Cheap Egay camber plates... good or instant death?

[mademedoit]

So I just ordered the low end tanabe coilovers and was wondering if anyone has used these camber plates ...http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nissan-240SX-S13-S14-Silvia-Front-Upper-Pillow-Mounts_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33581QQihZ018QQi temZ280216310572QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW They don't say where their made (think china) I really hate to use cheap parts on anything more complicated than my shift knob or air filter but they do look nice. :yum:

[ZX88]

probably are the same as most Thailand special coilovers

[Silverbullet]

its hard to imagine a camber plate failing other than unaccurate tickmarks or stripped threads.

[Harbe]

should have just bought shitty megan/ksport coils, i imagine those will make all kinds of popping noise when your turning

[mademedoit]

should have just bought shitty megan/ksport coils, i imagine those will make all kinds of popping noise when your turning I bought the tanabe's cause the only complaints I've heard are that their too soft but since this is my dd. :bigok: Seems like the only people with good things to say about megans just bought them and haven't put any miles on them. When they do fail though its not because the shitty camber plate broke, that seems like a hard part to fuck up.:x:

[racepar1]

No,........ just no! You spent the money on decent coilovers, why cheap out over a couple hundred measly bucks now! I mean seriously $200 is nothing. There are plenty of options in the $200-$250 range.

[babowc]

^$200 is nothing?
Please send me $200 then.
I'll send you a box of chocolate.

[DocTaDrifT]

just in case you need rear top hats for a S14 i have some for sale
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=190764

[racepar1]

^$200 is nothing?
Please send me $200 then.
I'll send you a box of chocolate.

Dude if $200 is a lot of money to you then you need to find a different hobby. I have spent over $10,000 on my car in 2007 alone! A good quality god damn quick release hub is about $200, for a fucking hub! My new r-compounds retail for around $200 each. $200 is fucking chump change to spend on your car, even on a stock car at a repair shop!

[babowc]

Ok... that's why I said send me $200.
lol @ your personal attacks..

I could really give a fucks care whether you spent a million dollars or a dollar on your car.
Your mentality of money being nothing is just annoying.

[mademedoit]

No,........ just no! You spent the money on decent coilovers, why cheap out over a couple hundred measly bucks now! I mean seriously $200 is nothing. There are plenty of options in the $200-$250 range.
Actually I got the tanabes for $690 shipped so with the camber plates its still less than $850-900 for megans or k-sport. Only thing that sucks is that I'll still need a spring compressor for the rear shocks and I'm not sure about the condition of the stock rear upper mounts.:ugh:

[mademedoit]

just in case you need rear top hats for a S14 i have some for sale
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=190764
It's a s13, I might just by some new ones to avoid renting the spring compressor.

[racepar1]

For $70 you get cheezy camber plates with shitty bearings that you will be replacing in a year or less because they rattle and pop like hell. For $250 or so you get good quality camber plates with bearings that will probably outlast your coilovers (I would personally reccomend TEIN). So you are saving around $180, which is chump change to spend on an upgrade part, and you will end up with a part that needs to be replaced yearly. Why not just cough up the extra money for a good part? Especially when we are only talking about a couple hundred bucks.

P.S. Wootang, if you think that my last post was even close to a personal attack then you really don't wanna find out what a REAL personal attack is.

[gotta240]

i have REAL cusco ones for 75 bucks. They have lots of use on them but will still probably outlast those POS pieces of metal.

[DJ_Sunrise]

The question isn't how much something cost, the question is are you willing to risk your life for something that cheap? My favorite is when someone for example buys... a genuine gt2871r.. and a Megan Racing exhaust manifold.. wheres the thought process? Or a Twin turbo supra guy buying ebay exhaust.. wtf? you know?? Spend money on decent stuff.. Whether it works or not, I'd rather not risk it. $200 IS nothing, but no one is dumb enough to blindly send it to a stranger. I just spent $700 on a new exhaust cuz I don't like my apexi n1 dual. Expensive? Sure. Do I have the money? No. Its on credit. I could have bought something cheaper, for $200 less. But I figured I'll spend a bit extra, and have a longer return on it.

