Are Camber Bolts This Hard to Install?

[Fyren]

I don’t know what to do now…

TL;DR - camber bolts won’t fit - one is now jammed and a part of it is potentially broken. Am following the official instructions.

Powerflex camber bolt install started 3 hours ago. Read the instructions (loosen bottom strut bolt, align washer and bolt, fit into strut tower). I had trouble getting the bolt to fit through the strict tower holes and control arm holes, washer or not. Even with a mallet I was only able to get the eccentric lobe halfway into the control arm hole before it wouldn’t budge.

I resorted to tapping the bolt in with a mallet as far as it would go and then using the nut on the other end to tweak it down and try to pull it through using brute force from the threads. I already, maybe, messed up one side by doing this too far and the washer is jammed in a wrong position - which from other forums seems to be a sign to toss this one. With the other washer I was much more careful and didn’t mess this up again, but the small tab on this washer doesn’t fit into the strut tower hole nicely. I could keep trying to screw the damn thing in, but I’m worried that either the washer, or worse, my strut tower hole, will be damaged.

Advice would be appreciated. I have given up for the day and am clueless as to how this would be so difficult.

Picture gallery (and instructions attached):



The side that’s completely jammed - washer in an incorrect position. Afraid the washer tab is broken, or would be dangerous to drive on.



The other side, where the washer hasn’t been crushed yet, but no matter which way I rotate it (either right or wrong as per the instructions), it won’t fit nicely into the strut tower hole.

Powerflex Camber Bolt Instructions:

 

[Dialcaliper]

Yes, getting the camber bolts in can be a bit of a pain in the ass. They are intentionally made to fit very tightly in the holes, and any misalignment from slop in the lower bolt will prevent the camber bolt from going in as it needs to “jump” at the eccentric section.

I had to completely remove the lower bolt, lift and jiggle the hub back/forth/up/down, and use a hammer to tap the camber bolt in first, and then reinstall a fresh OEM lower bolt.

But if you just brute forced them in without taking any weight off the strut and it won’t turn with a wrench, they could be fine or you may have munged the camber bolt - most of them are crap, and one of mine (SPC branded) was defective and sheared off at <40 ft-lb torque (spec is 65 ft-lb)

I ended up throwing the both in the trash and buying the H&R Triple-C bolts, which are significantly beefier and use a much better design. Slightly less adjustment range, but they have a full size 12mm threaded section, not a reduced 10mm one.They are more expensive but worth it for piece of mind.

The rest, even the ones sold under brand names like Whiteline are just rebranded SPC “crash” bolts, which are utter crap and are really designed to realign cars that have been tweaked in accidents. Fine for most daily drivers, but not designed to stand up to “spirited” driving or racing where they will see higher stress.

If I were you I would remove the lower strut bolt and get a pair of new ones), then see if you can remove the camber bolt and inspect it

 

[Sam4]

and because I'm stupid, and more than once, be careful with the passenger-side CV Shaft. It wants to come apart when you play with the hub....

 

[Fyren]

I had to completely remove the lower bolt, lift and jiggle the hub back/forth/up/down, and use a hammer to tap the camber bolt in first, and then reinstall a fresh OEM lower bolt.

Cool - I'll try this out. Can I safely remove the lower bolt as well? I don't know if the spring would be putting load on it and if I need to compress it or not.

I ended up throwing the both in the trash and buying the H&R Triple-C bolts, which are significantly beefier and use a much better design. Slightly less adjustment range, but they have a full size 12mm threaded section, not a reduced 10mm one.They are more expensive but worth it for piece of mind.

Is there any worry of these not having the toothed and tabbed washer of the SPC design?

 

[Dialcaliper]

Cool - I'll try this out. Can I safely remove the lower bolt as well? I don't know if the spring would be putting load on it and if I need to compress it or not.



Is there any worry of these not having the toothed and tabbed washer of the SPC design?

You can remove it, though pay attention to axle as mentioned above. As long as the car is in the air, wheel off the ground, the strut is in full droop and won’t extend any further- no need to compress it.

Haven’t had any issues so far with the triple-C. They don’t list a torque because they apparently expect you to torque them to factory spec. That doesn’t work for ours because of the torque to yield. I used standard torque for a Class 10.9 M12, but used antiseize (lubricated) and torqued to 80 ft-lb

The only downside is that they only give about -1.5 deg. Apparently to get the +/-3.0 deg advertised, you’d need to put both top and bottom bolts in. Which I didn’t want to do. (The bottom bolt sees higher forces than the top)

 

[Fyren]

I got the bolt in and aligned! Removing the lower bolt gave the upper bolt just enough space to turn with a wrench and slowly get the washer and bolt oriented correctly.

I was able to get -1.9 / -1.7 deg with help from a shop