LV///R

iTrader: (36)

Hey all,

I'm about to install my new coilovers I bought, along with a set of K-mac camber/caster plates I bought. Now, I bought these plates used, so I have no instructions as to how to install them.


1) They also came with 3 washers, which I assume go "on top" and not underneath the factory mount, correct? Washers are in first picture, just sitting on the bolts.


2) If anyone has any pictures of a top view of theirs installed, that'd be much appreciated. I'm not sure which exact way I should position them as well..


Picture for reference:


Should they be positioned like this? This would be the drivers side, exactly how I'd mount them?



Any help would be appreciated. I tried emailing Kmac awhile back, but never heard back from them.

o-townFLA

iTrader: (4)

Heres a few of my car... nothing really specific to a K-Mac shot, but you can probably distinguish how it was mounted....

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

Thanks for the pictures. Looks like I'd have it positioned right. From what I can tell, the washers are above the mounting point as well.


Any idea if the Eccentric bolts with the KW's are the same as the stock OEM. Meaning is it either - 1 or -2 degrees depending upon how you twist it in?

Thanks again,

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

Matt,

Do you hear any abnormal sounds with your kw's and Kmacs?? I just took my car for a spin just to make sure everything was fine. Sounds like there is a metallic sound coming from my front passenger side whenever I hit med to big size bumps.

o-townFLA

iTrader: (4)

It could be that your spherical ball joints are shot or just the fact that its now metal-on-metal contact...

I have no abnormal sounds what so ever and I've killed plenty of berms over the year...

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

Hmm, I'm not sure what it is, maybe the camber/caster plates are just noise.

Thoe99

iTrader: (25)

Give the top nut a hit with the impact wrench--cured my noise.

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

I'm assuming you are just referring to the top nut on the strut assembly? If so, I'll give that a shot then.

Thanks!

Thoe99

iTrader: (25)

Yep

o-townFLA

iTrader: (4)

and your also using the helper springs correct...?

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

Yes sir.

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

I took both front wheels off tonight to see if anything was rubbing/etc. I adjusted the eccentric bolts to min negative camber as well, just out of curiousity. Nothing is rubbing from what I can tell.

I tried torquing the top nut, however when you try, the whole shaft turns with it. I'll have to get a strap wrench and see if that helps. I was told you weren't supposed to use an impact gun, being it could damage the shock somehow.


Anyone else with Kmac plates experience this sound? This is only happening with both of the fronts.


Any other ideas?

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

Well bad news for my car...

The noise I was hearing from the front of the car after the install was bugging me every time I drove it recently. I took off the front bumper to make sure nothing was rubbing, because my FMIC is touching the bumper. Put it back on, and still was making the sound.

I figured I'd take a closer look at the camber/caster plates that I bought and found the problem. I will be checking the other side in a few minutes to see if that one is shot too. I'm afraid I may have overtorqued them?



I'd HAVE to assume this is where the sound was coming from. Time for some vorshlag's instead...

Thoe99

iTrader: (25)

Sorry to hear about those plates being over-torqued. I did the same thing when I first installed mine, but luckily it didn't damage it that badly and I'm still good to go on them. I love the adjustability of the K-Macs. But one thing I hate about them--the sandwich plates are not strong at all (the top one is barely a millimeter thick and made of aluminum! I thought about sending the specs of the sandwich plates off to a shop to custom create me some stronger ones.

Here's mine with shaved-down plates for some extra caster


By the way, when I mentioned "hit it with the impact wrench," I meant just hit it for about 1 second, just enough for it to fully tighten, but not rotate the entire shaft (sorry I should have clarified).

LV///R

iTrader: (36)

No problem about the clarification.

I'm thinking about just going with the Vorshlag's for now, although from what I can tell there is no caster adjustment. I'm not sure if they "built in" extra nonadjustable caster though. I'm waiting to hear back from them. Any other recommendations for caster/camber plates?

Yeah, I agree about the Kmacs and not sure I'd go back to them. Who knows, I bought the plates used, and maybe he overtorqued them previously, and then with me torquing them, it may have set them over the edge. Either way, I'm glad I found this now before I got an alignment and have gotten it out on the autox courses. There's a silver lining in everything and lesson learned.




PS, with the extra caster you gained, what are you at now? (How many degrees)