Two bolts for front camber safe?
 

Is running two sets of bolts safe? I installed my eibach prokit a while ago and I was only able to get -1.1 and -0.8 with SPC bolts only. My goal was -2 but I don't wanna spend hundreds on camber plates for 1 degree of camber. For those of you that run two sets of bolts, how is it holding up?

I will be able to tell you after this weekends autox. But so far I did one giant lap of the bay (roughly 250 miles of twisties) and mine have held up just fine.

I am running OEM crash bolts up top and SPC bolts in the bottom. -2.2 camber with this set up.

No issues. 10000 miles, a few seasons of autocross and 4 track events. I have the Subaru bolts in the top hole, and SPC bolts in the bottom hole. Good for about -2.3 degrees of camber on stock springs.

I'd imagine there's no concern using an eccentric bolt in conjunction with the "crash bolt". No different on the top bolt than using slotted struts. I have read that it's not a great idea to use eccentrics for both bolts, but I have no personal experience to back this up. They are pretty thin, though, compared to the stockers. If you can get over (well, under) -2 degrees using the crash bolt, I'd say you're set.

IMHO I'm not so sure the thinner bolts really make a big deal, personally cam bolts seem just as safe to me. The main thing is the torque specs that keep the bolt from moving, as long as the bolts are properly torqued to spec (spec is a little less than stock for my Spc bolts) they should hold position. If you ever get to a point where you're worried about shear, then they're probably not torqued to spec or you have hit something REALLY hard and have bigger problems ;) the cam is the same size as the hole, so there is not much play in there either which helps (vs something like crash bolts which can actually move around). I'm planning to put the lower bolts in this weekend - tried the other day and noticed they didn't fit, the cam fits but the little nub on the washer was a little too big and wouldn't fit into the hole, looked like it needed to be ground down slightly. Anybody ever have this issue with Spc bolts? (These are for the lower hole, uppers went in fine). Thx


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Yeah, I wouldn't worry about shear so much. Just that the main bolt itself it thinner and since they can be made by many different manufacturers (or who knows, maybe they're all made by one??), I'm thinking more about stress on the bolt from the torque.

I personally wouldn't run two of the offset/lobed bolts (like whiteline/spc), but those bolts in the bottom with a smaller solid bolt up top (just use the OEM bottom bolt in the top hole) should be totally fine. You can also slightly slot the upper hole to get more camber.

I'm sitting at -2* all around with no adjustment (other than factory toe links) in the rear, and whiteline bolts and slightly slotted upper holes up front (with swift sport springs).

Most people don't push the top of the wheel in when doing the alignment or install of those bolts. With the bolts loose have someone press the top of the tire/wheel in as far as they can go. Then tighten them. You will be shocked how much more camber can be had. I was able to get -2.5 from spc bolts just in the top bolt.

^^ How accurate is the machine you're using, and are you on stock struts? I highly doubt you could get an extra degree just by pushing in the top while tightening the bolts. I say that after having mine aligned and not being able to get past 1.5*, even with pushing in. It took slightly the top hole to get to -2.

I've been considering doing this for some time, the top hols is 16mm and the bottom is 14mm. I am looking into using the whiteline/SPC 16mm camber bolt up top (which has a 16mm cam and 14mm bolt shank), and the SPC 14mm bolt in the bottom (which I believe has a 14mm cam and 12mm bolt, but I'm not 100% sure on this yet).

I've found some resistance to using this, mainly claims that it's unsafe because both bolts are smaller diameter. However, neither bolt is loaded in shear, only tension for clamping force. So long as they can hold sufficient torque to clamp, I don't see a problem. In a crash, all bets are off. The only situation I've seen where a bolt was really slipping was with a 14mm "crash" bolt in the upper 16mm hole, with aftermarket coilovers employing a slotted hole.

You may have been using the 14mm SPC bolt in the 16mm upper hole. Which means it's shank may actually 12mm (designed for the 14mm hole), you would have twice the distance to offset the knuckle and it's feasible you could get -2.5°.

I have the Eibach lower camber bolt and I do believe you're right that it's a 12mm shaft.

Maybe, but that's still a thing. I believe I first read about it in the JamesWilson2 autox thread on NASIOC (he's one of those big national guys). They'd rig up some straps to squeeze every little bit of play from the stock hardware since you can't change any of it for stock class. Just loosen everything, then push/pull while someone else torques down.

I always put my camber bolts in the upper hole of the knuckle.

i have had camber bolts in the lowers and oem crash bolts in the upper. its been close to a year and no movement

I've read of others doing this as well with success. Using a cam bolt in the upper hole is effectively no different from what I can tell... It's still a 14mm shank bolt, it just has a cam lobe on it.