Making camber plates useful?

[Dusterbd13]

So, the whoosh coilovers that came on my car have camber plates. That can't be adjusted without a bunch of screwing around.

Looks like i could open the tops of the strut towers somehow to make life easier.

Can I? Should I? If so, how? Got examples or a how to? Reasons I shouldn't?

Never ran into this problem before. So, im trying to look before I leap for a change.

 

[Just A Dad]

This is the same issue we face on the Focus ST/RS side. FOR US, the common option is to take a hole-saw to the strut towers to open up the center enough to allow the camber plate to slide and lock down. In my brief investigation for the Fiesta, the same issue and solution is used.

The alternative would be to set the camber, bolt in the struts, and then check alignment. Remove, adjust, repeat until desired settings reached. Just, be prepared for a lot of remove and replace...

 

[Dusterbd13]

This is the same issue we face on the Focus ST/RS side. FOR US, the common option is to take a hole-saw to the strut towers to open up the center enough to allow the camber plate to slide and lock down. In my brief investigation for the Fiesta, the same issue and solution is used.

The alternative would be to set the camber, bolt in the struts, and then check alignment. Remove, adjust, repeat until desired settings reached. Just, be prepared for a lot of remove and replace...

I couldn't seem to find anything. I know it's been done but I just couldn't find it. What Search terms did you use since I was apparently using the incorrect ones? That way I can figure out what other guys have done and replicate it. Hopefully they're sizing of hole saws posted somewhere so I know what to pick up if I don't already have it in the drawer

 

[Just A Dad]

My confirmation came from 3 conversations I had:

• Local chassis/alignment shop that specializes in track prep, confirmed that they usually see the top mounts opened up in order to access the camber plates/top hats
• Fortune Auto, tech there who I speak with about Focus platform confirmed that a hole saw can be used to give adjustment room topside
• Another FiST member, who had top-hat coils and confirmed he also cut out the inner area of the top mount to gain access

I don't have an exact diameter from these folks, but the member who did it said he just used the size of his top hat as a gauge for how much "wiggle room" was needed to allow for adjustment thru the camber range. I'd imagine you can eyeball it from looking at the size of your tophat.

 

[Stubborn Approach]

Why go through the effort when you are going to max out the camber on the plates and still need more because these cars can only achieve 4 degrees of positive caster without adjustable LCAs? If you do any other competitive driving, the modifications at the strut tower will likely reclassify the car.

Adjusting camber at the strut bolts is the solution I’ve been using & happy with. But, I also have hub stands so the wheel/tire isn’t in the way during alignments. I’m still able to get into the ballpark when I do alignments for the local FiST owners without going through the effort of putting their cars on the hub stands. I use a magnetic bubble gauge on the hubs to quickly check the camber adjustments & check them again when the car is back on the ground.

Another option may be to check with Chris Taylor Racing, he sells B spec camber plates and states he has a template for modifications to the strut tower. I asked about the template after ordering his plates but never got a response. You may have better luck.

 

[lemonjs]

I opened the struts up enough that I could max out the camber plates, but wasn't brave enough to make it big enough to actually adjust from the top. At least with the Meister Rs there would only be maybe 10mm of material left, and it's not particularly thick! At sone point I will open it up more but only if I weld in something to reinforce it.