I was about to get some IE Fixed Camber plates and a m7 strut brace to fix my mushrooming issue but my mechanic *despises* IE and really wants me to find something else.

I wanted the IE fixed because it was cheap ($180) and supposedly had a better ride than the OEM part.
There aren't really any other fixed plates out there that I'm aware of, so I'm looking at the adjustables but the concern I have with those adjustable camber plates is that they will introduce a lot of NVH (noise, vibration, and harshnesss) and I dont want to break the bank.

I'm basing this from opinions here on NAM:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...to-choose.html

"The most popular fixed plate comes from Ireland Eng. It is an extreemly rugged plate that uses a bearing encased in rubber from a BMW Z4 (much heavier car). This plate will raise your car less than 1/4" and add -1.25 camber to whatever you have currently. Because this bearing is located in rubber it will not induce any NVH and I think many people will tell you they even ride smoother than stock."

"For adjustable plates you have several choices but all seem to be somewhat similair in design. They are a ball and socket style that are metal to metal contact. Because of that contact it is extreemly difficult, if not impossible, to not add some NVH. If this is not a track car you may not like the added vibration. The amount that the plates will raise the car is directly linked to the thickness of the plate that the spring sits on."

and from another post:
"If you are going to use your car as explained I would highly suggest using the fixed I.E. camber plates. They add -1.25 to whatever you have now. The reason I suggest these is the bearing is mounted in rubber. Ireland uses a bearing plate that comes from BMW ( for the "Z" series I believe). This is actually a little better ride than the stock setup without any additional NVH. If you go with an adjustable camber plate they are metal to metal and can produce additional noise especially at slow speeds. Some people experiance a small difference in camber left to right with the fixed plates but if you only drive on the street you will never know. The fixed plates will also protect you from mushrooming"

i checked the forums it appears that the helix adjustable plates are the best plates that introduce the least NVH... except they are $450
http://www.helix13.com/mini/products/suspension-chasis

Sounds like "monoball design" is the type of adjustable plate that causes all the noise and vibration:
"Complete bearing holder system retained from above, avoiding the poly bearing pull-through so common on other designs. These bearings assure quiet street operation in marked contrast to harsh monoball designs."

So looking at price/noise/performance the Eibach/SPC plates look like the best option right now...

Are those eibach / SPC camber plates a 'monoball' design?

Any suggestions / comments?

 

I'll preface my comments by saying I'm in my late 30s, have been modding and racing for the last 20 years or so and am sensitive to NVH and things that effect ride quality negatively.

I drove a local car (Mike87's) with IE adjustable camber plates, Koni shocks and Dinan springs and I didn't notice any extra NVH from the IE camber plates. I think they are a good streetable option. The bearing is replaceable if it does go bad which is a good thing since all bearings eventually go bad.

The Vorshlag plates also seem like good options. TSW apparently helped in developing them. I speculate they use higher quality bearings than the IE kit but not sure if there is any poly in their plates to help deaden NVH like in the IE plates.

The H Sports seem to be one of the better options in terms of lack of NVH according to Way Motorworks (spelling?) due to the way they setup the poly urethane bushing material. At least, I think that is how it was explained to me by the guys at Way. Tire Rack and Way have them on close out right now.

No idea on the SPC plates...

 

At the risk of opening a can of worms, did the tech say "why" he despises them? I have many customers with the fixed plates without issue. Just wonder why he doesn't like IE?

 

I run the IE adjustables and don't know if there's NVH due to the other mods I have but I do know some of my customers with the adjustables have reported some NVH but only a few.

 

^^I guess it would help if I said that I briefly drove (like 15 minutes). So I don't doubt that there could be some NVH that one would notice over time but I did not notice in a short drive.

I certainly didn't hear or feel any massive crashing from the front suspension over big bumps that I would have expected from a more race oriented set of camber plates.

 

The tech owns a BMW racing shop. He just said in his experience, all the IE stuff is crap. He referred to the IE guy by first name and said he does not support IE products.

 

That's Fair. IE makes many parts and at times have had issues. I for one have always found them willing to step up to make it right. IE doesn't make pretty parts, they make good parts that do lack from "finish" at times. However it's hard to beat the value of an IE part. The IE fixed plate is made using a monster bearing and poly system. If he's not seen this current plate I hope he would be willing to take a look at it and give IE another shot.