About a year ago I bought a MR down pipe and turbo outlet. I paid about $110 for each. Less than a year after the purchase, I realized I had a 2 inch long crack on the MR turbo outlet. I wound up purchasing a Tomei outlet for $200. Had I just spent an extra $90 from the start, I would have actually saved myself $110, or the original investment. Their downpipe lasted me about 1 week before the shitty bracket broke off on me. So, once again.. I bought a new HKS downpipe, and once again.. I could have SAVED $110 by going straight to the HKS.. Lesson learned? How often do you want to replace the cheap part??

My clutch slave cylinder blew on my S13. OEM Nissan charged about $50. I said screwit, I'll buy one from advance auto parts. $15 and 3 months later, I said shit. I need another one. $15 and 4 months after that I said shit, this is going to be the 3rd time, and I spent another $15 dollar. The fourth time around I said to myself.. I spent $45 and countless hours fixing that shit. I should have just bought OEM and saved myself the money and hassle, and went out to buy the OEM part and never looked back.

Once again, how often do you want to replace the cheap parts lol

-Bart

[turtl631]

I just spent $700 on a new exhaust cuz I don't like my apexi n1 dual. Expensive? Sure. Do I have the money? No. Its on credit.


Man, I wouldn't go around bragging about that. Buying crappy parts that just break is stupid, but spending money you don't have on car mods isn't the brightest either.

I actually have some of those camber plates about to go on the car. The only real issue I could see would be hardware, which I could easily replace, and the bearing, which if it goes out eventually, will be replaced by a nice Aurora. Inaccurate tick marks? They're arbitrary anyways, never going to equate to 1 degree per tick or anything like that on ANY camber plate. I hate buying stuff twice, but in certain cases the cheaper parts work out okay if you're trying to save some cash.

[yudalicious]

QFT. Those ebay exhaust manifolds and turbo elbows have taken way too many lives from us. Don't cheap out and risk your life. Better use credit and buy some life saving parts.

The question isn't how much something cost, the question is are you willing to risk your life for something that cheap?

[GSXRJJordan]

Ok ok, hold up a bit here... Sunrise, yudalicious, I totally understand where you're coming from, and that argument ("Don't risk your life to some cheap shit") is definitely a valid one.

Your examples are not. You had bad luck with Megan exhaust parts and Autozone rebuilt slave cylinders, which means you have bad motor mounts and no flex section in your downpipe (or didn't hook up the part that goes to the tranny mount) and that cracked your elbow, and you have something wrong with your clutch setup which is why you're blowing slaves. Most of the community runs cheap manifolds/elbows/downpipes and OG or rebuilt slaves with no problems - and I really mean most of the community - high dollar/high performance builds included. It's a matter of bang for the buck vs. bragging rights. You chose bragging rights. And you put it on credit. Good for you, I guess. When your JDM downpipe or elbow breaks, you'll be in the market, and everyone who's been around the block a few times will recommend Megan, cause when it comes to 3" SS exhaust parts, they're all the same, bruddah.

Now, back to something that applies to the thread. Good luck with those camber plates. I mean that. I hope they work out for you, and you can post reviews about how they don't make any noise and haven't put your car into a ditch. Me, I put more money into suspension and brakes than the rest of my car combined, but that's because I think that's the place where I'll see the biggest benefit from buying high end (read: Tanabe Seven) coilovers/etc vs. Megan/ebay stuff. I still run Megan exhaust parts (not catback), with no problems over 2 years.

[Def]

I use a set, about the same quality you'd see on any other "JDM" name brand camber plate. Bearing doesn't look to have a PTFE liner, but it's replaceable so I'll toss one in later down the road that's WAY nicer than ANYTHING you can get in an off the shelf camber plate.

The hardware appears to be of equivalent quality of the other stuff I've seen(Grade 5, with the studs possibly being Grade 8 equivalent - class 10.9, but I doubt it).

[Stoichiometric]

Dude if $200 is a lot of money to you then you need to find a different hobby. I have spent over $10,000 on my car in 2007 alone! A good quality god damn quick release hub is about $200, for a fucking hub! My new r-compounds retail for around $200 each. $200 is fucking chump change to spend on your car, even on a stock car at a repair shop!


