Pancho

Why a camber bolt on only one side of the vehicle ?

Am replacing both Front LCA's w/stock. The passenger side failed--broke into two pieces, so am replacing both front LCA's. No mod, just replacing with stock configuration Deeza LCA's.

Started project, and discovered three things:
1. The drivers coil spring is broken about 4 inches up on the lower base of the coil. I have ordered 2 new OEM springs.
2. The drivers LCA has what appear to be camber bolts, except the bolts do not have a slot at the bolt head. I don't know if these are camber bolts or not.
3. The passengers LCA has what appears to be torx bolts--different bolts from the other LCA.

I have been trying to figure why the two different LCA bolt sets. I have never modded the suspension, nor have I ever put a wrench to the suspension. I bought the vehicle new, and I recall that about 6 months after picking up my car, I hit a typically severe Boston pot hole, with the driver front wheel, and ruined the rim. I took the vehicle to the dealer for repair, involving a new rim, etc. I don't know what they did to repair the vehicle. This was sometime in year 2000.

My thinking is that the dealer was unable to align the vehicle, and could not see the broken spring section at the lower base of the coil, and the broken spring was what kept the vehicle from being aligned. The dealer then put in a camber bolt to bring the driver LCA into spec, and let it go at that. Only problem with this theory is that the bolts don't have a slot at the bolt head, so I don't know if these are camber bolts, or regular bolts with wierd washers.

Questions:
Is the passenger side torx the oem standard bolt ?
Is the driver side bolt w/o a slot at the bolt head, a camber bolt or not ?
Has anyone any info on a vehicle with non-matching LCA bolts ?
Han anyone a better explanation for the non-matching LCA bolts ?
How should I move forward with the installation of the two front LCAs--regular bolts, cam bolts, what ?
If regular bolts, then where can I get them ?

Please, no "take it to the shop" advice.

Thanks

A1EK

Looking at the photos I think your assumptions could be right about the dealer trying to align up the LCA. The bolt with the slot is an eccentric cambre adjustment bolt and works with the V in the washe you have. The washer as im sure you know fits inside the notch on the chasis pushing the bolt inwards or outwards. The normal bolts have a flat collar that fills the chasis elongated hole to get the bolt to sit central when the car is new and the bolt head is a hex.
So if you get your LCA and suspension replaced, see what the alignment is sitting at and then decide wether to put the camber bolt back in or a normal factory hex bolt.

Pancho

A1EK,
I've read some of your other posting, and they are very good.
I think my original images were confusing. I have redone the images.

Please help me understand the following:

1. Image C has two views of the same bolt that was in my vehicle. I rotated the bolt so that I can show that it does not have a notch at the bolt head. This bolt is different from the camber bolt in Image D. l lifted D from the internet. Note that C has NO notch at the bolt head, while D has a notch at the bolt head. Question: Is C a camber bolt, even though it does NOT have a notch ?

2. Image A-B shows the two LCA's that are on my vehicle. Image A is a torx bolt, it is not a hex bolt. Did your vehicle originally have a torx bolt on the LCA ? I don't understand this torx bolt.

I am trying to understand these 3 (three) different bolts: Image A and Image B and Image C.

Pancho

Called a biker friend that was the alignment tech at the Boston dealership where I bought my car. Here's the scoop:

❒ Before removing LCA bolts: Index the washers and bolts, to the chassis, so that they can be re-installed in exactly the same manner, or you will screw up camber and toe in. Oops.
❒ 3 types of LCA bolts:
1. Original non adjustable torx head bolt
2. Early Camber bolt w/o notch under bolt head.
3. Later Camber bolt with notch under bolt head.
❒ The Non adjustable bolt w torx head came with one washer at threaded end.
❒ The Camber bolt w/o notch under bolt head is the early style, and came with washers that have just one bow tie on each washer. The camber is determined by how the washer is installed. into the chassis.
❒ The Camber bolt with the notch under the bolt head is the later style, and comes with washers that have two bow ties on each washer. The camber is determined by how the washer is fitted onto the notch below the bolt head. This later camber bolt replaced the earlier camber bolts -interchangeable.
❒ Need to have indexed the washers on the chassis bolts before removal, so that they can be installed in exactly the same manner.
❒ Advice, if lost index, is to reinstall LCA with OEM non-adjustable torx bolts, and then have vehicle aligned, and they will install correct camber bolts in correct configuration.

A1EK

Okay thanks for the great description on the bolts and I now know exactly what you are refering to and will explain.
Firstly whats confusing you I think is that the photo you pulled from the net I recognise as I too was puzzled at how the camber bolts work and researched the web. The actual CLK camber bolt (see my photo) does NOT have the recess notch and relys on the two notched washers to give the adjustement. The notch faces inwards and fits inside the chasis LCA mounting holes. Both washers are the same and the bolt head washer if looking at the hole can be fitted in two positions, againts the left side for reducing negative camber
/\ or on the right side for increasing positive camber \ /. Basically it pushes or pulls the bottom of the LCA in or out by approx 4mm. Please not that that the bolt orientation is bolt head to front of car and nut at the back. For the nut end washer the groove in the bolt thread allows the chasis notch to fit into this and the gap that is created on the otherside is where the notch in the washer takes up the space, again pushing or pulling the bolt inwards or outwards. Pay attention to the washers before fully tightening to ensure that they are seated corectly. Once in place you will notice that wear the washer now sits you can see where the old original washer used to be and how much it has altered the position.
TIPS:
1. Removing one bolt at a time use axel stands and a trolley jack, when you get the position just right you literally can pull the bolt out or with a gentle tap.

2. You may find the back bolt is easier to fit then the front, use a ratchet strap and attach this to the convenient hole at the bottom of the arms on each side, then if your wanting to achieve less negative camber ratchet the arms together to get the push inwards you need. Remeber the that the groove in the bolt end fits over the chasis notch one side and the washer fills the gap on the other, to ensure its sitting correctly and has not moved when tightening use a marker pen to get a datum.

With regards to worring about putting the bolts back in a different order and throwing out the camber, dont worry. Even if you had got them all back in the right place I would still get my alignment checked as 1mm out can give you issues, and when you think that 4mm is all the camber bolts give, it does not need much to be out. I would get all the bolts back on then get the alignment check and they can set up the final adjustment.

Good luck
A1EK