Hey IsItElectric?...my GC plates

[bmwpower]

SpecE30 looks beefier...

[rwh11385]

Um, aren't these the same plates that Ground Control didn't post pictures of so that competitors could not copy the design??

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=722/CA=6

Description:
Detailed pictures of the GC Spec-e30 camber/caster plates have been removed from our website to protect the unique features of our design, which allows maximum performance within the rules.

I'm pretty sure that Jay and others at GC would appreciate you taking these down.

[bmwpower]

You mean the ones they can buy themselves? I'll take down the one not required.

[IsItElectric?]

SpecE30 looks beefier...

[ATTACH]20859[/ATTACH]

Eric,

It depends. My camber plate LOOKS exactly like yours...but from a picture I cannot tell what the dimensions are.

I took my dimensions. All dimensions I'm referencing refer to the top plate only....and do not refer to the plate holding the spherical bearing.

Overall thickness = 0.28"
Distance from top of plate to top surface of slot = 0.19"
Therefore, the thickness of the aluminum holding onto the bolts shown in your picture is only 0.09". That's not much.

Since mine are already buckling, I am just going to redesign them and have them built out of steel, then yellow zinc chromate plate them. They will be many times stronger....but only testing will tell.

Are your aluminum also?

[IsItElectric?]

Oh, and the width of the slot on my camber plate is 0.56".

Yours?

[bmwpower]

Mine are aluminum. Let me go grab my caliper and take a few measurements.

One thing I notice is that these bolts do not have a washer under them. Not shown is the picture above is the bolts on the other side have washers under them. Seems like having a decent washer under the bolts would help reduce the galling.

[bmwpower]

Overall thickness = 0.365"
Distance from top of plate to top surface of slot = 0.180"

Thickness under bolts = 0.185"
Slot width is same as yours.

Twice as thick as yours.

[IsItElectric?]

Interesting. I will be filing a complaint of some sort with Ground Control.

Thanks for the comparison dimensions!

[bmwpower]

Interesting. I will be filing a complaint of some sort with Ground Control.

Thanks for the comparison dimensions!

At the very least, they should give you new top plates. I think that is reasonable.

[Hellabad]

Um, aren't these the same plates that Ground Control didn't post pictures of so that competitors could not copy the design??

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=722/CA=6

I'm pretty sure that Jay and others at GC would appreciate you taking these down.

I don't care anymore. the cats out of the bag now, but I appreciate the thought.

The best we can do is to hope to slow down the guys copying our stuff, and we really slowed it down when we figured out which "shop" was buying our parts and forwarding them to the copycats.

Jay from GC

[Hellabad]

Interesting. I will be filing a complaint of some sort with Ground Control.

Thanks for the comparison dimensions!

My name is Jay from Ground Control. The number one reason for plates "bending or buckling" is bottomed out Bilsteins. I am guessing you have Bilsteins, and probably your sheetmetal is bent to.

Those plates are 7075 T6, but GC also has 4130 steel rally plates. All of our stuff is guaranteed, but there is a little bit of responsibility (for everyone) to be sure your car isnt beating the hell out of the strut towers.

Call and ask for Mark about warranty, but I am concerned that even with the steel plates, you will just be bending your strut towers until you fix whatever is causing the problem in the first place.

Also check for coilbind, but I really think you are riding on the bumpstops, its pretty common.

Jay from GC

[Hellabad]

Seems like having a decent washer under the bolts would help reduce the galling.

We couldnt do that, the assembly got too tall. The button heads actually have a nice surface underneath, the regular allens don't.

Jay from GC

[bmwpower]

We couldnt do that, the assembly got too tall. The button heads actually have a nice surface underneath, the regular allens don't.

Jay from GC

How come the other 2 on the other side (not shown) have washers under them? Judging from my picture, it looks like there would be enough room for a washer, no?

[Hellabad]

How come the other 2 on the other side (not shown) have washers under them? Judging from my picture, it looks like there would be enough room for a washer, no?

Thats what I meant to explain when I said the regular Allens need a washer underneath, but the buttonheads don't.

No there is not quite enough room for a washer because then that part of the plate would be too thin.

Jay

[bmwpower]

Thats what I meant to explain when I said the regular Allens need a washer underneath, but the buttonheads don't.

No there is not quite enough room for a washer because then that part of the plate would be too thin.

Jay

Dang. Now I wish I had left the other pict up. I could have sworn the style bolts were the same on both sides. Maybe you have a pict?

edit.

Actually I found one similar. Aren't those bolts the same on both sides?



I will get a better pict of mine tonight and see if I can get a measurement. My plates look like they have more thickness than the plates I just posted. Mine are SpecE30 .... if that makes a difference. And judging from John's measurements, the plate thicknesses ARE different. John's plates were all galled up under those bolt heads.