I recently took out my coilovers and reinstalled my Eibachs/Illuminas. When I took it to the alignment shop, the mechanic installed the camber bolts without the index washer that came with them. He told me that you don't need the washer, but I don't really believe him. I went back the next day and he said that he never uses them. Is this OK, or do I need to get new bolts?

 

id prefer to have the washer in there, it has a tab that gives the bolt some extra support

 

Thats what I told the mechanic, and he told me that they don't do anything and that they just make it harder to adjust. Needless to say, I won't be going back, but I am trying to figure out if I need to buy a new set. He just "threw them in the garbage."

 

yeah, i mean they dont cost that much, id just get some more. just mark where your current ones are set and install the new ones at the same angle or you could get a different shop to install them and check the alignment again.

 

Don't mean to hijack your thread here, but after unsuccesfully trying to create a new thread I noticed that I can't start one because I'm a new user.

I am currently driving a '99 turbo Miata, and I have been driving RWD cars for about as long as I have had my license. I'm starting to save up for a house right now so the toy car has to go, and I will be inheriting a '97 SE with 180k miles. I drove the car around a bit for the last few days and no surprise, the shocks are GONE. I will be buying some GR-2 replacements from Tire Rack.

I have a question regarding camber bolts. I see that Tire Rack has +/- 1.0* camber bolts as well as +/- 2.0*. I've been autocrossing for several years and I like my negative camber, but seeing as how I'm limited to being able to adjust only the front suspension, I don't know if I want to go all out with -2.0* degrees in the front. While I know it will help the front end to stick a little better, I don't want to have the rear end of a FWD car swinging out in a low traction environment. Has anyone here had any experience fitting camber bolts to a car with stock suspension? Does -2.0* camber in the front induce oversteer at the limit or is the car still front heavy enough that it's not really an issue?

Thanks in advance,
Roman

 

The index washer is very important to maintain camber after adjustment. The tab is set horizontally either outside (to get more positive) or inside (to get more negative). The little stub on the index washer goes in the hole to make sure the bolt does not wiggle.

 

That's what I told the guy, but he wasn't gonna listen to me. Oh well, lesson learned.

 

I'm sure the engineer who designed them is a lot more intelligent that the mechanic. They were there for a specific reason.

 

that's exactly what it does. It prevents it from turning after hitting bumps and wrecking your alignment and tires.
Tell your mechanic that manufacturors put parts in cars for a reason. (we all know they want to cut costs).
Take your car to someone that knows as it will cost you more in the long run. Always trust me!

 

-2.0 is fine except for a bit more street wear.