The Steeda 4-Bolt Caster/Camber...
The Steeda 4-Bolt Caster/Camber Plates help your Mustang handle better and add a bit of underhood flash as well.
Caster/camber plates are a good upgrade for most any year Mustang. The plates offer better alignment capabilities and handling, and they allow the weekend warrior to quickly change between "street" and "race" settings without taking half the suspension apart. For years they've been available from numerous vendors, so what's new to talk about? Well, Steeda felt that if three mounting bolts (what the factory uses) was a good starting point, four mounting bolts would be better. This is truly a rare automotive case where bigger/more is better.
With the Steeda 4-Bolt Caster/Camber Plates for '94-'03 Mustangs (PN 555-8095; $229.95) a fourth bolt is installed, after drilling a hole in which the bolt will reside. This allows for four attaching bolts for the plate, spreading the load of cornering forces across the complete strut tower for more accurate handling and less chance of alignment creep or bending/breaking the plates.
The Steeda four-bolt plates are made from 7075 aircraft-quality aluminum, which is twice as strong as the more commonly used 6061 aluminum. A one-piece billet steel bearing plate (15 percent thicker than standard designs) is much stronger than the more typical two-piece welded design found on other plates. The bearing plate also houses a Teflon lined spherical bearing. The Steeda four-bolt plates are light in weight (tipping the scales at a mere 2.6 pounds) and feature the largest uninterrupted adjustment range available.
Following Steeda's well-written...
Following Steeda's well-written directions, support the front suspension properly. Remove the factory plate by removing the large retaining nut, the bushing, and the hardware for the lower plate. The lower plate may have a rivet securing the factory alignment. Drill out or chisel off the rivet to remove the lower section.
Using the correct stud plate...
Using the correct stud plate included with the Steeda 4-Bolt plates, the drill template, and one of the No. 10-24 set screws, mark the location for the fourth bolt hole to be drilled. Remove the template and start the new hole with a 1/8-inch pilot bit. Increase the size of the hole to 2 5/64 inch (3/8 inch will work in a pinch).
Remove the template and install...
Remove the template and install the fourth bolt, retaining it with the set screw. Determine the proper strut spacer to use for the proper strut height adjustment. The plates are designed for use with the stock strut dust cover.
If required, you may have...
If required, you may have to trim some of the dust cover's rubber bumpstop from the dust cover assembly (determined by spacer size used and the Steeda instructions). A hacksaw or rotary tool will make quick work of the removal. Install the stud plate, the top plate, and the retaining hardware to finish the job, then repeat for the opposite side strut. Don't forget to have your Mustang aligned when you're done. The Steeda instructions list settings for various performance driving styles.