A call for camber plates

[Bug@5speed(US)]

Clive, thanks for the pics..

Got me very interested in this option.. and as a result took some pics of my own to share..

Essentially there seems to be a lot of overlap and similarities between the 944 topmount and 1303 topmount.

Here are some pics of the 944 Strut topmount (can't remember the year or model, but believe they are NA model)



Here is the topline strut bar plate placed on the 944 to see the similarities.. The top bolts line up perfectly with the topline plate




Here is the beetle with the topline plate


This is the 1303 plate sitting on top of the 944


Some side/angle shots to see the similarities




Where I can see an issue, but looks like Clive has confirmed fitment, is the bottom section of the 944 topmount as its wider and does not come to a point. I won't have time to disassemble these struts till end of may and maybe check on the car to see how much space exists..

@Clive- Was there a lot of space left, when you installed from underneath? Curious as aftermarket 944 camberplates maybe larger.





NLT friday, I will follow up with the Ground Control Rep, and send him some pencil drawings/tracings of the beetle topmount, so that he can check against his inventory to see if something other than the 944 will fit the bill.. But drilling two holes and leveraging the 944 stuff, seems like a no-brainer.. added support.
I was initially concerned if the 944 units would be offset, in some fashion when compared to the beetle units, but this does not seem to be the case. I was concerned about added camber/caster in the wrong directions. The other issue that I need to check is that the two new holes are not to close to where the strut pops through.. as in that there is enough metal to have good structural integrity. .

These are the ones I saw on the ground control site, but there are plenty of other vendors.. These were nice as they had an integrated top spring perch.. Other options are 944 units that are topmounted, as in they get bolted to the top of the chassis, as opposed to the bottom but those are big dollar items.

http://www.ground-control-store.com/...924+%28Pair%29
Only problem, is that the 944 run horizontal in those cars, and when placed on the bug go vertically, therefore making them caster plates

Welcome any thoughts? as I too want to kick ideas around and keep this thread going..
VR
ALex

[evilC]

Hi Alex,
A couple of comments:
The 944 top mount is a tight fit in the 1303 seat.
The extra stud on the front/outer is preciously close to the fold on the inner wing. To bolt mine up that include a 5mm strut bar plate I have to jact the strut up so that there is clearance for the nyloc nut, wind the nut on and then finish jacking the strut up. There is not enough clearance between the stud top and the inner wing to get the nut on when the mount is fully engaged.
The camber plates that ground control show look like thick (8mm?) alloy plates that IMO would fail on two accounts:
1) Their thickness + and/or the strut brace plate would be too deep to allow that front outer bolt through that will allowthe nut to be placed.
2) The whole thing relys on M8 bolts clamping that top plate in situ by friction. I can see that it could move in use particularly on rough roads. It looks like a unit for racing only as it will need constant supervision and adjustment.
3) It is generally accepted that the 1303 super requires a strut brace to stiffen the front to give adequate/better control. By putting in an adjustable top plate based on sliding the top of the strut in two directions you will have to slot or enlarge the strut brace fixing holes or dispense with it altogether (an adjustable strut brace is only adjustable in one direction). By allowing more movement for the strut brace you will have negated a primary reason for having it in the first place - to solidly secure the two top mounts of the strut.
On balance since you are probably unlikely to want to adjust the front suspension frequently and since adjusting the toe in can only be accomplished under the front it seems to me that having all the adjustability under the car would be more desireable especially since it leaves the stiffness of the body uncompromised

Clive