Used Coilovers Question

[MENTION=1172]Alin[/MENTION] the stock camber bolts are the strongest solution and will provide more than enough camber when added with camber plates. Some people have had aftermarket camber bolts break. I believe I still have a set of eibach camber bolts that I never used if you want them though.
[MENTION=662]Batmobile_Engage[/MENTION] is correct about the number of each bolts too.
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
So a front strut has the two holes at the bottom. The lower hole is a mount and the top is a camber bolt. So 2 camber 2 mount bolts for the front. The rear struts each use 2 mount bolts.

Correct.

so camber plates for front and rear, camber plate front tophat rear?! What combo?!

That's up to you, but I prefer either of these options:

1. Group N top hats, front and rear.
2. Camber plates-front, Group N top hats-rear.


Btw.....don't get "LOWERING" camber plates.
 

Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
No lower bullshit. Now im confused on mount bolts and camber bolts. Why do whitleine camber bolts have that shim/washer?! Whats the difference between the stock mount and whiteline camber?! What do they have different names?!?! Aghhhh!!! :banghead:

well hang on. I dont want camber unless its necessary. Iwanna be slightly lower than stock height. No rubbing. No fender rolling. No bullshit. Stock rims. So camber plates shouldnt be necessary. Tophats are looking more reasonable!
 
There is no reason for you to get lowering anything if your going coilovers. So yes, just get tophats. If you are keeping stock wheels then you also do not need camber plates. Your stock camber bolts will be enough. You should not have any issue with any rubbing and will not have to roll fenders with stock offset wheels.
 

Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
So i need 8 mounting bolts from OAKOS and figure out what tophats to go with. Group n is the most common one i have seen. What are some other brands i should look at in comparison?

Also for my confusion... Mounting bolt=camber bolt, correct?

-can reuse the stock tophats?
 
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Mounting bolts and camber bolts are vastly different. Camber bolts have a lobe on the shank of the bolt that will push/pull the top of the coilover in or out to adjust the camber.

You need 6 mounting bolts and 2 camber bolts total.
 

Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
So i still need camber bolts! Ok roger that!

can i reuse the stock tophats?
 
Correct on the bolts. You can reuse the top hats but they are really mushy. And you might as well replace them once you have everything out anyway. Otherwise you will be doing the work twice if you want to replace them later.
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
I'm almost positive that you'll be able to reuse the mounting bolts that are already on the car. The camber bolts will most likely be reusable, but you won't know 100% for sure until you try to install them. I'm pretty sure you have another car to drive, so if the STi is out of commission for a week, it shouldn't be a problem...right? If that is the case, attempt the install using the mounting and camber bolts that are already on the car. If you find that the factory camber bolts don't fit, then you can order new ones.

When you are removing the current struts, look closely at the head of the camber bolts. They should have a small arrow, number or other indicator on them. Get a sharpie and make a mark on the knuckle that matches the orientation of the indicator mark (the indicator mark is relative to the lobe that Black Bandit mentioned). This way, when you reinstall the camber bolts later, you can line up the indicator with the sharpie marking. This will get your alignment "relatively" close, so you can safely drive a SHORT distance to get a professional alignment. This is critical....SHORT distance. Even if the car seems to drive okay, you need an alignment ASAP.

I may still have a brand new set of Group N top hats for the front. I'll look around in the garage for you if you like.
 

Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
I have an amazing hook up when it comes to work being done on my car. Since this isnt anything grave like the timing belt i had, all the work will be done for free. So lets leave that out of the picture! :rofl:

the work would be all done in the same day. Take car to the shop, remove old, install new, allignment.

I just need all of the parts first.

Im honestly looking for deals for the top hats so if you have a set brand new keep them! Cause i just saw the prices for new group n top hats and its almost as much as i paid for the coils. I have seen front and rear tops hats together for 150-200 shipped lightly used. Thats the deal im looking for now.
 

Spamby

Meat Product Toy
Shit. Fail.
I have a GR so my rear struts only have one mounting bolt.
Sorry for farking everyone up!
 

Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
[MENTION=1]IGOTASTi.COM[/MENTION] please ban [MENTION=1507]Spamby[/MENTION] for confusing everyone! :rofl:
 

IGOTASTi

System Operator
Staff member
[MENTION=1]IGOTASTi.COM[/MENTION] please ban [MENTION=1507]Spamby[/MENTION] for confusing everyone! :rofl:

You can do it. You have the powa!
 

Grinder34

Track Monkey
I think everyone covered it. One camber bolt (its a little like a cam or a crank shaft. As you turn it, the strut will move, adjusting camber) and one "regular" bolt per side. SOME coils come with special bolts, like mine did. I dont think that's typical. Stock camber bolts will probably be fine, but its only like $25 for ones with a wider range, iirc.

You can probably get a good deal on camber plates, and you really dont need anything fancy. That way you can have your car aligned, and then if you go to an autox, track, etc... you can use the plate to add in some more camber. The camber plates are NOT used to an original alignment, but for tweaking "on-the-fly" so to speak.
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
...that way you can have your car aligned, and then if you go to an autox, track, etc... you can use the plate to add in some more camber. The camber plates are NOT used to an original alignment, but for tweaking "on-the-fly" so to speak.

I thought that was a big no no. I was once told that using the measurement marks on my camber plates to add more negative camber would throw my alignment way out and that it needs an alignment check at minimum. He said that the only point of camber plates is to dial in more camber than the factory top hats allow.

I know you have a good bit of track time, so tell me...is this what you do for track days?
 

Grinder34

Track Monkey
Well, ideally when you get your original alignment, you actually get a few. You have them do everything with the camber plates set at minimum. Then you have them take measurements again with the camber plates (and nothing else) adjusted to a few points. From there you'll know if that throws off the toe or anything else. Then at the track you'll know, adjust to the 4th line for an extra 1.5 degrees, the 7th line for 2 degrees, etc...

I'm not sure how the pros do it, but most daily-driven cars that also see track duty do it that way, as far as i know at least. Im no expert, but i've definitely seen people do that.

My coilover have crazy camber bolts (referenced in my above post) and I can probably get 15+ degrees of camber out of them. I got mine used, but they came with camber plates. I dont know why you'd do that unless the adjust-at-the-track method was common. I guess maybe to get more castor than OEM tophats allow?
 

Batmobile_Engage

Squirrel Meat Aficionado.
Staff member
Cool cool. Thanks buddy. I was curious if that's how people did it, with multiple alignment checks. :tup:
 
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