The Project Pad

timmmy wrote:

FYI I learned a lot developing this strut top and have a new version in mind that will give a lot more adjustment.

That would make life pretty easy; too bad I sold my MM231 :(

timmmy wrote:

a_CQ wrote:Great work, Jimmy!

Here's a simpler and lighter solution...



Piece of steel bent into the shape of the camber plate, welded on, and 4 couplers/nuts welded inside for CP to bolt to. CP goes on top so you get extra room without building tall base. It's held up just fine. Unfortunately I can't take credit for it but the shop that did it for me. $100 for labor per side without the plates.

Hey Peter,

Certainly lighter but less adjustment.The big problem I see with your setup is that all the suspension forces are being held by the 4 bolts in tension. the camber plates should be mounted on the underside of a heavy plate so they are in compression and are hence fail safe.

Just my 2c.

ps. Whoever did the welding there, don't let them weld anything else

If you look around at the subaru forums, you will see the failure point is not the bolts, but the actual aluminum plate. It fractures at the castor bolt location on the top, and runs along the camber slider. If you look at the mount, you can see that on these 3/8" plate, only about 3/4"x3/8" worth of cross section in 6061-t6 are responsible for supporting more than a fourth of the car static, and significantly more under breaking or chicago pothole duty. I have even heard of failures on the 3/4" version that I run in the same spot.

Thanks for the input guys. I'll keep an eye on them, but 2 years of track use and plenty of Chicago pothole'd roads, drive to Carlisle and back, MidOhio and back Road America and back and tons of other local tracks, to/from, and it's beed fine. Doesn't mean it will last forever, but...

Hank, the failuers you saw on Subarus, are the mounts mounted on same angle? Are the cars used in the winter, or do they see salt?? How heavy springs do they run and do their shocks bottom out? Plenty of factors can play role in damaging this. Just sayin'...

I have those same camber plates, and they are mounted on top, both is this car, and the old car. The driver side one in the old car even held up to the massive impact of the crash, with just a little bowing of the plate. No cracks at all.

Petar, have you done the usual, recommended, maintenance on yours (replace o-ring and regrease)? They might be due.

The susp. hammering is kinda the X factor. I would always keep a close eye on any mod like this and always keep as much as possible in compression but what exactly has failed for others? I would worry most about the realities of welding myself. each screw will be good for a few thousand pounds and the mild stl good for a few thousand psi.

Mark, i have not, but thanks for reminder I guess...

Peter, I think Hank is saying the actual aluminum plate was cracking on those Subarus.

ill try and pull up pictures after class today, but yes, they are cracking along the 4 bolts on the top of the mount if you are looking at your ipcture you posted. That is a very small cross section if you look at it, and an obvious weak point.

That does raise an eyebrow that Mark's survived the tumble from hell though and BENT them rather than fracture..

The reason they haven't failed on Peter's car nor Mark's and have on Subarus is clear...they're Subarus! ;-P

Everything is about ready for paint! I added a stock B4 strut bar for now, I will make something better out of Heims and 1" thin wall one of these days.

Attachment ( 25093 ) : IMG_4156.JPG


Attachment ( 25094 ) : IMG_4152.JPG

nice... looks really nice

:stupid: Looking good Jim!!

Looking great Jim,

Just a thought, if it were me, I'd weld me up a man strut brace right to those plates.

That way you can control all that man power you've got there.

Looks bloody good though.

Cheers,

Craig Cook

Nate, excellent point. I will probably drill and tap the second hole on this strut bar and call it good
I am pretty sure I am finished working today. The 17x9.5 rpf1's just arrived so I have some test fitting to do:)

break out a flap disk on those top welds too Jim, an hour making em nice and clean will make a huge difference to the overall finished look. I also seam sealer'd over my welds to the fenders, inside and out so it looks more factory.

Agree with Nate on the strut bar too, something is better than nothing for sure.

Looking good man What camber plates are those, I see engraving on them?

H

Thanks, I will clean it up quite a bit, and seam seal as well. Brand new Ground Control, the look identical to another set I have here that are older without engraving. Maybe they wanted to make sure the design was sound before they put their name on it.

audifreakjim wrote:Nate, excellent point. I will probably drill and tap the second hole on this strut bar and call it good
I am pretty sure I am finished working today. The 17x9.5 rpf1's just arrived so I have some test fitting to do:)

we need picks

OK, the current state of the car.