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T3 camber plates

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 7:11 pm
by 40vpurpletop
So I recently bought T3 camber plates and was wondering should these have come with spacers of some sort? I am going to run it with the stock upper hat and I've been reading something about having the load on the bearings is bad. Please advise. Thank you.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 9:37 pm
by morgan

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 10:00 pm
by mad_86
those T3 Plates are for Coilovers(2.5in Spring), if you still have Trd, Lowering or stock Springs,
yes use stock upper spring perch. But you should be fine.

i know the Tein Camber plate came with a 5mm spacer

Camber plate
*5mm spacer
Oem Spring Perch
then Spring

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 6:43 am
by morgan
Whoops, i totally overlooked the "stock upper hats". I had the stock hats w T3 plates, 0 problems

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 10:04 am
by 40vpurpletop
I ran into an issue. Looks like there isn't enough thread for the nut. Do you think it is fine like this or should I get a shorter nut?

Image

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:10 pm
by aukword1
did you do a short throw strut conversion? I had to put spacers at the bottom of the strut casings.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:21 pm
by 40vpurpletop
No short strut conversion. That wouldn't make a difference. The problem I see is the stock top hat doesn't go down the top of the shaft all the way but that would only help a few millimeters. The main problem is the camber plate block has a raised lip on the bottom which increases the height of the camber plate. I've seen photos of the ae86 camber plates and unless they changed, the bottom of the block is smooth. Mine has a raised lip.

The picture below is like what I have.

Image

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:48 pm
by morgan
Works fine on my setup. Been a few years too.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 2:50 pm
by mad_86
yeah thats fine as long as its tight and the nut is on more than half

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 6:38 pm
by 40vpurpletop
Update on this. If anyone is thinking about using the camber plates with oem top hat, don't. It doesn't work. The top hat doesn't spin so the spring has to spin to turn which makes the steering feel awful. In my case I had the rubber bush that goes between the top hat and springs and it acted like a spring. Whichever way I turn binds the rubber piece so when I straighten the rubber acts like a spring and pushes the steering the direction I turned. Basically I had to hold the steering the opposite direction or else it will turn. Also the steering never returned to center right. Did not feel comfortable if my car slid as I couldn't release the steering to counter steer.

From what I can see, the pillowball needs to spin like the oem shock mount. I tried to put a needle bearing between the top hat and plate but no bueno since the nut tightens against the pillowball. If anyone found a solution to this I would love to hear it as I would like to use the camber plates.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 1:45 pm
by Deuce Cam
Interesting. Their camber blocks (gold piece) now have a raised ring-shaped section around the opening for the bearing. The gold piece used to be just flat. I had the old flat style on a pair of their used coilovers that i bought to break down/flip. It had their standard top hats... The way the parts mated was a joke imo. It would work, but typical t3 lack of detail.... basically the top hat would be rubbing the camber block and/or the coilover spring would turn while steering. The bearing in the camber plate does turn, but the metal on metal contact and spring pre-tension hinders it. With no needle bearings (on top hat and/or spring seat) the steering will be more difficult and the feel will be ****. It could easily go unnoticed if one doesnt know any better, or one wears purchase(s) on their sleeve...

The scenario could be dangerous - as you mentioned - when trying to using stock spring top hats and stock style springs with t3 camber plate. Reason is stock style spring cant turn independent of the strut like a coilover spring. The bearing should still turn, but keep in mind that T3 recessed the bearing in the camber block (unlike cusco/tein/etc.). With your setup the top hat is probably contacting the raised ring on the camber block when assembled. When turning its just 2 pieces of metal rubbing and grinding together. If binding occurs there, then a stock style spring could do some weird things since it cant spin independent of the strut.

As i see it the t3 plates will only work good with the t3 needle bearing top hat.

Side note: another caveat of their plates is the smaller bearing. Thats why thread engagement on the top nut can be a problem depending on stack height. Its just a standard nut that sits on top of the bearing...

Cusco/tein/etc. Use a larger bearing. As a result their 'top nut' is a bit different. Its a fitting that serves as a bushing for the bearing, and the top nut. It passes through the whole center of the bearing, and the female thread on that bushing/top nut runs the whole length of the bearing and then some. PLENTY of thread engagement.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:32 pm
by -zenki-
40vpurpletop wrote:Update on this. If anyone is thinking about using the camber plates with oem top hat, don't. It doesn't work. The top hat doesn't spin so the spring has to spin to turn which makes the steering feel awful. In my case I had the rubber bush that goes between the top hat and springs and it acted like a spring. Whichever way I turn binds the rubber piece so when I straighten the rubber acts like a spring and pushes the steering the direction I turned. Basically I had to hold the steering the opposite direction or else it will turn. Also the steering never returned to center right. Did not feel comfortable if my car slid as I couldn't release the steering to counter steer.

From what I can see, the pillowball needs to spin like the oem shock mount. I tried to put a needle bearing between the top hat and plate but no bueno since the nut tightens against the pillowball. If anyone found a solution to this I would love to hear it as I would like to use the camber plates.


Pheww, glad i saw this in time. I was going to buy their plates for a stock strut/spring combo. Guess i'll be going jdm branded plates instead.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:09 pm
by aaronlee133
I spoke with Antonio from motormavens about this not too long ago and for that reason went with Tein camber plates instead as he said he's used them with stock hat and no problems.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:14 pm
by 40vpurpletop
aaronlee133 wrote:I spoke with Antonio from motormavens about this not too long ago and for that reason went with Tein camber plates instead as he said he's used them with stock hat and no problems.


How does the steering feel with Tein camber plates? Any issues like I had with the T3 ones? Thanks.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 2:27 am
by CloudStrife
-zenki- wrote:
40vpurpletop wrote:Update on this. If anyone is thinking about using the camber plates with oem top hat, don't. It doesn't work. The top hat doesn't spin so the spring has to spin to turn which makes the steering feel awful. In my case I had the rubber bush that goes between the top hat and springs and it acted like a spring. Whichever way I turn binds the rubber piece so when I straighten the rubber acts like a spring and pushes the steering the direction I turned. Basically I had to hold the steering the opposite direction or else it will turn. Also the steering never returned to center right. Did not feel comfortable if my car slid as I couldn't release the steering to counter steer.

From what I can see, the pillowball needs to spin like the oem shock mount. I tried to put a needle bearing between the top hat and plate but no bueno since the nut tightens against the pillowball. If anyone found a solution to this I would love to hear it as I would like to use the camber plates.


Pheww, glad i saw this in time. I was going to buy their plates for a stock strut/spring combo. Guess i'll be going jdm branded plates instead.



Dude, what? It doesn't matter what brand you get. All JDM plates are meant to be paired with short stroke strut conversions. Yes, Cusco has two different plates (as well as any other jap plates), but the non-short stroke strut conversion types are impossible to find.

There is really no point in not doing the conversions...

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 9:11 am
by -zenki-
Reason for not going coilovers is there aren't any on the market with the correct paperwork for them to be legal overhere. Cops are already eyeing my car up everytime i pass them, can't risk getting defected.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 2:06 pm
by CloudStrife
Are you in the states? The only state that should really care is Hawaii.. Been there done that lol.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 2:29 pm
by -zenki-
No Belgium. It's my daily driver too so i need it for work.

Re: T3 camber plates

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 3:26 pm
by CloudStrife
Oh wait, nevermind, I just put it together haha.

You can make the camber plates work, you just need to experiment with top hats. Have you tried calling T3?They are very helpful..