I would check these very carefully every 5,000 miles...I wouldn't expect them to last much beyond 20,000 miles.

Simply remove the outer bolt, then tug on the arm as if you were pulling a hose, then push back. If you feel any looseness, actual deflection while driving the car is more than likely much worse.

 

Just an update - I still haven't gotten the call tag.

Nice customer service Ireland

 

Roger,

Have you talked with Jeff directly?

 

Hi Michael,

No, I talked to a very nice girl. I would have had a lot more to say had she not been so understanding and pleasant. I have lived in NY long enough to have asked her how they stay in business with customer service like this, though

 

Don't let our insensitive NY attitude take hold of you .

Talk with Jeff.

 

Just an update - Ireland STILL hasn't made this right. No call tag, no refund, no sending me the parts that I've actually ordered, nothing.

DO NOT BUY FROM IRELAND ENGINEERING. Don't say no one warned you

 

You wouldn't believe what happend to my friend Joel's IE sport/race plates at the Dragon this year...both of his bearings popped out of the urathane bushings that rendered his Minis useless...the poor guy had to buy another brand/set there on the spot and install it under a Vendors tent himself in a downpour...

 

that is a bit scary. I think I need to check mine frequently

 

Well, I was not able to pull mine apart this weekend, but there is a ton of movement up front and the car is really unstable above 60mph - the front end goes thru some very odd movements and oscillations...and it's done nothing bu get worse.

 

It sounds like the same has happened to your set Mike...you'll need an Acedelene torch to get them apart...

 

Not trying to jack the thread or be rude, but its acetylene.

 

Assuming we're still talking about IE street/sport camber plates, could someone give an explicit description of the problem being discussed? How does the bearing pop-out?
Were they installed correctly?
Since the strut is attached directly to the bearing, it seems that the whole thing could fall out if the bearing isn't attached any longer!
Scary Stuff!
I have these parts on my track car and I would really like to know what I should be looking for. So far, I have had to re-torque the strut nuts but I haven't had any other issues in the last year.

 

Apparently, the material used to attach the bearing is failing. I don't know how the track only kit is put together, so this may be a problem with the street/track kit only.

...properly put together...good question! The instruction say one thing and Jeff Ireland told me another. I was told to install two spacers below the bearing. Although this is correct from the perspective of the bottom of the bearing, the nylock portion of the nut cannot engage the threads due to this extra spacer. On the other hand, if one spacer help the nylock nut engage properly, the bearing may contact the stock upper spring perch. If contact is made, I think this can cause the material between the bearing and the housing to fail. Don also spoke about using the two outer most holes in the plate to spread out the load...I agree with this note; on my car, the strut tower lip facing the car's center line will have to be removed so that the allen nuts can be accessed for camber adjustment...not sure that is a good idea. My thinking here is that this lip might help prevent strut tower deformation from migrating...

In any event, I not terribly worried about using two adjacent holes if the both allen bolts/screws are basically in line or centered around the bearing

 

Thanks meb,
I have the street/track set but mine are of the previous design with no options on which holes to use, I only have 4.
I did trim my shock tower as you described and have had no issues so far. I do have a tower brace that sandwiches the top of the tower nicely so I have had no mushrooming issues.
I'll be installing coil-overs soon and I'm debating replacement of the camber plate bearings at that time.

 

I pulled the IE plates completely apart tonight. Everything is very tight if my hand strength is any measure of tight. I used Mobil 1 synthetic grease on all of the allen screws/bolts so there is no rust or corrosion. However, the top of the bearing was completely rusted - no place for water to go once it gets inside. So I sprayed in some synthetic inside and they look better.

The front end problem is puzzling and is causing MAJOR instability problems. This weekend I'll check swaybar mounts and all the other things that might cause this problem...still, if I yank on the wheel - 12/6 and 3/9 - with all my strength while the car is on jack stands, there is zero movement from anywhere...tight as hell.

I may reinstall the stock strut bearings for goofs and giggles...sometimes hand strength, no matter how strong, cannot mimic slop that show up when driving forces are working on parts. But I am mystified...:impatient

 

...ah, the saga...one of the nylock nuts fell off yesterday during my daily drives to and from projects. So the strut was, well...banging around. I made a temporary fix at our shop.

At home I removed everything again, but reinstalled only one washer beneath the bearing, not two as Jeff indicated. Everything is tight and so far today, working well.

...there is a fair amount of deflection in that rubber polymer material in the bearing, by the way. When the weight of the car sits on the strut, the bearing moves up along with the upper spring perch, but the bearing housing does not. The will cause the upper perch to move to ever closer to the bottom of the bearing housing. I know there have been some failures, but I'm not sure if this will cause a failure...it might.

 

FWIW - I stripped mine down and reinstalled with one washer (and liberal amounts of anti-seize on all parts)

 

And for what it's worth, after giving Ireland more than one month just to send a freaking call tag, I filed a dispute of charges with my credit card company. I'll give them their stinking parts back, but they can't even send me the darn calltag!!!! They haven't refunded me anything, or sent me the part that I originally ordered.

I literally cannot believe that this company continues to stay in business with customer service this appalling