Hi
During a track session today my car started displaying some interesting handling characteristics...I put it down to my tires going off...but once I parked it I took a look at the from camber plates...

Take a look at the pics - are these shot, or on their way out? They did not look like this this morning ( I checked, my oe ones separated, so I'm paranoid).

Basically (I don't know if the pics are clear enough):
The rubber mount (bushing?) on each side seems to have a chunk ripped out of it (seems it tore), and it's separating around the center metal piece (bearing?)...There are also lots and lots of little tears all around the rubber piece...

If the rubber part is actually part of the bearing mount structure I'd say I've found the reason for my "moment" on track...

 

Wow, how many miles on them? That doesn't look good.

 

About 5,000 miles. And I'd guess 10 trackdays.

I had a trackday about two weeks ago on a clockwise track. Afterward the driver side mount had a slight tear (the one that has since opened up), but passenger side was fine -> this weekend I was on an anti-clockwise track...and it opened up the passenger side tears.

It might be that they're just not up to the 95+ degree weather we had during the last two events...

 

Are the bearings seized? Have someone turn the steering wheel while you observe the behavior of the camber plates. Is it twisting the rubber part?
If that isn't it, have you hit any huge pot holes or RR tracks lately?

 

Pretty sure the bearings aren't seized.

But just jacking the car up I can see the rubber deform - well actually when I jack it up, and the wheel just hangs down, the tears in the rubber close up as the stress is relieved. I'm pretty sure (but will take some pics to confirm) the bearing moves outboard when the car is jacked up - I know about camber changes when the wheel is hanging/loaded, but didn't really expect the bearing to be able to swivel in the bushing as the camber changes...

And when the wheel is hanging I can open&close the tears in the bushing by just manipulating the wheel -> it's like the wheel is hanging from the bushing...

Maybe it's supposed to be this way (I'm no suspension expert) but I was expecting things to be a bit more solid.

As far as potholes go - nope...none of those...I do ride the curbs at track, but not more than other people.

 

Those are worn out. Have you checked your LCA bushings? When they wear out they can put addition abuse on the strut bearing.

 

How many miles are on those IE fixed camber plates?

 

5,000 miles & 10 track-days

 

LCA bushing were replaced about 500 miles before the camber plates were fitted (about 5500 miles or just over a year ago) - I'll check them, but they looked fine a few weeks ago...for that matter, so did the camber plates...