He's right. Why buy cheap subsitutes when you are not sure about the quality. Suspension parts are something that you shouldn't try to cash out on. If a control arm breaks, then you're good as gone. WHy pay $60-100 on China items? (If you even have to assume that they are from China, They are.) Everything is made in China. I am pretty sure I am part Chinese, somehow, who knows?
None the less from experience, I've regret cheaping out on a lot of things. Now my car has the Gucci and Louis Vuitton of parts in it.
$200 is nothing. Considering I got my car for $1,900 plus I put about $9 grand into it. When I calculated the manual labor I've put into the car at $45 dollars an hour. I've spend more than $8,000 dollars worth of labor that a shop would charge. I install, rebuilt, machined, fabricate.

Stop wasting money on Girls, fast food, Cigarettes, Beer, going to Clubs, for a bit, and you'll realize how much you can save.

[just1pepsi]

$200 is alot, but just think about the potential problems or peripheral damage that can occur by saving a few bucks. Usually its worth it to spring for the better designed part. Most times the reason one part is more expensive than another is a combination of Material, and the R&D that goes into it. Alot of mfg's just copy something without putting any real research behind it. Slap a "not for highway use" sticker on it and sell it super cheap. Its not their ass on the line its yours. Save up the money and buy a better part. (thats just my 2 cents though) --especially when it comes to suspension, hardware, internals and the like.

[ericcastro]

Stop wasting money on Girls, fast food, Cigarettes, Beer, going to Clubs, for a bit, and you'll realize how much you can save.

Ummmm,....Im not gonna stop spending money on Girls, Cigarettes, Beer, and Bars.

[Def]

I love all the people who've never seen them talking about how crappy they are. They're no different than the run of the mill $200ish of "name brand" camber plates.

Do you think those Tein camber plates are made from any special materials? Hardly. The only thing those do well is eat up shock travel with a stupid design - but hey, they're Teins, so they must be good right?


This thread is full of people talking out of their ass who have never even seen the product in question.

[just1pepsi]

True, I've never seen the product. I'm just speaking in generality.

[ROIDMONKEY]

I love all the people who've never seen them talking about how crappy they are. They're no different than the run of the mill $200ish of "name brand" camber plates.

Do you think those Tein camber plates are made from any special materials? Hardly. The only thing those do well is eat up shock travel with a stupid design - but hey, they're Teins, so they must be good right?


This thread is full of people talking out of their ass who have never even seen the product in question.
I agreed and disagreed

[madd ocx]

some parts you could cheap out on like exhaust, interior or some engine! cause most likely if they fail worst case you will just lose some power if the part breaks like a manifold etc and get some smoke and be able to tow your car home in one peice in most situations. but when it comes to suspension and breaking things could be all good until snap then your in a wall, car, tree blah blah.. but not every thing name is the best, just means its the best known and safer route. and car tuning is an expensive hobby and you won't always be able to find deals and just gotta bite the bullet sometimes! thats why its usually a more grown up, with a decent job kinda hobby.. even with 240's.. so 200 bucks is really nothing to spend on some things. and we are pretty lucky to have a car thats popular at the moment cause what if you were like some guys who gotta go the high price oem or custom route..

[OBEEWON]

Lol at the stupidity in here. Don't put a cheap exhaust on your supra or it might esplode. (maybe if it was made out of paper mache)

[racepar1]

I love all the people who've never seen them talking about how crappy they are. They're no different than the run of the mill $200ish of "name brand" camber plates.

Do you think those Tein camber plates are made from any special materials? Hardly. The only thing those do well is eat up shock travel with a stupid design - but hey, they're Teins, so they must be good right?


This thread is full of people talking out of their ass who have never even seen the product in question.

