Advice needed re Spring Spacers?

Mal CSL 3.0

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I suffer very minor tyre glancing as I am running 205/55/16 up front with the Carl Nelson spring set up. I don’t want to do any guard rolling as too troublesome due to having the stainless CSL arches, and actually the problem is not bad enough to warrant such aggressive action.

So thinking a 10mm spacer might do the trick and drop down the front tyres just that little bit to stop the minor tyre glancing.

(I would also add the same 10mm spacers at back to keep car balanced).

Has anyone tried such a fix? And does anyone sell them for E9’s?


Many Thanks
 
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Mal CSL 3.0

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Thanks Don, I think camber plates are more hassle to install. I was thinking Just spring spacers might be easier? (I am getting some put on my Alfa GTV next week, so was hoping they could work on an E9 too?, but not sure?)
 
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e9john

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Could you use the thicker rubber pads that sit on the top and bottom of the springs, I think there are 3 different thicknesses ?
 

sfdon

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most cars with 16" wheels leave my shop with Carls camber plates.
Dirt cheap
super easy to install
 

Ohmess

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One additional comment if you are set on the spacers, BMW installed spacers at the top of the front struts of all US bound coupes in order to meet US DOT headlight height requirements. Many of us have removed them and thrown them away, but if that is the way you want to go, I suspect you could get a set for nothing as they have no resale value here in the states.
 

Mal CSL 3.0

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most cars with 16" wheels leave my shop with Carls camber plates.
Dirt cheap
super easy to install

Thanks Don,

Will chat with my mechanic today about installing camber plates, and consider to get some, if no one sells E9 spacers.

How much toe in is usually need to stop the tyre glancing? 5mm or need more? I would worry if set too far in, these camber plates could cause uneven tyre wear problems?

And if I went Carl camber plate route would this strut brace still be usable? I assume not, which would be a shame as I love it.

IMG_4338.JPG
 

Honolulu

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The USA spacers that most of (us) have removed by now, are a three-nut install. You do have to get under the fender though, but IIRC nothing else needs disassembly.
 

HB Chris

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The camber plate does not affect toe-in. His plates will get you to neutral or slightly negative which is fine, I think only 0.75 degrees.
 

Mal CSL 3.0

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Thanks for all the replies.

Seems the La Jolla negative camber plates are the way to go, so I will get some of them soon. Hopefully if I use these plates I don't need to roll the guards as well?

Also I see the La Jolla camber plates are about 10mm high, so does that mean that I need to add spacing to the back springs to balance, because I don't want the car sticking up higher at the front and sitting lower at the back which will ruin my current nice stance.
 

matthewp

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kmac manufacture them in Sydney camber and caster adjustment
 

HB Chris

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Thanks for all the replies.

Seems the La Jolla negative camber plates are the way to go, so I will get some of them soon. Hopefully if I use these plates I don't need to roll the guards as well?

Also I see the La Jolla camber plates are about 10mm high, so does that mean that I need to add spacing to the back springs to balance, because I don't want the car sticking up higher at the front and sitting lower at the back which will ruin my current nice stance.
I don’t think they could be 10mm, that’s a lot, and I have them on the coupe and NK.
 

Gransin

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Also I see the La Jolla camber plates are about 10mm high, so does that mean that I need to add spacing to the back springs to balance, because I don't want the car sticking up higher at the front and sitting lower at the back which will ruin my current nice stance.

They aren't more than 2-3mm high.
 
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