing can be welded at variable angles unless mounted on a jig. The "shock" doesn't go all the way down and therefor is not centered like a normal separable insert.

This isn't a bash on those coilovers, it's just something I've said before and should be taken into account by the welder. I have been getting at least a call or two a month from this kind of mistake.

EDIT: Oop, looks like Andrew beat me to it.

Thanks for the input, I just need to start welding to put this to use haha