The tein camber plates, and all tein products, use NWB bearings. NWB is pretty much the top manufacturer of spherical bearings in the world. For sure 3-piece, and for sure either a teflon or PTFE liner. That is why I reccomend their camber plates, because I KNOW what bearings they come with and I have PERSONALLY punished the fuck out of their camber plates and have had absolutely NO problems. I had a set of their camber plated when I crashed in the canyons. The impact sheared the strut shaft off, broke my TEIN tension rod, and absolutely crushed my FLCA (not to mention bent the fuck outta the chasis). My buddy is STILL using the same camber plates the I bought like 3 years ago, and crashed with, and I am STILL using the rod end from my broken tension rod on my e-gay trac arms (that happen to look EXACTLY like the early SPL arms). I have battle tested their products, the bearings in particular, and the bearings are the last thing to go. The MOST important part of any suspension item (other than the shocks themselves) is the bearings used in them and a lot of people don't seem to understand that. The e-gay camber plates asked about in this thread will most likely not break and cause you to die, but they WILL require replacement MUCH sooner than the ones that I reccomend. Most people simply do not have the knowledge and resourcefulness to source bearings and figure out how to replace them so a worn out bearing generally means a whole new part. You will save money in the long run by buying a quality part the first time rather than buying something cheap that will have to be replaced every year or so.

[PhilthyS13]

Ummmm,....Im not gonna stop spending money on Girls, Cigarettes, Beer, and Bars.

+1 I can't think of better things to squander money on. I might find something else, but I can guarantee it still involves getting girls somehow.

[Sir]

and for sure either a teflon or PTFE liner.
:faint:



I stopped reading after that.

[Def]

The tein camber plates, and all tein products, use NWB bearings. NWB is pretty much the top manufacturer of spherical bearings in the world. For sure 3-piece, and for sure either a teflon or PTFE liner. That is why I reccomend their camber plates, because I KNOW what bearings they come with and I have PERSONALLY punished the fuck out of their camber plates and have had absolutely NO problems. I had a set of their camber plated when I crashed in the canyons. The impact sheared the strut shaft off, broke my TEIN tension rod, and absolutely crushed my FLCA (not to mention bent the fuck outta the chasis). My buddy is STILL using the same camber plates the I bought like 3 years ago, and crashed with, and I am STILL using the rod end from my broken tension rod on my e-gay trac arms (that happen to look EXACTLY like the early SPL arms). I have battle tested their products, the bearings in particular, and the bearings are the last thing to go. The MOST important part of any suspension item (other than the shocks themselves) is the bearings used in them and a lot of people don't seem to understand that. The e-gay camber plates asked about in this thread will most likely not break and cause you to die, but they WILL require replacement MUCH sooner than the ones that I reccomend. Most people simply do not have the knowledge and resourcefulness to source bearings and figure out how to replace them so a worn out bearing generally means a whole new part. You will save money in the long run by buying a quality part the first time rather than buying something cheap that will have to be replaced every year or so.

If anybody thinks it's that hard to whip out some $15 digital calipers and find a standard off the shelf bearing of the same dimensions - then they shouldn't be modifying cars in the first place.

Tein camber plates have a crap design that eats up shock travel. I'm not impressed in the least by them. I'd also hardly call NWB bearings the best in the world... but I guess that's more of a personal opinion.



There's nothing magical about a camber plate being able to take high loads compared to a strut rod in bending - basic machine design makes that pretty obvious. I guarantee my Koni 8611s would snap before my eBay camber plates ripped in half.


I guess I just realize where most of the "JDM tyte" stuff is manufactured, and if you have some basic knowhow, it's not that hard to get a very nice bearing in the plate and have a fairly cheap solution overall. Plus they don't eat up anywhere near as much travel as Tein plates.

[spool_sample]

I love all the people who've never seen them talking about how crappy they are. They're no different than the run of the mill $200ish of "name brand" camber plates.

Do you think those Tein camber plates are made from any special materials? Hardly. The only thing those do well is eat up shock travel with a stupid design - but hey, they're Teins, so they must be good right?


This thread is full of people talking out of their ass who have never even seen the product in question.

Quoted because this is completely true and everyone needs to read it again.

I got a set of lightly-used Tein plates for the Konis I built, and after putting them on, I can honestly say that I would have never paid full price for them. It's not a huge issue at the moment, but once I get some adjustable arms and drop the car more, shock travel is going to be pretty limited.

A set of eBay plates with a different bearing would probably be better than Tein or Cusco plates for much less money. Hell, if the OP doesn't buy them, there's a pretty good chance I will.

