Turner camber plate question

[repoman89]

Yeah these experiences are really putting me off of the Turner plates, plus the hybrids are super expensive. Anyone have experience with the GC “hybrid” plates with Ohlins coilovers (yes, this has ballooned into a suspension project that I’m trying to purchase and install before my alignment appointment on the 30th)

https://groundcontrolstore.com/colle...mw-e46-m3-pair

edit: ignoring spring sizing ... already planning to replace the stock R&T springs with 2.5 inch ones.

[eacmen]

Yeah these experiences are really putting me off of the Turner plates, plus the hybrids are super expensive. Anyone have experience with the GC “hybrid” plates with Ohlins coilovers (yes, this has ballooned into a suspension project that I’m trying to purchase and install before my alignment appointment on the 30th)

https://groundcontrolstore.com/colle...mw-e46-m3-pair

edit: ignoring spring sizing ... already planning to replace the stock R&T springs with 2.5 inch ones.

I would call GC tomorrow morning. They will tell you everything you need to know.

Only advice I would give is to get the BMW strut tower reinforcement plates with the GC plates.

[Tbonem3]

There'd be no need for further reinforcement if one had a mason/re/dmg style strutbar. Stock is iffy with 3 little feet

[repoman89]

I spoke to both Barry at 3dm and someone at GC ... Barry said GC hybrids and Turner are similar in quality and GC said to just note Ohlins R&T fitment in the notes and they’d get the right hardware out. I was planning on using the reinforcement plates anyway so no worries there. Went with the GC plate for $450 instead of Turner for $782 with perch.

[r4dr]

I spoke to both Barry at 3dm and someone at GC ... Barry said GC hybrids and Turner are similar in quality and GC said to just note Ohlins R&T fitment in the notes and they’d get the right hardware out. I was planning on using the reinforcement plates anyway so no worries there. Went with the GC plate for $450 instead of Turner for $782 with perch.

That's good to know. Really wish I had just done that in the first place. If I can't get these hardware-less Turner plates to work, I might end up just buying GC plates.

[usdmej]

There'd be no need for further reinforcement if one had a mason/re/dmg style strutbar. Stock is iffy with 3 little feet

unfortunately this was not the case for me, TCK coilovers/Vorschlag camber plates/ mason strut bar and my strut towers cracked over time (car is used for street and auto-x)

[Tbonem3]

Something was wrong or defective then, because the aftermarket strut braces have a huge footprint over the entire flat surface of the tower.

Further, there are people with stock braces and no reinforcement and more miles/hours than you with no cracks. The metal sheet was probably already fatigued before you put the nice parts on...

Or do you have the mushroom towers from 2001 where the aftermarket strut braces don't help?

[eacmen]

Something was wrong or defective then, because the aftermarket strut braces have a huge footprint over the entire flat surface of the tower.

Further, there are people with stock braces and no reinforcement and more miles/hours than you with no cracks. The metal sheet was probably already fatigued before you put the nice parts on...

Or do you have the mushroom towers from 2001 where the aftermarket strut braces don't help?

FWIW Mason makes a strut brace that fits the form of the contoured towers from 2001 cars.

[Tbonem3]

Even better, or I've seen spacers too.

[usdmej]

Something was wrong or defective then, because the aftermarket strut braces have a huge footprint over the entire flat surface of the tower.

Further, there are people with stock braces and no reinforcement and more miles/hours than you with no cracks. The metal sheet was probably already fatigued before you put the nice parts on...

Or do you have the mushroom towers from 2001 where the aftermarket strut braces don't help?

car is an 05 so flat strut towers, i was also under the impression that my strut bar would prevent the cracks but they said i'm not the first person that assumed that and got cracks from running aftermarket suspension.
fwiw they were hairline cracks so small i'd never even noticed them until the shop pointed them out.

[Tbonem3]

What spring rates?

I think climate or other environmental things must come into play, because for every person that has a problem, there are plenty with no issues, even when things like aftermarket parts and usage are the same or similar.

I noticed that GC, I think it was, mentioned that they treat the metal that makes contact with the tower underside to prevent electrolysis I think it was. Perhaps other brands don't and it weakens the metal? IDK. or are the gaskets that could be used like with the rear shock towers? Maybe moisture is an issue.

The footprint with my DMG bar is so massive and perfectly flat against the tower, I just can't see cracks happening even with camber plates that aren't as large on top as Turner's. At least with GC, they reduce stack height so greatly, adding in the 1/8" thick OE reinforcement plates would cost you much travel, if you wanted to play it safe, but I personally wouldn't (and don't, with my turners). I also plan to switch to GC hybrid plates and wouldn't run reinforcements either (due to DMG bar).

The DMG bar mount IS a reinforcement imo.

[usdmej]

has varied over time from 600/700, 400/500, and now 500/600 springs.
maybe because the strut bars are supporting the metal from behind, the strut holes are still getting direct contact/stress from the camber plates? my mason strut bar strut holes are also notched to fit various setups over the years so there's not as much support in that area as there should be.

when the hairline cracks got fixed i added the reinforcement plates just in case

[repoman89]

Sooo ... just spent a while on the phone with Barry at 3DM, turns out these GC hybrids aren’t going to work with the Ohlins kit. The bearing that’s supposed to fit over the strut pin sits mostly over threads instead because the plate is too thick. He said with the Vorschlags this is the case too but he makes a stepped insert for the top. To illustrate, test fitting without the spring:



So, since I want to install these damn things and get the car back on the road, I’m just going to reuse my oem top hats off the KWs with the stock Ohlins springs.

[Bigo1087]

Bump.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[usdmej]

just got a message from Turner


any camber plate or perch with an "ETA" on their website is not in stock with no production planned until they get a minimum number of buyers.

so you'll essentially be giving a company as big as Turner an indefinite interest free loan because they dont want to take up a few shelves of inventory space