What are Camber Plates? | Revv.ly Glossary

What are Camber Plates?

If you've lowered a strut-suspension car and wonder why your alignment shop tells you they can't correct the camber properly, the answer is usually camber plates. Factory strut mounts sit in fixed positions. When you lower the car, the geometry changes and there's no built-in adjustability to compensate. Camber plates solve this by replacing those fixed mounts with adjustable ones.
The concept is straightforward: an adjustable top mount that allows the strut to tilt, changing the angle of the wheel below. Move the top of the strut inward, the bottom (and the wheel attached to it) moves outward, adding negative camber. The reverse adds positive camber. Simple geometry, significant impact.

Why They Matter

Every lowered car changes its suspension geometry. On strut suspension, this usually means:

• Increased negative camber beyond what's desired
• Inability to achieve proper alignment with factory equipment
• Uneven tire wear as the inside edge takes disproportionate load
• Compromised handling because geometry isn't where engineers intended
  Factory alignment adjustability assumes factory ride height. Lower the car 50mm and you've moved outside the engineered window. Camber plates restore adjustability that the lowering process removed.

Types and Quality

The range of options spans wide:
Pillow Ball Mounts -- Replace the rubber strut mount bearing with a spherical bearing. This provides precise adjustability but transmits more road noise and vibration into the chassis. The trade-off is worth it for track use; for daily driving, it's personal preference.
Rubber-Mount Adjustables -- Keep the rubber bearing from factory mounts while adding adjustment capability. Less noise, less precision. Good for street cars where some NVH isolation matters.
Integrated Coilover Mounts -- Many quality coilover kits include camber adjustment as part of the top mount design. If you're buying KW, Ohlins, or similar, the mounts are included and appropriate for the application.

The Practical Selection

Spending money on camber plates while running budget coilovers makes limited sense. The plates can't make cheap dampers perform better. Likewise, quality coilovers with stock mounts leave capability on the table.
Match the components:

• Entry-level coilovers (BC, Racelands): Basic camber plates or integrated options
• Mid-tier coilovers (Fortune Auto, KW V2): Quality adjustable mounts from Ground Control, Vorshlag, or integrated options
• High-end coilovers (Ohlins, MCS, JRZ): Purpose-matched top mounts, often included

Setting Up

Camber plate adjustment isn't a one-time operation. The process typically involves:

1. Install plates and set to approximate middle position
2. Lower the car to target height
3. Get alignment with careful camber measurement
4. Adjust plates if needed to achieve target camber
5. Re-check alignment after adjustment
   For track use, many owners adjust camber seasonally or between events, fine-tuning based on tire wear patterns and lap time data.

The Warning

Some cheap camber plates cause problems. Plates that bind, slip under load, or seize in position defeat the entire purpose. Slotted designs that don't properly secure can allow the strut to shift during hard cornering--which is exactly when you need geometry locked.
Buy reputable brands. Ground Control, Vorshlag, Whiteline, and manufacturer-branded options for quality coilovers have track records. The camber plates are not the place to cut corners when you've already invested in proper suspension.
The Revvly community knows which brands deliver and which to avoid--tap into that collective experience before buying.
Related: Camber, Coilovers, Struts, Control Arms
Common Camber Plate Applications: BMW E36, Honda Civic EG, Mazda MX-5