So people can see what Def is talking about:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e193/fullboost14/IMG_0190.jpg

The snout on the bottom is completely unnecessary and wastes travel. The front of the car would drop an inch if I got plates without the stupid snouts on them.

[racepar1]

If anybody thinks it's that hard to whip out some $15 digital calipers and find a standard off the shelf bearing of the same dimensions - then they shouldn't be modifying cars in the first place.

I TOTALLY agree with you here, but the fact is that most people wouldn't know the difference between a digital caliper and a fucking tape measure.

Tein camber plates have a crap design that eats up shock travel. I'm not impressed in the least by them. I'd also hardly call NWB bearings the best in the world... but I guess that's more of a personal opinion.

The design of the tein's does leave a bit to be desired, but it is a better bolt-in long term solution than the e-gay crap. The real truth about bearings is that the brand generally doesn't matter. Pretty much every bearing company makes some very good bearings and every company makes shitty ones. You just have to be aware of the design of the bearings you are buying.

There's nothing magical about a camber plate being able to take high loads compared to a strut rod in bending - basic machine design makes that pretty obvious. I guarantee my Koni 8611s would snap before my eBay camber plates ripped in half.

I'm not trying to say that the tein parts have magical durability powers or anything like that, but it is totally possible (and more than likely) that a lesser bearing would have been permanently damaged by the shock load that it takes to shear a strut rod or a tension rod.

I guess I just realize where most of the "JDM tyte" stuff is manufactured, and if you have some basic knowhow, it's not that hard to get a very nice bearing in the plate and have a fairly cheap solution overall. Plus they don't eat up anywhere near as much travel as Tein plates.

Ya "JDM tyte yo" can blow me. In the last year or so I have learned how to actually do research rather than just believe the hype. For you and me sourcing and installing a bearing to make these plates something worth using is not a problem. I personally use rear suspension arms that were e-bay specials that I bought off another board member. I just upgraded the e-bay quality rod ends to something worth using. The arms themselves are the exact same thing as the early model SPL arms that SPL was re-selling with different bearings. You are right that the tein plates eat up I would say about 3/4" of travel, but for the average joe it is a much better solution than these e-bay specials. TEIN is not the only option either. There are a multitude of options in the price range that I originally described that would be good, long term, bolt in solutions. That is exactly what the OP is looking for, bolt-in, not something that you have to modify.

[babowc]

lol, you can never win arguing with this guy.
he's always right, you know ;)

[Def]

I'm using the "egay" plates on my car right now with 8611's up front and they work ABSOLUTELY FINE. The bearings were tight, but most cheaper bearings are. Just worked them in a bit and sprayed some dry film PTFE lubricant on them and they are doing fine.

I'll replace the bearing, but they work just fine as they are.

Like I said, the hardware is of comparable quality/materials to what you'd see on other "name brand plates."

[usajdm]

Some very-well made points here.
+1 to Def for sure.

Just something to think about as far as pricing, quality and a brand name is concerned.

After reading through this thread, I asked my eldest brother to give me a ballpark on the cost for materials to dublicate a set of CUSCO camber-plates that I had handy.
Approximately $20 and some basic tools that should be in any serious automotive enthusiasts arsenal.

Sorry for veering of topic, but my point being.... at what point do R&R, "top quality materials" and "in-house", stop justifying the price that the "name brands" offer their products at.

Quality is a must, especially when safety is at hand.
But I still cant justify something like a $100 shift knob.

Hopefully this will give you something to think about during your next purchase.

[mademedoit]

Quoted because this is completely true and everyone needs to read it again.

I got a set of lightly-used Tein plates for the Konis I built, and after putting them on, I can honestly say that I would have never paid full price for them. It's not a huge issue at the moment, but once I get some adjustable arms and drop the car more, shock travel is going to be pretty limited.

A set of eBay plates with a different bearing would probably be better than Tein or Cusco plates for much less money. Hell, if the OP doesn't buy them, there's a pretty good chance I will.

So people can see what Def is talking about:
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e193/fullboost14/IMG_0190.jpg

The snout on the bottom is completely unnecessary and wastes travel. The front of the car would drop an inch if I got plates without the stupid snouts on them.
That's a very good point, most Nissan's are limited in shock travel anyways so plates like Teins will only amplify the problem:bash: . Thanks guys I appreciate all the good arguments on this thread. If I do have to replace the bearings a year from now its no big deal, good bearings don't cost that much nor are they hard to replace.

