I found a fixed camber plate that is similar to the Ireland Eng unit but uses the stock strut top. It provides 1.3 deg neg camber. It will take care of the mushrooming also. The list price is $95 plus shipping. The guy sent me the installation instructions and they look like a piece of cake. I trying to see who needs one. Then contact them for a qty buy.
I've looked at these. Not knocking them, but the stock strut top is a weak link on the MINI suspension & those plates don't help that. Do you feel -1.3 degrees is enough? The IE fixed plates use a much more robust set up. They use a Z4 top bearing I believe. I'd call IE & see if they'd do a group buy. There are a bunch of R53 MINI's hanging with us now & all of you guys would benefit from fixed camber plates. My experience is that the front tires are wearing much better after the install of the IE plates. The IE fixed gave me -1.9 & -2.0.
^+1 The stock strut top is one of the main reasons to get a better part in addition to the added camber and some mushroom prevention.
IE... Built like a tank.... My best mod to date.... IE on the right (R56 but R53 would be similar)....
IE says their plates only provide 1.25 deg neg. This one will solve the mushrooming problem. My existing bearing is fine with only 25k on the car. This one is less than half the price. I believe in you get what you pay for, but that is ridiculous. I can fine adjustables not much more. If I had the specs I'd make them myself. Any one have some plates off the car I can measure?
My guess is when you add that -1.25 to the negative camber that is already there you end up with -1.9 & -2.0. At least on my MINI. My IE plates have been on my MINI for 85,000 miles & still doing fine. Not sure the oem strut mounts would still be usable at that mileage although I don't know that for sure. I do know I'm not sorry I spent the money.
Part of the IE design includes a 1/4" thick top steel plate that fixes that dreaded "Mushrooming issue.... Built like a Tank....
Hope you didn't shoot yourself in the foot with that purchase. :smilewinkgrin: You can use your old strut top plates as ninja throwing stars. :yesnod:
These look like they are only reinforcement plates.... Do you re-use the OEM plate with this plate? It doesn't have a new strut bearing???? I'm Confused
That's what I said at the beginning. Yes they are like reinforcement plates with the bearing mount off set to provide the camber change. Same idea as the IE ones only with out the bearing.