PO did a number.....need help with a cheap solution

[awolfe]

After removing front strut assembly, I found this.....

The oversized washers should have been a clue to what i'd find. My guess is that he was trying to replace the struts without removing the entire assembly.

Does anyone have any suggestions (preferably cheap) on how to fix this?

[EuroDat]

Ouch, looks like he was trying to make some sort of home made camber adjustment. If you dont want to go over to adjustable camber plates you could restore the original settings. Maybe something wrong with the camber and he done that to correct it?

I would then make three plates (3mm) big enough to cover the holes with the correct hole (9.0mm) for the stud. Fit them on the studs and assemble it with the big washers temporary on top. The plates under the frame and the washers on top. Then get the wheel alignment (camber) checked.

Once thats done, while the car is on the ground, remove one nut/big washer at a time and tack the plate with a welder. Repeat this on all three studs and then the other strut. Drop the struts and fill the groove made by the PO with weld and grind it back smooth. Make sure you drop the struts away from the area you want to weld otherwise you will burn the insulator on the strut.

Its a bit of work, but you will have the correct camber and be back to original.

Chas

[awolfe]

Thanks for the quick response....I figured it would be a time consuming issue. The adjustable camber plates look to be a possible solution also. Anyone out there care to comment on the performance? I would like to hear the good and bad before deciding.

Thanks!

[LeonV]

Looks like the PO was dialing out negative camber in the front, for whatever reason. Usually the front needs more negative camber, at least as far as performance is concerned. I'd set it with the most negative camber you can get (strut top pointing inwards) and then get it aligned.

[cbuczesk]

Looks like the PO was dialing out negative camber in the front, for whatever reason. Usually the front needs more negative camber, at least as far as performance is concerned. I'd set it with the most negative camber you can get (strut top pointing inwards) and then get it aligned.

Maybe the car has lower camber bushings, too? This is how my race car was set up. It's worked fine for many years. It's won races and championships with that setup. That said, I'm putting the car on the rotisserie and installing adjustable camber plates.

Chuck

[GreenZZZ]

I'm looking at the photo and the distortion on the inner bolt hole seems to indicate that the top plate is too weak to accommodate the negative camber introduced with the slots. The cheap solution is exactly what Leon mentioned. Maybe the car was being raced hard and street driving won't distort the mount point any further. A camber plate with decent welding will fix it the right way.

[LeonV]

Maybe the car has lower camber bushings, too? This is how my race car was set up. It's worked fine for many years. It's won races and championships with that setup. That said, I'm putting the car on the rotisserie and installing adjustable camber plates.

Chuck

Are you saying that you added positive camber? If you look where the PO of that Z drilled the new holes, they are located further outboard thus introducing more positive camber. This is what I was referring to.

I think what you mean is that you slotted the strut towers to gain more negative camber. What the PO did to that car makes no sense performance-wise.

[cbuczesk]

Are you saying that you added positive camber? If you look where the PO of that Z drilled the new holes, they are located further outboard thus introducing more positive camber. This is what I was referring to.

I think what you mean is that you slotted the strut towers to gain more negative camber. What the PO did to that car makes no sense performance-wise.

No. I'm thinking that in this case the lower camber bushings added so much negative camber that the upper mount was moved to add back some positive camber. Mine are probably slotted for negative camber. FYI I bought the car this way.

Chuck

[GreenZZZ]

they are located further outboard thus introducing more positive camber. This is what I was referring to.

wow! WTF? Good eye Leon...

[LeonV]

wow! WTF? Good eye Leon...

That's what I said!

[awolfe]

Either way, the strut was bolted in the same spot it would have been if the holes had not been extended. To be honest, I don't think the PO had any working knowledge for what you all are suggesting. Given all that i have encountered with this Z over the past 2 years, he had to be less than a shade tree mechanic.

[hls30.com]

... Given all that i have encountered with this Z over the past 2 years, he had to be less than a shade tree mechanic.

"Dude, I can fix it, my dad is a tv repairman, and has, like this awesome set of tools!"