Nuts, Bolts & Screws

Suspension bolts do more than hold parts together. They set the pivot point of every control arm, carry braking and cornering loads, and in many positions they?re the adjustment points used to set wheel alignment. When they wear, corrode or seize, the geometry they control starts to drift, and no amount of new bushes or arms will hold an alignment on hardware that can?t be clamped or adjusted properly.

Nolathane suspension hardware restores those mounting and adjustment points. The range focuses on eccentric toe bolt adjuster kits that replace worn or seized factory adjusting bolts, giving workshops and experienced home mechanics a reliable way to set rear toe accurately and keep it there.

Why Suspension Bolts Matter

Every arm in a suspension pivots on a bolt passing through a bush. The bolt clamps the bush?s inner sleeve against the mounting bracket, so the bush flexes or pivots while the sleeve stays locked in place. If the bolt loosens, stretches or corrodes, the sleeve can move in the bracket and the arm shifts under load.

That movement shows up as clunks over bumps, steering that wanders, and an alignment that changes between braking, accelerating and cornering. Because suspension hardware is in constant tension and shear, it needs the correct property class (strength grade), thread pitch and length for each position. A general hardware bolt of the same diameter isn?t a substitute.

How Eccentric Bolts Adjust Wheel Alignment

An eccentric bolt, also called a cam bolt or alignment bolt, has an offset cam washer fixed to its head and a matching cam washer under the nut. The cams sit between guides on the mounting bracket, and the bolt passes through a slotted hole. Turning the bolt rotates the cams, which pushes the arm?s pivot along the slot and moves the wheel in or out.

Toe Adjustment

On many independent rear suspensions, an eccentric bolt at the inner end of a lower control arm or toe arm sets rear toe: the angle of the wheels relative to the vehicle?s centreline when viewed from above. Correct rear toe keeps the vehicle stable and tracking straight. Too much toe-out makes the rear feel nervous at speed, while excess toe in either direction scrubs the tyres and wears them unevenly.

Camber Adjustment

The same eccentric principle is used on some vehicles to set camber, the inward or outward tilt of the wheel viewed from the front. Whether a position adjusts toe or camber depends on where the bolt sits in the suspension, so always confirm the function and fitting position before ordering.

Signs Your Suspension Hardware Needs Attention

• Uneven tyre wear, especially feathering across the tread or wear on one edge of the rear tyres
• A wheel alignment that won?t hold specification between services
• The workshop reports an adjusting bolt is seized or won?t turn
• Clunking or knocking from a control arm mount over bumps
• The vehicle pulling to one side or feeling unsettled at highway speed
• Visible rust, bent cam washers or damaged threads at an adjustment point
• Elongated or worn guides around a slotted mounting hole

Seized and Corroded Adjusting Bolts

Seized adjusting bolts are one of the most common reasons an alignment can?t be completed. Factory eccentric bolts pass through the steel inner sleeve of a rubber bush, and moisture, road salt and grime eventually bond the two together. Once that happens, the bolt can?t be rotated to adjust toe, and forcing it often snaps it or twists the cam washers.

The usual repair is to cut the old bolt out and fit a new eccentric bolt kit. If the bush sleeve has also corroded or the rubber has deteriorated, that?s the time to replace the bushes as well, because a new bolt clamped through a worn bush will still let the arm move.

Bolts, Nuts and Washers in a Suspension Assembly

Each part of the fastener set has a job. The bolt locates the arm and carries load. The washers, including the cam washers on an adjuster, spread clamping force and engage the bracket guides so the setting can?t slip. The nut provides clamping force when torqued, often with a locking feature that resists vibration.

For that reason, replacement suspension hardware is best fitted as a complete set rather than mixing new bolts with old nuts or washers. Self-locking nuts lose some of their grip once they?ve been removed, and some factory fasteners are torque-to-yield designs that are only meant to be used once.

Choosing the Right Kit

Each listing shows the fitting position, the part number and the kit contents, along with confirmed vehicle fitment. When choosing an eccentric bolt kit, check:

• The suspension position, such as rear lower control arm inner mount, and whether it adjusts toe or camber
• That the kit suits your vehicle?s body type and drivetrain, as fasteners can differ between variants of the same vehicle
• How many kits the job needs, because many vehicles have an adjuster on each side
• The condition of the bushes and mounting brackets the bolts pass through

Our fitment guarantee means the kit you order for your vehicle is confirmed to suit it.

Fitting Toe Bolt Adjuster Kits

Fitting suits professional workshops and experienced home mechanics. As a general guide:

1. Raise the vehicle safely and support it on stands.
2. Mark the position of the original cam washers if the bolt can still be removed, as a reference for initial setting.
3. Remove the old bolt, or cut it out if it has seized in the bush sleeve.
4. Inspect the bush and bracket, cleaning the guides and replacing worn bushes if needed.
5. Fit the new eccentric bolt, cam washers and nut, engaging the cams in the bracket guides.
6. Lower the vehicle onto its wheels and torque to the vehicle manufacturer?s specification at normal ride height.
7. Have a four-wheel alignment (tracking) carried out to set toe to specification, then lock the adjuster at the final torque.

Torquing a pivot bolt with the suspension hanging at full droop pre-twists the bush and shortens its life, so final tightening should always be done with the vehicle at ride height.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

An eccentric bolt only corrects alignment within its adjustment range. It won?t compensate for a bent arm, a damaged subframe or worn bushes, and if the alignment still won?t reach specification with the adjuster at its limit, something else in the suspension needs inspection. Lowered or modified vehicles may also need additional adjustable components to bring geometry back into range, and any modification should meet the vehicle standards where the vehicle is registered.

Pairing Bolts With Polyurethane Bushes

Because many suspension bolts pass straight through a bush, replacing the hardware is the ideal time to assess the bushes too. Nolathane has been making polyurethane suspension bushings since 1974, when they were developed to replace brass bushes in hillclimb competition. The signature red bushings are made in a range of durometers (hardness grades) to suit each position, and are mechanically fitted with minimal crush and a lubricated centre sleeve so arms pivot freely. Their abrasion resistance, load-bearing capability and resistance to oil, grease, ozone and weathering help a fresh alignment stay where it was set.

Shop Nuts, Bolts & Screws

Replacement nuts, bolts and screws for suspension repairs are found in Nolathane's suspension parts range.

Every kit is backed by Nolathane?s warranty and ships fast, so a seized adjuster doesn?t hold up an alignment for long. If a kit isn?t right, 60-day returns give you time to sort it out, and our local support team can help whether you?re repairing worn suspension, replacing components or upgrading for improved handling and performance.