Ground Control Street Camber Plate "Pointers"

[fe1rx]

As most of you will know, the strut towers have slotted holes to allow for some camber adjustment if the alignment pin is removed from the OE upper strut mount. The alignment pin centers the mount in the slots, meaning that by removing the pin you can get approximately ±0.25 degrees of adjustment from the stock -0.5 degrees.


OE Strut Mount with Alignment Pin

Ground Control Street camber plates incorporate a stainless steel pointer plate that allows field adjustment to repeatable values. The only problem is that unless the pointer plate is fixed relative to the strut tower, it is free to move within the ±0.25 degree range permitted by the slots in the strut tower – not good for repeatability.


Ground Control Street Camber Plate

Ground Control has thought of that, but they don’t provide any installation instructions so you need to figure out their solution on your own. The pointer plates are “handed” and need to be installed chamfered edge up. They incorporate 10-32UNF tapped holes that permit installation of an alignment pin (not supplied) that bias the pointer plates at the inboard limit of the slotted hole in the strut tower. You just need to find a suitable pin.

A fillister head screw would probably work, but my solution was to enlarge the holes to ¼” and to TIG weld in a stainless ¼” socket head cap screw in the correct hole. The weld must be ground flush on the bottom to prevent it gouging the camber plate.


Modified Pointer Plates

The modified pointer plates bias the plates towards maximum negative camber in the slots.


Pointer Plate biases Camber Plate towards maximum negative camber

With M3 front suspension arms, my front camber is approximately -1.5 degrees with the pointer set to zero on the camber plate.


Camber Plate at zero, M3 Suspension Bits, -1.5° Camber (aprox)

I can adjust the camber plates to a reading of -2 for an actual camber of approximately -3.5 degrees before the upper spring perches (for OE springs) come uncomfortably close to the inside wall of the strut tower.


Pointer at -2 degrees



Spring Clearance with pointer at -2 degrees

[RimasRS]

good stuff

[bluephobic(1)]

I have those :P, GC makes some great parts and they have amazing costumer service no idea why more people dont use there stuff
???

[Sarge135]

Which one would we have to buy to work with ST/KW coilovers? And will this eliminate the need to use the stock upper of the oe strut?

[fe1rx]

Originally Posted by Sarge135

Which one would we have to buy to work with ST/KW coilovers? And will this eliminate the need to use the stock upper of the oe strut?

This particular plate appears to be best suited to full size springs although the GC website says it is available configured for race springs. Despite the text on the Ground Control website, these plates are not adjustable for caster. They also make a "Hybrid" plate that provides articulation of the spring perch, which would be a better choice for a race spring, in my opinion.

Here is how the "Street" plates work:

The Ground Control Street camber plate uses a large steer bearing and a separate camber bushing. All weight is borne by the steer bearing. The camber bushing allows the strut shaft to articulate and it carries the damping loads. Because the spring perch remains flat relative to the plate and does not articulate with the shaft, this camber plate is best suited to full size OE or Sport lowering springs as opposed to race springs (which are less forgiving of axial misalignment).


Assembled Strut


Camber Plate and Upper Steer Bearing Race. Slots allow camber adjustment only.


Spring Perch with Steer Bearing


Spring Perch


Bare Plate


Camber Bushing Parts


Camber Bushing Assembled


It is necessary to trim one of the upper mounting bolts to clear the strut brace