[Def]

The ebay plates are designed with the bearings being user replaceable. There's a retaining nut holding it in, so after removing it you just press it out and press a new one in and reinstall the retaining nut.

[racepar1]

lol, you can never win arguing with this guy.
he's always right, you know ;)

Who is arguing? This is a discussion. My opinions differ from DEF's and we had a conversation without getting butthurt and insulting eachother, or making sarcastic posts. I have a good deal of respect for DEF's opinions as he has earned it with his posts, both on zilvia and another forum. You on the other hand have done nothing to earn my respect, made a sarcastic post in response to my post, and got all butthurt by my response to your post. I still do not think that these are the solution that would suit the OP best. The tein's are probably not the right solution either, they are just what I have experience with. The OP needs to do his own research and determine what is right for HIM.

EDIT: I take it back wOOtang HAS earned my respect, via PM.

[babowc]

lol.
i'm the one butthurt and left a neg rep. :ugh: :rolleyes:
i'll end it at that.
takes two to make a clap, right?lol

[DJ_Sunrise]

What Racer said.. Solid bearings are prone to more vibration, and therefore more abuse...I'm sure the physical flat portion of the plate and hardware may be the same as cheaper brands, but what about the bearing? It simply won't last as long... And remember... YOU CAN ONLY HANDLE WELL IF YOUR ALIGNMENTS RIGHT!!! So make sure you get taken care of. :) Ahhh credit.. No, I don't mean to brag about the exhaust. I was more or less letting those interested know what I am doing with my soon to come tax returns. My bank accounts empty, and I need to save up for school.. Long live the 240 dream though..

-Bart

[gprb25]

I'm using the "egay" plates on my car right now with 8611's up front and they work ABSOLUTELY FINE. The bearings were tight, but most cheaper bearings are. Just worked them in a bit and sprayed some dry film PTFE lubricant on them and they are doing fine.

I'll replace the bearing, but they work just fine as they are.

Like I said, the hardware is of comparable quality/materials to what you'd see on other "name brand plates."

Def and Racepar have made some sood points. +1 to both of you.

The company selling the camber plates are a local company to me and I have great personal experience with them. I am using their RUCA's and toe rods, as well as stabilizer links.

I know a few people running these plates with no problem as well. And you said it Def; If you wish, you can just change out the bearing. My stance's pillowballs aren't all that great, which reminds me I need to hit them up and see about some replacements. I guess my point is, for the price the quality isn't as bad as some in here make it out to be.

[racepar1]

I had a bit of an epiphany last night. The TEIN upper mount design does not necessarily mean less useable travel. With full length adjustable coils, like my flexes, the upper mount has nothing to do with shock travel as I have separate adjustments for pre-load and ride heighth. On a coilover that only has adjustment at the spring perch it could mean less useable travel, but it could not also. The REAL question is: What runs out of travel first, the shock or the tire? If the tire hits metal before the shock bottoms then the extra travel gained by using a shorter upper mount is un-useable and dangerous. It is much better for the suspension to bottom than for the tire to bottom as it can damage the tire or jerk the wheel in a direction that you don't want to go. My guess is that that is the reason why the TEIN's eat up some travel, to make sure that the tire does not bottom in the wheel well. Of course this depends on the wheel/tire combo that the user has. If the user is running 15's or 16's then bottoming is probably not an issue. If the user is running 17's or 18's on the other hand it may be an issue. What do the tanabe upper mounts look like? If the tanabe's are spaced down similarly to the tein's then you may not want a shorter mount as the suspension is designed for either a stock (which eats up some travel too) or an upper mount similarly designed as the tanabe one. This might be an issue and it might not, but it is something to consider.

[just1pepsi]

yer car will blow up if you dont drop hundreds on the plate. end of story. :D

[backroadtouge]

moral of this story, spend as much money as you can justify on the things that keep you on the road. like suspension parts. otherwise spend your money how you feel on exhausts or shiftknobs or whatever else you feel you want.