WARNING: DO NOT use 14mm OEM camber bolt in slotted hole

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by post_break

I've used the OEM bolts on the track and over a year, it's not going to slip.

Slotted holes?

[post_break]

Originally Posted by switchlanez

Slotted holes?

No but you just need the inserts. Similar to this.

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by post_break

No but you just need the inserts. Similar to this.

Where can I get that? I coudn't find any info on it for this car/ST coilovers.

[Calum]

Originally Posted by switchlanez

^Yes, the part number is floating around on this forum.
Is there a specific orientation for top hats? I didn't notice any difference in clocking.

But the clamping pressure is less on slotted struts due to the decreased clamping area given the same torque spec.

I don't have ST coilovers, but there certainly was a difference in my whiteline tophats.

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by Calum

I don't have ST coilovers, but there certainly was a difference in my whiteline tophats.

That explains your suggestion. I'm using stock top hats.

[wparsons]

Doesn't matter if it slipped guys... the slot is to gain negative camber. If it did slip with weight on the wheels, it would add more negative, not end up positive.

For clarity, are you running the OEM upper mounts? If those are installed the wrong way you'll definitely end up with too much positive camber.

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by wparsons

Doesn't matter if it slipped guys... the slot is to gain negative camber. If it did slip with weight on the wheels, it would add more negative, not end up positive.

For clarity, are you running the OEM upper mounts? If those are installed the wrong way you'll definitely end up with too much positive camber.

There was no room to go more negative because I maxed it out so if it did slip, positive is the only direction for play. One way to make camber zero/positive is to max it to the other end of the slot and my camber is at zero/positive. I'm going to check the bolt this afternoon.

I'm only reusing the stock top hats. Upper spring perches are included with the coilovers and clocking orientation on those shouldn't matter since they look uniformly shaped all around.

[wparsons]

What I meant by slipping was that the only way the weight of the car would make the bolt slip would be on the negative side. I realize that when adjusted for full negative the only place it could move is towards positive, but the weight of the car wouldn't put any force in that direction.

Another question, did you take it in to a shop for an alignment? Is there any chance they moved it back to zero during the alignment on you?

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by wparsons

What I meant by slipping was that the only way the weight of the car would make the bolt slip would be on the negative side. I realize that when adjusted for full negative the only place it could move is towards positive, but the weight of the car wouldn't put any force in that direction.

Another question, did you take it in to a shop for an alignment? Is there any chance they moved it back to zero during the alignment on you?

Ya, I gotcha on the weight part.

The before and after alignment show virtually no change. They only adjusted toe. Plus their tools didn't have clearance to jack my car up while it was on the alignment rack nor on the ground so they couldn't take off the tires. I watched them partway through the initial reading and as they adjusted toe.


My camber was positive going in. Hope I find out why when I inspect this afternoon.

[switchlanez]

@wparsons @Calum @post_break

So both my camber bolts DID slip after my first install despite torquing everything to the 114 ft-lbs spec in the max negative position. After I unbolted the top bolt and left the bottom bolt alone today, I saw camber had slipped to max positive:





The following pic shows the markings left behind from when the bolt slipped toward positive camber under the car's weight. Yes, it goes toward positive camber when the suspension is loaded and negative camber when unloaded which is why I saw the rotor slide toward negative camber when the car was jacked up in the air. That characteristic might hold true only when the *top bolt is LOOSER than bottom* (as was apparently the case with my camber bolt due to less clamping pressure) and may not necessarily be true when both bolts are equally loose. I replaced the 14mm camber bolt with the 16mm stock bolt shown here positioned for max negative camber.



The bolts didn't slip on the 30 minute drive to the alignment shop this time and front camber came out to -2.0/-1.7.

[whataboutbob]

"Yes, it goes toward positive camber when the suspension is loaded and negative camber when unloaded"

Sounds familiar.

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by whataboutbob

"Yes, it goes toward positive camber when the suspension is loaded and negative camber when unloaded"

Sounds familiar.

Haha yes, seems to be but this may be a special case. One bolt was looser (clamping with less pressure) which caused the other bolt to act as a pivot which may have flipped the tendency to the opposite of what it would normally be.

But when we talk about ride height (as you initially suggested) and not compression (not sure if they can be used interchangeably), @DarrenDriven has found lowering adds negative camber (rear moreso than front) and my alignment shop suggested lowering as one way to add negative camber and even out my cross camber (since my bolts are already maxed out).

[continuecrushing]

Glad to see you got this figured out!

[Calum]

It looks like a layer of powder coating was removed. That layer missing would have lowered the clamping force. Was it missing from both holes, on both sides?

Edit, it also looks like the side of the hole is mushroomed, that wouldn't have happened if the bolts was torqued.