Camber adjustment??

[trackdaze]

Can anyone recomend an adjustable top, front strut mount?
I've been wearing/blistering the outside edges of front tyres on last couple of outings to Donny and Spa, set-up is modded 327 with H&R cup kit, arb's running Toyo's amazing 888's
Tried different pressures but think the adjustable camber is nessessary to change from road to track and back again.
I've seen some some on e-bay for $299 (so a reasonable £150 at current ex)
Does anyone have any to sell?? S/H perhaps

[JimmyC]

Just stick a fixed 4 degrees on it, thats what the toyos like

Save yourself the money, and just mod a new set of the £14.50 Euro Car Part ones

Or if you want to spend £300 quid speak to moseley motorsport, you will pay tax ontop of the US ones

[Theo]

C3bmw sell the adjustable top mounts and also the fixed offset ones.

Jimmy, what's tire wear like running that much camber?

[harry_p]

the ability to adjust camber is all well and good, but remember that adjusting it is going to throw your toe out of it's setting too, so you'll probably still have trouble with scrubbing tyres.

as said, probably best off finding a decent all round compromise and sticking with it.

[MJG]

Sorry Harry, but can you not adjust toe out with the tie rods? Also I can't really see how it's going to adjust toe anyway, unless you are lowering/raising the car. All it would do would tilt the tie-rod ends balljoint a bit more.

[MJG]

JimmyC - how can you mod the standard ones?

[handpaper]

JimmyC - how can you mod the standard ones?

I would say, by moving the mounting studs outward. Not that hard to do, either; just drift them out (they're a push fit), drill and ream new holes and pop them in.
Not something I'd consider for a car that's going to be used on the road (4 degrees negative will ruin road tyres very fast), but perfectly OK for a track car.

[MJG]

Sorry it's just that the only one's I've seen have had no room on the outside of the studs to move them out. I've got some camber plates that I can fit anyway, but if I can mod standard ones then I can give these camber plates to a mate.

[harry_p]

yes, toe is adjusted by the trackrods, but when you adjust the camber by moving the tops of the struts in youre also changing the position of the steering arms in relation to the rack. you cant adjust camber alone without affecting the toe.

so if for a trackday you wanted to add an extra 3deg of negative camber you'd then have to reset the toe too, then do the same again when you wanted to put it back to the road setting at the end of the day.

[JimmyC]

JimmyC - how can you mod the standard ones?

I'll try and get a pic but basically

You need to chop the inner side of the top mount to alloe you to move it over enough, bang out all the studs.

Then weld a new bit on the other side of the topmount so you can get the 3rd stud in.

Set camber, mark and redrill all holes, bang studs back in- jobs a god'un

[ed325i]

Home made camber plates here >> http://www.e30tech.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43266

[Brian28]

Photos on car below. Not great images, but enough to give you the idea. The first is looking up under the car with the modded top mount in place, you can see the cleaner red outline where the original mount was. Struts are DIY coilovers using the welded sleeve method over the original strut with spring perch ground off.



The next is from the top, the strut brace has been cut out to allow access because of the new top position.



The last one (not mine) has been modded by elongating the holes to allow the strut to move over, then using nuts and bolts to holt it in place rather than the original pressed in struts. Its one of the repair top mounts so has a bit of extra camber already, but standard ones work exactly the same.



The limiting factor is the clearance for the original spring. When moved over too far the outside bolt hole misses completely, on the first photo I've welded in half an old rear shock mounting bracket to make up the extra.

This set up works really well (considering the cost, performance is always relative ), cheers to Jimmy C for the top mount idea

[stratos]

Brian 28. Tell us about your DIY coilover conversion.
Did you buy a kit ?
What length,poundage, diameter are the springs ?
etc

[Brian28]

Kit from (I think) DT, but other places do them as well. You get a hollow steel tube threaded on the outside, this slides down over the original strut and welded into place - original strut perch taken off with a grinder. A new alloy spring seat and alloy locking ring threaded down onto this, then spring, alloy spring top, and modded top mount. Mine have Koni adjustable inserts, basically because (not from choice ) I race on a miserly budget and thats what came up second hand. 8" springs, but the seats are adjustable height so length isn't critical, 500lb springs, standard race spring diameter from memory 2.5 in. You can buy the springs from most race suppliers, I think they were about £30. The photo gives the idea but doesn't show it too clearly as they are wound down near the lowest adjustment.

[trackdaze]

I recently heard from a Production Racer that "Crash repair camber tops" are available from BMW dealers with the ability to offset up to 2.5 degrees in or out.
Anyone had any experience with these? as they sound like a straight forward option,

[JimmyC]

Yep thats right, they offer I think 2 deg

BMW use them to correct bent struts

[BadDave]

How about this
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ic&t=74291

[Brian28]

I recently heard from a Production Racer that "Crash repair camber tops" are available from BMW dealers with the ability to offset up to 2.5 degrees in or out.
Anyone had any experience with these? as they sound like a straight forward option,

Thats one in the blue photo above with the elongated mounting holes in for a bit more nc