GC camber plates popping

[dlmrun2002]

Well after getting it all put in and aligned with a negative 2.0 camber, my GC coilover kit makes a clunk noise when I give the steering wheel a good turn. I can see it popping a little on the top of the strut in the camber plate bearing setup. What gives?

doug m
1974 2002
1989 325ix
1991 318is

[Vedubin01]

mine does the same more on the passengers side than the drivers.

[Massive Lee]

Many camber plates are unproperly installed. Do you remember that brass bushing that fits on the shock's stem? Well, it should be located on the stem, but UNDER the big bearing, to keep the shock from pressing on the spring cup with the needle bearings. It also allows to tighten the top nut 100%.

Many of these brass bushings have been installed on top. Which is wrong as it doesn't allow the properly fasten the top nut. If you fasten too much, it will keep the spring cup needle bearings from working, and the spring will force the cups. If you tighten them loose to avoid that stress, then the bearing will knock...

[Vedubin01]

thank you sir, when the light is up I will go check myself. Again thanks for the lesson!

[dlmrun2002]

Well I really can't remember for squat. Guess I'll have to swing the strut out and take a look at the assemble. drats....
dlm

[rwh11385]

age of C/Os?

mind be in need of replacement bearing / rollers whatever you may want to call what is fubared on the party of the camber plate that was popping for me...

[Massive Lee]

thank you sir, when the light is up I will go check myself. Again thanks for the lesson!

You're welcome. Basically that bronze sleeve/spacer allows the shock to only apply pressure on the big spherical bearing. On one of my cars equipeed with camber plates, I removed and changed bearings until I found what was the problem. BTW I also drive my DD M3 with coil-overs, on rough Quebec roads and the bearings hold very well...

[dlmrun2002]

When I do go in

Well whenever I get in there to take a look I will replace the GC Cambers with Vorshlangs. There is no way I'm gonna cut my sturt tower to make room for alignmnet. Vorshlangs seem not to have a clearance issue with strut tower if I'm correct.
Anyone vouch for this?
dlm

[Massive Lee]

I don't see what you are talking about. Why would you "cut" the strut towers? GC and Vorshlag are two good systems.

[rwh11385]

I don't see what you are talking about. Why would you "cut" the strut towers? GC and Vorshlag are two good systems.

To max out camber with GC's you would have to take a sawzall to the strut tower

[Massive Lee]

Yup. You are 100% right. It does require to notch the top portion of the tower, where the plates bolt. Nonetheless you will only need to cut it if you want the max camber, which is obviously not related to a proper alignment but to race set-up.

[dlmrun2002]

I guess you are right Lee. I'm happy with 2.3 camber and I only track once or twice a year. It does steer nice I must admit and isn't too hard on regular roads minus the bumps. Now if I had my Ireland sway bars from Joe @ DPI but no.. I was ripped..Dirt bag Joe..
dlm

[Vedubin01]

I ride mine as a daily with the full ground control suspension. 440 front and 750 rears, all poly bushings and M3 links and sways.

this is what happened when I cut out my shock tower. In normal camber mode, it puts to much stress on the aluminum camber plates and cracks.

Ground control fixed this problem with me with in 2 days of reporting the problem. They gave me some steel rings to act as sandwiches between the camber plate and the shock tower. I cant go back to a normal camber but -2 is pretty good for me. I am running Toyo RA-1s as well for daily tires. You guess it, I do not drive in the rain.

I was not able to find a problem with the bushings. Everything is correct as Lee describes. I also have the THR Control Arm bushings and might be some popping from there!

[Jean]

Nice! I was too having a problem with popping noises and it was due to improper installation. Once all is torqued properly and not over-torqued, and proper grease used all noises went away.

[DSP74]

so you have to clearance the hole in the strut tower to get over -2.5 degrees camber?