Installed J&M camber plates

[06vistabluegt]

I noticed uneven wear on my front tires. I took it to an alignment shop, they told me the adjustment is maxed, they can't make it any better than it already is. They say it's pretty common on S197's. So, i ordered the J&M camber/caster plates. Installed them (easy install), took it back to the alignment shop and they said they were the easiest plates they've ever worked with. Car now runs straight and true, no noise in the front. Just thought I'd share my experience.

 

[Flapjack]

I have the J&M camber plates, but didn't know they made caster/camber plates as well. I will have to give them a call, as I'm having the same issues.

 

[06vistabluegt]

I have the J&M camber plates, but didn't know they made caster/camber plates as well. I will have to give them a call, as I'm having the same issues.

They may be just camber plates, here is what I bought. The description is camber caster?

http://www.americanmuscle.com/2005-caster-camber-plates.html

 

[94tbird]

save your reciept, as the bearings fail often. I had mine replaced once, then i went to remove the plates and sell them, and they failed again, less than 5k miles on each set of bearings. you will be using that lifetime warranty!

 

[06vistabluegt]

save your reciept, as the bearings fail often. I had mine replaced once, then i went to remove the plates and sell them, and they failed again, less than 5k miles on each set of bearings. you will be using that lifetime warranty!

I hope not! But I'll remember that.

 

[908ssp]

Title is wrong those adjust only camber not caster. Description seems correct as it says only camber there.

 

[MUSTANG16]

I noticed uneven wear on my front tires. I took it to an alignment shop, they told me the adjustment is maxed, they can't make it any better than it already is. They say it's pretty common on S197's. So, i ordered the J&M camber/caster plates. Installed them (easy install), took it back to the alignment shop and they said they were the easiest plates they've ever worked with. Car now runs straight and true, no noise in the front. Just thought I'd share my experience.

Hey 06 … what are your front camber specs? I'm at -1.4 and -1.3 now. I have the J&M's in my shop … for months now. Thanks!!!

 

[Chris B.]

save your reciept, as the bearings fail often. I had mine replaced once, then i went to remove the plates and sell them, and they failed again, less than 5k miles on each set of bearings. you will be using that lifetime warranty!

Do they fail any less than the Steeda Camber plates? On my 2008, I had the bearings replaced in both of them within a year of installing them.

 

[jmauld]

Title is wrong those adjust only camber not caster. Description seems correct as it says only camber there.

Can you rotate the mount so that they adjust caster instead of camber?

 

[SD07GT]

Two big thumbs down for J@M crap !!!

 

[MUSTANG16]

Two big thumbs down for J@M crap !!!

you want to buy mine……………

 

[06vistabluegt]

Hey 06 … what are your front camber specs? I'm at -1.4 and -1.3 now. I have the J&M's in my shop … for months now. Thanks!!!

He set mine at -0.7 for both sides with me in the car.

 

[MUSTANG16]

He set mine at -0.7 for both sides with me in the car.

Thanks … I guess my tires are suffering at my present setting. The shop I went to looked at me queer when I mentioned the plates and the -1.0 setting I want.

 

[giddyup]

What's the symptoms of the bearing failing.dam I wish I would have seen this in 07 when I bought mine.

 

[loots06]

Oh great I just ordered them. Looks like I'll be cancelling that order and going with the GT500 Strut mounts instead.

 

[MUSTANG16]

Oh great I just ordered them. Looks like I'll be cancelling that order and going with the GT500 Strut mounts instead.

That's what I have on there now…

 

[Norm Peterson]

Thanks … I guess my tires are suffering at my present setting. The shop I went to looked at me queer when I mentioned the plates and the -1.0 setting I want.

-1° is a mild performance number, but since it's a little more aggressive than Ford's OE setting for most Mustangs (-0.75°, though I think a couple actually do call for -1°), it's a little outside what most shops are expecting to hear from a random customer (essentially, you're disagreeing with their machine's database). Even though what you're asking for is well within Ford's max-negative number (-1.5°). They may even not be familiar with camber plates, as that is not an OE adjustment technique.

When I ran into a similar situation many years ago, I decided that from that point onward I was going to do my own alignments. Haven't had a car on an honest-to-god alignment rack in over 35 years. There's a few things to be aware of with respect to making the measurements, but other than that it's mostly just patience and turning wrenches.

Your tires are suffering only if most of the time you're a mild-mannered driver in the corners and/or do a huge amount of highway driving.


06vista - it sounds like you've been fortunate enough to have found a shop that understands what they're doing a little deeper than just putting the machine's indicators in the green or spot-on to the OE preferred values. Should you decide at some time to run a more aggressive setup and the place has the same crew working there, I wouldn't expect them to object to making a setting at least up to Ford's max negative.


Norm

 

[loots06]

Well I did some searching and found GT500 strut mounts fail just as often. Looks like it could be an installation issue. What ever the case looks like I have an insurance policy with the lifetime warranty on the J&M.

 

[Flapjack]

I'd also like to know what the bearings sound/feel like when they're failing. I've had my J&M camber plates on for years.

 

[loots06]

Youd hear a clunking sound coming fromt the front.