rlm328

I have had after market dampners on my car since I first got it 10 years ago. My traditional method of alignment is to use the camber plate at the top of the strut tower. The aftermarket dampners do not use the eccentric bolt and washer that the stock dampners use which brings me to my problem.

I normally tighten the upper bolt where the eccentric bolt went as tight as I as I can get it to prevent slippage along the slot in the spindle. This has worked until recently and I am beginning to have slippage at this point. Is anyone doing anything different then tightening this bolt? I am considering modifying it some way and looking for options.

Thanks
Bob

LUCKY DAVE

I had problems with this too. With a bumpy track, 750lb spring rate, 275 slicks up front and an aggressive driver it's no surprise, the original design was never intended to resist forces on that scale. I tried everything - even with all surfaces cleaned and "potted" with red loktite, they still slipped.
Now I adjust the camber at the bottom so the top of the wheels are tilted all the way out (bottomed out in the slots) and make camber adjustments with the camber plates.
This has worked just fine.

968workaholic

Eventually the outer edge out the strut where the adjuster bottoms out will deform, ask me how i know. I just finished making up some ss plates to lock the adjustment in full negative position. I post some pictures later when i get to the shop.

968workaholic

Laust Pedersen

See these posts where they had success pinning the spindle to the strut with rolled pins.

https://rennlist.com/forums/944-turb...ml#post1766152
https://rennlist.com/forums/944-turb...ml#post5190721

968workaholic

That's a good idea, but your not increasing the load carrying area that's being applied on the eccentric bolt that much with a roll pin. But it looks like it has worked well for others

V2Rocket

instead of a pin why not a full-size 3rd bolt, between the two that already hold the spindle to shock body?

Chris Prack

We had made tabs that fit on the upper bolt that locked the strut in place. Similar to what is posted above just much smaller and we used one on each side. Simple and effective.

Sorry I don't think I have a picture.

968workaholic

The problem i ran into was not the eccentric rotating, but the force being applied on the strut edge. No amount of reinforcing that one area would stop the problem. So with a large plate there is more surface area to spread out the load rather than having it contained to a relatively small area

jerome951

Interesting timing, Bob. My car has the same type of slotted camber adjustment. For 10 years it's been fine, and during the last event this past fall the left started to slip.

Unfortunately I can't lock the camber at the strut and use camber plates to make adjustments (PCA club racing rules). I was thinking of something like a serrated washer in the stock location that would give the washers more bite on the strut tab and (hopefully) stop any slippage.

Haven't put this plan into action yet (on my winter maintenance list) so not sure it will work.

rlm328

Came up with a new method of using a shim. The shim is 5/16th inches wide and consists of a piece 3/16th inch thick and 1/8th inch thick welded together. The 1st photo is the shim and the 2nd with it in place.

Dimi 944

I used a replacement bolt 10.9 class with finer thread pitch and torqued it to 120 ft-lbs.
No problems.

rlm328

The bolt was torqued using an impact wrench, I would estimate to at least 100 ft-lbs. But with 275 tires up front and running on a track that was supposed to have been closed 2 years ago, the front end takes a pounding. I am happy with the shim set up.

V2Rocket

JMHO, but the only time an impact wrench should be used for a 944 is to spin the rod while rebuilding a torque tube.

rlm328

I agree with you 100% but in this instance I was trying to make prevent slippage wish can get dangerous when you are pulling 1.4 to 1.6 g's in a corner as I was at the track with limited tools I used what I had.