we only have Advance Auto. Nearest Autozone is 30+ minutes away. I'd love to have a good local source for hardware in a pinch...Home Depot and Lowes suck for metric too (and metric stainless is MIA).

 

Do you have an Ace Hardware? Old-timey but great hardware selection.

 

I wouldnt call it galvanic, its more electrolosys, but what ever. Just for clarification, what bolts are you guys talking about? I thought we were talking about the ones in the alloy that hold the two halfs together. Are you talking about the ones that hold the main plate in in the car (the three hex bolts, not the four allan bolts). Thanks

Beecher

 

actually, i will continue, a week or so ago, someone was complaining that they could not replace their bearings because they could not get the allans out (which are in alloy) and ithink they eventually striped the threads, if the threads in the alloy were replaced with helicoils, that problem "probably" would not have occured. That is where i was coming from, and if your concerned about rusting, i would do that as well, so long as you putting stainless in somewhere else. FWIW

Beecher

 

the US Navy calls it bi-metallic corrosion (electrolysis) and installs zinc anodes to combat it (milspec 18001H).

My plates have four allen head bolts to adjust camber, plus four button head allens underneath to secure the two halves of the aluminum blocks. Ideally, replacing them all is a good thing, but I plan to do at least the adjusting ones first (since I'm not taking apart the car any time soon - just did it last night!).

 

yeah, i think we are on the same page, after decided to look more into both methods, they are almost the same anyway, hahah. Bi-metalic corrosion would actually be the best description anyway, because neither is truely in an electrolyte (except rain water with salf if near ocean or salty roads) (galvanic) nor actually being exposed to drirect electrical current (electrolosys). Bloody variations on a theme, but anyway, like i said, if the bolts are going into aluminum, using stainless isnt going to fully cure the problem (you should see how fast alluminum rivits dissapear when used with stainless sheet! Weeks sometimes and they are gone! The steel ones rust, but stay for years, or until they are physically torn or abused to the point of failure). Not sure about clearances, but you might be able to get the top 4 adjusting ones helicoiled, with the plates in the car. If anyone else is worried, iwould recomend doing them all prior to instalation, or doing them next time they are out for c/o intall or the like (or if your just paranoid). Ive been considering these plates, and plan to helicoil all mine when i do buy a set (they love salt onthe roads where i live, and just switched over to brine, so the salt will last until june now probably, everytime it rains). I learned all this from sparkplugs. Alot of issues with champion plugs put in alloy heads, unless you loosened and retighted your plugs a couple of times a year, you would pull pull the thread out of the head if you ever had to remove a plug or something. It had something to do the the fnish champion used, because other plugs never had problems, only champion (at least not to this extent,they all would eventually, but not inside of a year). Some aftermarket compaines were even helicoiling their plug holes from the factory because of this. Dont know if they still do, but this was just a few year ago, so they might.

Hope all this mess of technical grabble helps someone, somewhere, hahahah

Beecher

 

no plans to helicoil anything. I used anti-seize on all the bolts last night, so it's more a cosmetic thing really.

 

ah, i overenginereed the problem. I thought you were trying to eleviate what that other guy i mentioned had happen to his. I love overengineering things, its what i do, then complain because it took me week to design, hundreds to build, and after i build it, a 5 minute design pops into my head that would take an hour and $10 to build. Although i got lucky last time, the $15 solution came to me about 10 miuntes before i spent $200 on supplies, never mind the hours of machine work required, for the overengineered design, hahah
Beecher

 

overengineering it would be to take the Al blocks to a shop and have them plotted and new ones machine out of 304.

 

hahah, now your talking, anyone want to loan me a set of plates?

Beecher

 

good stuff in this thread, I still have my street adjustables sitting on the work bench in the garage....one day I will get to it....one day.

Is there a how to on the install anywhere? I know I can figure it out on my own, but a set up/write up since so many have these might be helpful to some....along with problem solving.

 

not that I've seen Jon. I just re-did mine and can say that this works:

| allen bolts
| camber plate
| top nut
| 2pc aluminum block with spherical bushing
| small IE washer
| spring perch
| spring
| strut
\/

 

that helps.

From just looking at mine, it looks like you need to pull the strut tower plate off to attach the 2 piece aluminum block to the strut with the top nut.

I am debating on weather to even install these, I might just look into coil overs with camber plates already attached...that is why I am sitting on them for so long. Just having trouble making a decision.

 

yup. MINI includes a lot of hardware...spacers, washers, etc. not needed.

 

cool...getting some specs on some different coilovers. Once I figure it out, I will then actually put something on the car.

So, if what I want fits my needs, I will have an un-used set of IE adjustables for sale

 

what coilovers come with plates?

 

there are quite a few, some with problems (although not experienced by everyone that has them), and some I am researching. Ksport, Megan, and some others. Not the best reputations on any of the companies...that is why I have not made a decision. I might just add the IE plates to a different coilover set....like the TSW AST set up they have now.

 

Call Don - dmh - about CROSS adjustable coilovers. Integrated camber plate and pillowball.