[Ray Bell]

In the course of my job today at K-Mac we had a Saab owner come in who has horrendous tyre wear on the rear. He knew we had a product that helped so he came to us.

These eccentric bushes, with urethane running in a steel shell, allow a wide range of camber adjustment. The serrations at the ends of the bush are hardened so they get a grip in the links and won't move once tightened.

I promised to send the pic to the man, but I left his e.mail address at work. Hopefully he'll encounter it here.

 

[MacNoob]

Oh! Those are beautiful! They replace the outer cross stay bushings? Just about every 9-5 owner with a lowered car will want those... where can we get them? How much? I suppose you have to install them in the correct orientation to get the degree of camber adjustment you want.

 

[Ray Bell]

Order them direct from K-Mac...

[email protected]

The camber isn't reliant on fitment, it's adjustable, the urethane rotates within the outer shell so you put them in and then adjust to get the camber you want.

As I said, the serrated edge then holds it in position when it's bolted up.

 

[Jssaab]

NIce Kit,

I may see if we woudl be allowed to do a gorup BUY form the US and get some savings on the shipping ( cog)

One thing tho, your website really stinks, a teenager could do a better job. ( Sorry but its true) maybe we can work a deal a camber kit and i design and buidl yo a new site?

 

[Ray Bell]

Yes, the website could be a lot better... they're working on that right now...

A group buy could certainly be considered.

 

[zef95]

So the urethane rotates in the outer shell, but is fixed to the inner sleeve? The bolt is flatted to hold orientation during assembly? This looks pretty cool.

 

[Ray Bell]

Yes, that's exactly how it works...

Sort of a urethane pillow ball inside the steel sleeve, but the urethane is firmly a part of the central steel tube with the D-shaped hole and rotates with it when it's adjusted.

We have a range of other things for the SAAB including camber adjusters for the front. These are our 'universal' camber adjusters which you can find on our website.

The 'K' in K-Mac is Kevin, he's been designing and making this kind of stuff for over forty years. He made his first sway bars for Holdens in 1964.

 

[greenmatt]

I went down to your new premises in Rockdale a few months ago. You may have been just setting up, I was interested in some sway bars, k-mac had already produced some previously for a 9-5 owner. unfortunately they at that time had misplaced the templates. It seemed all a bit hard at the time. What other products do you have which are suitable for the 9-5?

 

[Ray Bell]

To be honest, I wouldn't know the full range...

I'm pretty new to the K-Mac range in a way, I've known Kevin for many years because of my racing connections and I've had a little bit to do with him through that.

He's always sort of inspired me the way he's just so positive about things and how he comes up with new approaches to old problems.

When he returns I'll ask if he's found the templates.

 

[Jssaab]

Yes, that's exactly how it works...

We have a range of other things for the SAAB including camber adjusters for the front. These are our 'universal' camber adjusters which you can find on our website.

So are the rear camber adjsuters specifically a Saab fitment or are they the universal bits you are talkign about.

If I order he woudl knwo wht size is required ( if there are sizes) for the 9-5 rear camber?

 

[Ray Bell]

The pictured items are specific to SAAB and Vectra (which share the same platform). The universal kits are for front struts which utilise a 2-bolt fixing onto a forged stub or bearing carrier.

Your front struts are of that type, as are hundreds of other cars. For cars that don't have that style of strut fixing we have other answers.

 

[vmile]

I am the Saab owner refered to by Ray. I called in to K-Mac this week. after talking to Kevin on the phone early last week.
I had previously found a reference to a possible cure on the sabbfailed site, using the K-Mac kit for a Vectra B, but no other details.
We have a lot of GM product in Oz, and a large part of K'Macs business seems to be making good bad GM designs.
So Ray and the boys was realy helpeful, but Kevin was away, and he is the guru. To be safe, the plan is now to come back next week (I live 160Km away from Sydney) when my new shocks should have arrived, and have K-Mac install the adjustable bushes, change all the other bushes and take some photos, and post them up.
Also I will probably get their front kit installed as well.
I had all the new bushes with me, it appears to be identical in size to #15 the upper/lower outside cross arm bearing.
I understand you fit one either side in the upper position.
My local mechanic had confirmed previously that there did seem to be a lot of play in my existing bush.
I have installed the shimms.
Aero 9-5 2000 Manual 195,000km

 

[Ray Bell]

Thanks for the kind words...

Now let's get a few out there and see who's first to report a dramatic improvement!

 

[9-5Aero22]

i want a set asap!! my new tires are being ruined rather quickly

 

[Ray Bell]

They're in stock... just e.mail your order to [email protected] and you can have them in a few days... no matter where you are in the world!

Here, by the way, is the wording of the note that goes out with these kits:

"K-Mac unique patented interlocking bolt/bush design means K-Mac bushes can be inserted in any position, not just one offset position of adjustment!. This allows precise adjustment of both CAMBER and TOE simply by rotating the bolt head."

 

[vmile]

My Konis have arrived, Aero is booked in at Kmac for install this Friday.
looks like we will be fitting the front Strut adjusters also.(give camber and caster adjustment?)

If anyone has questions, let us know before Friday Oz time. i will post photos

 

[greenmatt]

My Konis have arrived, Aero is booked in at Kmac for install this Friday.
looks like we will be fitting the front Strut adjusters also.(give camber and caster adjustment?)

If anyone has questions, let us know before Friday Oz time. i will post photos

Please do tell of the results as I have konis too.

 

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by vmile
My Konis have arrived, Aero is booked in at Kmac for install this Friday.
looks like we will be fitting the front Strut adjusters also.(give camber and caster adjustment?)

If anyone has questions, let us know before Friday Oz time. I will post photos

Kevin is very happy you'll be doing those photos... look forward to seeing them...

But no, there is no caster adjustment on that type of camber adjuster kit.

 

[vmile]

Ray,
I think Kevin is talking about doing the adjustable Strut plates, not just the bolts on the front struts, that does give camber and caster adjustment?

 

[Ray Bell]

Indeed it does...

I didn't know there was one for the Saab, but as you saw there's a lot of development that's not in the catalogue yet.

This is a typical 'Stage 2' unit:

That's straight from the website, of course, where you can see the one on the left moving around to simulate the adjustment.

Adjustments can be done with the suspension loaded, and with the graduation marks on the plate can be reliably repeated too.