Bc coilovers br series damper swap lock nut problem & camber plate position?
 

Just swapped the damper on my bad bc coilover br series front passenger coilover as the old one had started leaking oil everywhere and losing the shock absorption.

So just about finished the damper swap but having trouble tightening up the 17mm locknut (5mm hex head inside) at the top of the strut, I also had same trouble removing old lock nut on old damper.

Any advice on how to tighten up the 17mm locknut with the 5mm hex head nut insert without damaging the threads on the 5mm hex head inner part?

heres pic of how it should look
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l103/trebor74/11.png

and heres how mine looks, a good 10mm short of been fully tightened up.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...DSCF0001-1.jpg

also while were on the subject, when I bought the car the front camber plates mounts looked like this, is this normal?

driver side
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...4/DSCF0022.jpg

passenger side
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...4/DSCF0025.jpg

top nut sorted now, it was a damaged thread, new one just ordered from apex. I didnt realise is should only be finger tight, and then tightened further with a spanner, as i was having a right battle trying to tighten it up lol.

would still be interested in the camber plates- ie i would think that they should be symmetrical?

The camber plates look miles out. The only way to check is to get it aligned properly. I would expect wildly bad inner tyre wear on one side as the camber will affect the tracking too. You really need to sort this.

The scale on the camber plates does not represent the camber of the wheels.

I just fitted my BCs last week and although both front wheels are set the same, the camber plate bolts are in different positions.

I would get yours checked though as they could be out.

But don't be alarmed if they are in different positions when set up!

pheww thx for the info guys, I ve had no adverse tyre wear in the 5 months Ive owned the car so that massively puts my mind at rest.

Its just with the damper, upper spring platform with bearing & topnut been damaged i thought this camber plate could be the problem.

Even though you have noticed any wear I would get the geometry checked out.

Better to be safe than sorry and a few degrees of camber (amongst the rest) dramatically changes the handling.

It was night and day after I set up my geometry last week.

ok i will get the geometry checked out. Ive got some whiteline suspension upgrades to fit anyway so will get geometry checked out after fitting of them.

all sorted now, on the car and like new again.

Massive thx to Kev & Jason from APEX For sending the parts next day delivery and all the helpful advice, otherwise the car would have been off the road alot longer.

http://www.apexperformance.co.uk/