So, how is the adjustment?

 

Just a heads up for those of you with 05+ cars...(from my earlier post today in another thread on this)

"We just dropped my car off the rack after attempting to install the updated IE plates (adjustable street/track). It seems that the reinforcements of the shock tower on the 05+ cars create a point of interference for the springs when you increase negative camber. I have pics of the interference points I will post later.

The max neg camber with sufficient clearance is about -1.2 degrees. With the spring contacting the shock tower protrusion it is maxed out at -1.6 degrees.

I removed the plates and will be returning them. Note that no other camber plate design will overcome this limitation - it seems coilovers with a narrower diameter spring or some sort of lengthened lower control arm are the only options."

Pic of the offending tower reinforcements...

 

Are you sure there is nothing that can be done?

 

I spoke with Jeremy at Ireland about the issue and sent him the pic. We both agreed that the only ways to get around it would be...

1. Use longer lower control arms instead of relocating the upper mount inboard.

2. Offset the upper spring perch somehow, similarly to how the lower one is done. I don't know what effect this would have on spring rate or suspension geometry, but in any event it would involve a complete redesign of the upper mount.

3. Pound the living crap out of the reinforcements until they're flush to the rest of the shock tower. Erm, no thanks.

 

They are easy enough to adjust. The car does need to be jacked up to adjust them. There is alot of friction between the parts and I can't see how they could be moved with full weight on them. I just put them in and eyebald it, I'll do the alignment sometime this week.

 

Are you sure that the springs are not contacting the tower?

 

Yes, there is plenty of clearance as it is now, but I have not tried to set full camber yet. It is negative, but visibly less than what my rear is after lowering with h-sport (-1.8 at last alignment).

OT, does anyone know off hand how to convert inch alignment specs to degrees and minutes? That is what we us at work.

 

Ah - the H-Sports may afford more clearance than my JCW springs.

 

Crap. Thoes are what I have. It won't work with them?

 

They'll work but you'll be maxed out at approximately -1.2 degrees of camber. -1.6 is where the spring is fully in contact with the shock tower. Since I got at least -0.75 in stock JCW form, I didn't really want to settle for only a half degree out of the plates, so I'm returning them. I guess if I ever get tired of my car in it's current form I can spring for coilovers and then get the plates again.

I'm still not convinced that the upper sway bar link mount won't be a contact problem at that point however, unless the aftermarket arrangements keep the link mount closer to the shock body.

 

That is very unfortunate. I need to get a camber plate because I'm going to move towards SCCA club racing in my MINI... I don't want to chew through my tires that quickly and the extra grip would be nice... I also don't want to raise the front suspension up with other, costlier, products.

Would it be possible for ireland to redesign it to not be a problem?

 

I'm not going to hold my breath. For one, it seems like we may be dealing with a limited market (05s and 06s) and it would require a complete redesign of the top mount to offset the spring. :-/

I haven't really studied the lower arm much, but IIRC it's an A arrangment that is fairly large and thus, expensive and difficult to redesign as an aftermarket part, so I don't see them going this route either.

I think we might be SOL unless we go with narrow diameter coilovers. :-/

 

I'm not going to do that. I got JCW for a reason.

M7 did make lighter front control arms, but they are the same size...

 

Is this issue specific to the IE street/race camber plates, or to camber plates from most of the other manufacturers as well?

 

Any camber plate will have this limitation. Anytime you move the top mount in the strut and spring assembly will come closer to the shock tower. It's directly proportional to the amount of negative camber you get. :-/