What camber/caster plates do I need

[86lx]

Need to get something for my 1986 LX notchback.

The car has 2003 spindles and brakes with the original control arms and 1987-1993 struts.

I’m looking at some offerings on Amazon (have gift cards I’d like to use) and it looks like they are split between 1979-1989 or 1994-2004.

My gut tells me I need to go with the 79-89 ones, but figured I’d ask the question first. Not looking to spend a lot. Just need to get the camber back where it needs to be.


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[wraithracing]

First and Foremost, the 96-2004 SN95 spindles are not the spindles you want to use on a Fox Body with the stock K member. You will be unable to tune out the bump steer the car will have due to the straight steering arm. http://www.maximummotorsports.com/te...4_spindle.aspx

You need to swap out the spindles for a set of the 94/95 SN95 spindles or swap out your K member for an aftermarket K member such as Maximum Motorsports. http://www.maximummotorsports.com/MM...1995-P206.aspx

The CC Plates allow you to actually align the front suspension properly. This is due to the fact that the OEM mounts only allow you to adjust the camber and only slight at that. Caster is not adjustable using the OEM mounts. CC Plates such as Maximum Motorsports allow you to adjust the caster and camber independently. Adding caster to a Fox will generally improve the straight line stability on the highway and at higher speed. CC Plates are a requirement IMHO any time you start swapping parts and/or lower the front suspension.

As for the style or type, the Plates need to be for the 79-89 models. The 90-93 the bolt pattern was changed and the 94-04 use a 4 bolt mount rather than the 3 bolt of the 79-93 cars. I highly recommend Maximum Motorsports full product line. Yes, you can buy cheaper options, but I have never had any issues with any Maximum Motorsports parts and I have been using them for 15-20 years at this point and on at least 10-12 Foxes. Good Luck!

[banzaibullitt]

^^^ +1 ^^^ Don't buy cheap. Maximum Motorsports all the way! You won't be disappointed.

79-89 plates, 94-95 spindles with stock arms and k-member.

[erratic50]

I agree - Maximum Motorsports is the best option on caster/camber plates.

I went with an old school set of NOS HP Motorsports plates on my 85 Saleen clone build but not for performance reasons. The car is suspected to be an old HPM test mule given its historical location and its Racecraft suspension and Saleen specific parts.

I have a set on my 1986 already and owning two sets will give me a source of replacement parts to keep one set around a good long while.

Caster/camber plates are one of the things I bought from the famous now deceased SCCA racer Paul Brown. Paul took the time to explain to me in detail why caster/camber plates matter, etc. The first set sat on my shelf new in box for 18 years before I got around to installing them on my 1986 GT. They work exactly as Paul said they would ...

The advise above from others is spot on. Punt those 03 spindles or get an aftermarket K member.

would not look at anything else other than Maximum Motorsports on the K member and plates.

[86lx]

So the good news is that I do have ‘95 spindles. Also the stock ‘86 control arms with ‘95 ball joint.

I picked up a cheapish set of plates from amazon last week and put them on this past weekend. This will likely be temporary until I get everything sorted out. Still need to mess around with alignment setup. I’m still not sure I’m going to be able to get the camber where I want it.

What are my options as far as lower control arms to allow me to get more negative camber (if I need it)?

I thought I had all this figured out when I first updated the front end, but that was well over a decade ago, so I’ve forgotten much of what I have learned.

For what it’s worth, I want to keep the stock k-member for now. Mostly due to a limited budget.


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[erratic50]

Negative camber can be hard to come by. Especially with anything but the best placates.

You need at or near full load on the hub when you initially tighten down the strut bolts. Even then sometimes you have to slot the strut or use camber bolts.

The ideal is to set the caster/camber plates to the middle then all the way towards the windshield then dial in your negative camber while you are at max caster.

Watch your bumpsteer or it will drive like crap on bumps, btw

[86lx]

Negative camber can be hard to come by. Especially with anything but the best placates.

You need at or near full load on the hub when you initially tighten down the strut bolts. Even then sometimes you have to slot the strut or use camber bolts.

The ideal is to set the caster/camber plates to the middle then all the way towards the windshield then dial in your negative camber while you are at max caster.

Watch your bumpsteer or it will drive like crap on bumps, btw

I had forgotten that camber bolts were even a thing. Looks like it could be a low-cost solution if I need them.


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[wraithracing]

So the good news is that I do have ‘95 spindles. Also the stock ‘86 control arms with ‘95 ball joint.

I picked up a cheapish set of plates from amazon last week and put them on this past weekend. This will likely be temporary until I get everything sorted out. Still need to mess around with alignment setup. I’m still not sure I’m going to be able to get the camber where I want it.

What are my options as far as lower control arms to allow me to get more negative camber (if I need it)?

I thought I had all this figured out when I first updated the front end, but that was well over a decade ago, so I’ve forgotten much of what I have learned.

For what it’s worth, I want to keep the stock k-member for now. Mostly due to a limited budget.


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If you are running an 8" wide front wheel and no plans to run anything larger you can gain some camber by running the 94-04 lower control arms. You can't run the SN95 control arms while using 9" wheels as there's not enough room under the fender to fit everything. I am currently running 9's on all 4 corners of my PC because I like the look and the added tire up front, so I have to run the Fox length.

I personally don't like camber bolts as they are generally weaker than a standard bolt. I know Erratic50 likes them and has had good luck with them, but my .02 is there are other options and worse case, I will live with less camber. Your experience and opinion may vary.