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R5MJH
18-03-2014, 11:43
right i need some help i got a pair of refurbed top mounts but whilst removing mikes old ones i noticed there both the same so one is wrong, the new pair are sweet but i dont know which side goes where now, does the bulge sit towards the back or the front going diagonal??

thanx mick

Bigfoot
18-03-2014, 12:09
Gold top mount is N/S and black is O/S

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 13:02
they are both black but are different they go different diagonals

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 15:11
ill try and add a pic later but say the mounts we put on one side each
and this below was the bulge ie
1 2
3 4
if i put one on one side and the bulge is at the back it looks like 2 3 but if i put
the other top mount on the same side the bulge is at the front and the bit looks like 1 4

#confused.com lol

Bigfoot
18-03-2014, 15:15
The nut is closer to the screen than front of the car.

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 15:20
The nut is closer to the screen than front of the car.

think i understand have you got a pic of yours dale?? os so i understand but that sounds 1 4 then in that case thx sir a pic would be cool thou:agree:

Bigfoot
18-03-2014, 15:27
http://www.rtoc.org/boards/album.php?albumid=1882&pictureid=9923

Stolen from a member but that should give you an idea on what it should be like

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 15:42
thanx dale yep get the idea now, also do you know if lowered springs sag?
it got 35mm lowered spax springs, ive fitted all new bits except the springs and noticed one side of the strut bearing isnt touching the top hat, it will when the cars on the ground though with the weight. theres not much gap maybe 3mm, both struts are identical on gap, but theres now no play in the top mounts or doughnuts just this

is this normal on lowered springs??
thx again dale:agree:

Bigfoot
18-03-2014, 15:52
When putting the top together you need to make sure that the bearing is level all the way through when tightening up, or isn't this what you mean.

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 16:00
the bearing that sits in the top cover above spring is flat and the top hat is located in the correct position above the bearing. one half sits in the top hat properly the other half dont and has a gap of 3/4mm if i used the original springs this wouldnt be there but the springs are lowered 35mm and are 10 years old i think they may have sagged as the bearing and top hat should sit tight together shouldnt they??:confused:

Bigfoot
18-03-2014, 16:12
Is the spring loose then when its all mounted together? You sure they are 35mm as there shouldn't be any play like that, as when driving this could all move if you hit a bit of a bump and give the car some air.

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 16:16
deffo spax 35mm lowered, i brought them when i originally owned it and ive still got the receipt for them so i know there 10 years old, they were fitted on oe sachs shocks originally and were fine, no theres no movement of the springs at all sir

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 16:22
ill get a pic up later but im not in atm, thats what happened before the doughnuts were fubar which caused mental play and knocking when turning the steering, i thought it was the rack or the uj but there all sweet, i then found all this play in the doughtsnuts

Jonny5
18-03-2014, 17:07
http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u410/JonnyR5-2008/6F872184-D199-472F-9CCE-97A75CC9CE57_zpsah4pqdae.jpg (http://s1066.photobucket.com/user/JonnyR5-2008/media/6F872184-D199-472F-9CCE-97A75CC9CE57_zpsah4pqdae.jpg.html)

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 18:30
http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o626/biglarge1/IMG_0263_zps21bd9c63.jpg

http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o626/biglarge1/IMG_0264_zps79f89389.jpg

heres the pic thanx jonny yeah ive just checked we now have a pair but the old knackered ones were both passenger side top mounts so drivers side would of been slighty off:laugh::laugh:

heres the top hat, bearing gap i spoke about dale

phase i 16 v turbo
18-03-2014, 18:37
This might help

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 18:39
thanx mike ive got everything in the picture but i think the springs have sagged:cry::cry:

phase i 16 v turbo
18-03-2014, 18:40
No worries
:agree:

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 18:45
there doesnt seem to be enough length in the 35mm lowered spring now to give it that extra few mm to lay flat, think i may have to get new which is b@llox, another £60 notes for mike to spend it never ends, i cant understand why spax would do that and if we got new would this gap be recified?

turbo ted
18-03-2014, 19:03
for starters I lose them uprated orange donuts because there smaller than the original ones:crap:

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 19:10
for starters I lose them uprated orange donuts because there smaller than the original ones:crap:

i thought that rob but ive only just got these feckers off mike,how much height have oe got over the polys??

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 19:18
getting fed up also forgot what a w@nker the cv boots are to do, you need 3 hands and clip took ages to get on, tbh mikes soft rubber cv boot was good

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 19:25
forgot the position of the top hat is fixed so donut dont make much odds, theres no play in the donuts or top mounts now at all, just this bloody gap:mad::mad:

Bigfoot
18-03-2014, 19:42
I've not heard that the poly ones were smaller, the OE original ones won't be easy to get hold of as they have changed to a softer rubber and different style.

R5MJH
18-03-2014, 19:45
I've not heard that the poly ones were smaller, the OE original ones won't be easy to get hold of as they have changed to a softer rubber and different style.


they sell them at cgb but as i said the top hat position doesnt change because of the donut so the spring must be knacked musnt they???

turbo ted
18-03-2014, 19:45
when the shocks are back on the car under its own weight the gap will close up, them orange donuts are smaller in diameter and height and fit lose in the bearing caps, you will feel movement in the steering under harsh driving :crap:

R5MJH
19-03-2014, 17:14
right ordered the last 35mm new set apex hopefully this does the job and closes the gaps:coffee:

Markey Mark (BD)
20-03-2014, 08:10
That gap you got there can happen with lowering springs, once its compressed on the car it'll sit flat and work as it should do.
It'll never pop apart so no worries there

Alex
20-03-2014, 08:20
when the shocks are back on the car under its own weight the gap will close up, them orange donuts are smaller in diameter and height and fit lose in the bearing caps, you will feel movement in the steering under harsh driving :crap:

When I was running the orange donuts there was play in the strut when it was jacked up. I had an advisory for it on the MOT. I've since gone back to standard ones....

R5MJH
26-03-2014, 15:23
ok so ive fitted new apex front springs and the gaps have gone, i sat the springs next to each other and the new ones were at least a cm heighter goes to show how much the spax 35mm lowered springs have sagged over 10 years, theres no play at all anywhere now, so there now ready to go back on:laugh::laugh::agree: