Ok, the last thing stopping me from these simple camber plates is this stupid bearing.

 

It needs to be something similar to a clutch release bearing really, shaft size near 9/16. Just any kind of bearing that can be put inbetween 2 solid plates to allow the plates to rotate against each other will do. I'll get measurements later tonight.

 

Any ideas?

 

edit: bump...oh, it morning and i still dont ahve measurements!

Ok, 14.5 MM is the shaft size for the strut....

bump....

Ok guys, the ID of the bearing is 14.5MM.

 

Common...i need this thing......

i'll call a place in spovegas for you. give me whatever dimensions and specs you'd like me to mention

 

what's a pair of these going to run your average USMB member?

Here is a page of bearings I can get for wheelchairs. Let me know if any of them would work.

http://www.aftermarketgroup.com/products_wheelchair.cfm?key=1

 

choose Product Group - "Wheel and Caster Parts"

then Selection - "Stem Bearings" or "Rear Wheel Bearings"

A bearing store. Theres 1 in my city of 80 000, where I go to buy bearings cheaper than from parts stores. There should be one nearby you, especially if you live in a city bigger than 80 000. Just ask them. They will have part numbers to almost any bearing on the planet from helicopter rotor bearings to pillow block bearings. I'm certain they could figure out something. Look under bearings in the yellow pages.

Thanks guys!

 

baccaruda: So far I dont really have anything in them...I got the 4 plates for free, and the bolts cost almost nothing...its the whole bearing thingy that is the big deal. I hope that if I can get these in production, they will cost $50 or less, shipped.

 

The stock bearing in the stock strut tower tops measure as this: OD is 25MM and the shft size is 15MM...yet I measure the hole to me 14.5MM...? Its about 8MM thick.

wow, nice work! im very interested in your progress and will be first in line for negitive camber! keep us updated!

Will: Glad you finally got the plates made! I cant wait to see pics and hear the tales of what they do the the car's handling. C'mon.....finish it!

man...i looked at the cusco plates again...these things are SO freaking simple, and I STILL have not found a bearing or way to get this freaking breaing seated...this is annoying really.

You'll figure it out. I know how bad you want it. I have confidence in you.

AAARGH

I called Brown Bearing in SpoVegas and the guy on the phone listened to the dimensions and gave me a "we'd hafta see it"

..

sorry will. next time i'm at the JY i'll see about grabbing one, like this weekendish.

 

How are the bearings attached to the plates? welded to one side, or is there a bracket or ???

So uhh, i had a thought. Let see if I can lay it out. First. Things we know:

 

We know that the fundamental differences between the ea82 knuckles and the XT6 knuckles are the bearings and how the strut attaches to them.

 

We know that the fundamental differences between the XT6 knuckles and GC8 impreza knuckles are the bearings. They have the same kind of strut attachment.

 

We know that early gen. legacy struts work, and we are pretty positive GC8 struts will work. (i'm picking up 2 front GC8 struts on friday, so we'll find out soon enough.)

 

If GC8 struts work at the top, then why don't we just use camber plates for a GC8? Seems it would be a lot easier than fabbing up some ourselves.

 

Also, if the impreza strut tops work...and the impreza camber plates work, wouldn't it also mean that impreza strut tower bars would work? Atleast the mounting plates would. The width may be different, but making a bar would be far easier that making the whole thing.

 

Just interjecting some thought. Let me know whats right, wrong, important, or just plain crazy talk!

If the GC8 strut tops are the same as on GDA/B, (and I'm not sure they are, but I think so), the orientation of the 3-bolt pattern is not the same as on the EA's. It looks like it could be redrilled to work with the GC/GD tops, though. The other potential problem is that the opening in the strut tower top is a bit smaller in the EA, but a dremmel could possibly solve that one, too. Removing the lip around the hole would prolly be enough, but that lip adds strength to the tower top, and it may not be a good thing to remove it.

 

Even if all this could be done.....the camber plates for Impreza are pretty pricey, unless you are lucky enough to find some used. You can almost get an engine or tranny for what a new set costs. I think that's what Will was trying to get around by fabbing some up.

 

Here is a pic of a Cusco camber plate for Impreza. I think this is the same one Will is using for a guide:cusco camber plates

yeah those new plates run over $300, new, and Ive never seen any used even on ebay. BUT I did seriously consider using them instead of getting some fabbed and fabbing up these...so...Im going to a bearing place tomorrow morning with the whole stut assembly and see what they can give me.

Good luck.

mtfbwy

 

 

 

hm. we need star wars emoticons..

xwaupgrade.com I think has some.

I wonder how many people in Iclub have those adjustable plates. Maybe post over there to see if anybody can get the bearing # off one. Or e-mail cusco and tell em a story about bearing failure and can they steer you to a correct part number The hard part is certainly the bearing since it needs to resist thrust up,down and sideways. I'm guessing it must have a race welded underneath to keep the strut from dropping off.

 

 

*EDIT* Just a thought. Are you planning to run these with stock struts? Seems like it's going to be awfully tight in there if you go for any negative camber. In my lifted ea-82 the spring is pretty near to rubbing as is. With coilovers it would be a cinch and maybe with stock ride height it will work also but prolly worth looking in the wheel well before spending. If you want positive then it's no problem.