Eyebolt washer / Camber adjustment

Post by **winger300** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:24 pm

When I removed the Eyebolts from my '55 Splitscreen I noticed there was no washer between the chassis leg and eyebolt, my old BMC autobook 5 suggests that there should be a washer there, and that if using Rubber bushes in the toplink, you should add another U washer.

My question therefore is... should there be a washer in there for a standard camber setup?

When fitting polybushes, should I be doing anything to alter the camber adjustment? I don't tend to corner hard, and lots of motorway driving means I'd prefer a 0 degree camber (i think)

Why a U shaped washer? Is this simply so that you don't need to remove the eyebolt and dismantle everything else to slip it in?

Post by **IslipMinor** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:34 pm

The 'U' shaped washer is so that the eye bolt does not have to be removed, BUT it does allow water into the eye bolt fixing and corrosion quickly follows!

Better to fit a normal flat washer(s) to the same thickness (around 1/8" or 3mm).

Without the washer and with rubber top bushes, the camber will be more positive than designed, so if you now have the opportunity, it would be a good idea to fit the spacer between the eye bolt and the chassis leg. Lots of copper grease around the eye bolt so that it comes out easily the next time you need to do anything!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:36 pm

I think U to slip it in - but also it can slip right back out! I use 5/16" steel plates with suitable hole drilled in the right spot to add a tiny bit of negative camber and also to spread the load on the chassis member. But your right - if doing decent mileage aim for dead upright wheels at the standard ride height. Check with a spirit level on a dead flat surface - double check by turning the car round and sitting it on exactly the same spot! used to be able to get negative camber eye bolts (bit more meat on the shank before the eye) - but I guess no-one makes these now ??

Post by **winger300** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:15 pm

Where can I get a suitable washer?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:39 pm

Think you will need to have them made - hence steel flat plate with hole - can be made at home with leccy drill!

Post by **jonathon** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:19 pm

This is only meaningfull if you have a true chassis leg to start with and that the pairs are in phase with each other. We have a car in with 1.5 degrees positive on one side and 3 degrees neg on the other. the old neg camber kits would be useless here. Each eyebolt only had the standard washer fitted, it is the legs at fault.
Best bet is to have the geometry taken correctly and accurately rather than guess, and make up shims or washers to give the desired camber angle. I'd go for no more than 1 degree negative, on a standard car.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:58 am

Agree with that - so for DIY it really is try something - then measure it - then make adjustments if necessary. Fortunately my car started off with v slight +ve camber on both front wheels, and 5/16" plates gave me the slight -ve I was after. And yes - for car doing high mileage dead upright really is best, but the more negative (within reason) the better the turn in and cornering power, downside being some slight extra wear on the inner edges of the tyres.

Post by **winger300** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:36 am

The chassis legs dont appear distorted or taken any weld repairs, but is there any reason why there would be no washers at all fitted?

Post by **jonathon** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:05 am

I'd check the camber angle first before removing the eyebolts,just in case they have been left off for a reason. If the camber is wrong it might be that they plain forgot to replace them or might have put them on the nut side of the chassis leg, believe it or not this is very common.

Post by **winger300** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:08 am

unfortunately its too late for that

Its all in pieces now!

There is just a spring washer on the other side. My guess is that the car had been converted to rubber toplink bushes, but the eyebolt was never touched.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:21 pm

You'll find a big improvement if you change to polyurethane top link bushes - that's where the biggest improvement is made, although they are generally a good idea all over the suspension!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:11 pm

Best to use a washer, NOT a spreader plate. The chassis leg has an internal spreader plate reinforced structure. If you use an external one, it can create a stress concentration where the leg is single skin and not designed to take it.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:58 pm

Not done mine any harm in 7 years of hard motoring! The chassis leg only has a wee tube inside - to stop it crushing up. The legs are infamous for stress cracking - radiating out from where the eyebolt goes through.

Post by **downsey** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:31 am

I

think U to slip it in - but also it can slip right back out!

How about just a 1/2 inch U-washer with a a 3/16 pocket milled in the center with an i.d matching the o.d of the eye bolt? Could slip in easy but not out.

Post by **downsey** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:33 am

OR... two 5/32 inch u-washers slipped in opposite sides of eachother. J.B weld the edges and your done.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:39 am

Yes - they will all work - nut sure about the 'JB WELD' ??

Post by **winger300** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:36 pm

So I've just had the steering geometry checked and the correct toe-in adjustment. Unfortunately I didn't get chance to talk to the mechanic, but on the invoice reads.... "Camber - O/S 2 DEGREE IN N/S 0 DEGREE - NOT ADJUSTABLE"

I'm confused by the word "IN" about whether this means 2 degree positive or negative.

If its 2 degree positive that means i need about a 9mm spacer behind that eyebolt!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:58 pm

Yes - i suggest IN means leaning in at the top = +ve camber. But that much must be very obvious from the front of the car. You can't really put that much spacer on the eyebolt - the shaft will no longer be completely held in the tube in the leg, and the nut will only just be hanging on the threads! Suggest you have a special long eyebolt run up - with some additional length in the heavy section at the eye - and then you can add some extra spacers to that if required. Or of course - have the chassis legs properly fitted on the car - but likely to cost a great deal more than a special eyebolt!

Post by **downsey** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:31 pm

Yes - they will all work - nut sure about the 'JB WELD' ??

Oh sorry, i'm not sure if the UK has JB weld or not. Its basically like epoxy but much harder and chemically bonds to the metal or almost anything else. A lot of people use it to patch cracked blocks and heads. I've even heard of people decreasing port size to increase air velocity on porrly designed heads with it but that seems slightly sketchy to me.

Heres the link: http://jbweld.net/products/index.php

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:12 pm

Aye - don't rely on it to hold anything important!! Ok for filling in holes maye - it's just GLUE.