Coilover Help people

[Plug]

Right after purchasing some Gaz coilovers (club deal) i decided i would get some eccentric top mounts aswell.

I know how they fit on but im just wanting to ask for advice as im a little unsure.

heres what i have
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/gsi_jimbo/P1010471.jpg
The top of the strut has been machined to accept eccentric top mounts.


What im unsure of is the mounts have been supplyed with washers, 1 for the bottom, 1 for the top i know.

When i fit it up with the washers on the top spring cup has about 12mm movement is this normal?
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/gsi_jimbo/P1010467.jpg

Or where gaz have machined it should fit straight into the rose joint?

also it doesnt look like the threads are long enough for the rosejoint bolt

Joe

[MK999]

Dunno what you're doing with the washers there but they go either side of the bearing to stop you tightening on to it, that might also mean you now have enough thread to tighten the shock onto it?

[Plug]

the washers fit the bearing but when put on the shock the thread isnt long enough to tighten the bearing at all.

the whole mount move up and down about an inch

will get a pic

[MK999]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/MK999/Nova/shock.jpg

Red = bearing/mount
Yellow = coilover/spring top cup
Black = bearings

That help at all?

[Plug]

it does but mine doesnt seam right then, just uploading pics onto photo bucket

[Plug]

Right this shows where the spring cup sits and the top washer as far down as it will go.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/gsi_jimbo/P1010467.jpg
This shows the 2 washers the same size as the top mount.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/gsi_jimbo/P1010472.jpg
Then this is the top washer fully tight as the threads stop there.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/gsi_jimbo/P1010474.jpg

im guessing this is wrong and there going to have to be sent back to gaz?

[Iain]

I had the exact same problem.

This is what you end up with:

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/CoiloverInsertsAnnotated.JPG

I did try cutting down the top threaded bit so it would tighten all the way down, and so the bottom spacer was flush on the fatter part of this piston - Which IMO is a BAD way of doing it cos the top spring platform sits on that tiny lip of the spacer.

So I put the topmount straight over the top platform, it fits perfectly:

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/CoiloversTopmounts1.JPG

The problem then is you don't have enough thread on top:

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/CoiloversTopmounts2.JPG

The problem here is that you can only use the unthreaded spacer, a couple of washers and a nut. Not ideal but I ran mine like this for about a year. HOWEVER the issue with doing this is your shock now hits the bonnet here and needs cutting out:

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm85/iainel/Coilovers/IMG_7211.jpg?t=1227045352

So in the end I sent my coilovers back to ge tthe thread extended like this:

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/NovaWIP2/510.JPG

So I could run the threaded insert. Still had to the cut the bonnet tho.

Your other option is some sort of spacer machined up to sit between the platform and the bottom insert - this way you'll save your bonnet.

Also too late to tell you this now, but if you had told Gaz you were fitting eccentric topmounts they'd have machined the shocks to fit straight away :(

[MK999]

aha I see, yeah it should be threaded all the way down to fit the compbrake ones, the ones from rally design are slightly different and just have 2 symmetrical washers that sit in the middle, then a nut goes on top, so to be fair to GAZ they have done what you asked them! They seem to be pretty helpful so I'd just ask them to thread the shafts all the way down :thumb:

[Benn]

This is why my top mounts had a spacer made, it sits on the top to raise the nut up to reach the thread.

[Plug]

i did get gaz to machine them for eccentric top mounts thats the thing.

i thought i was ment to get away with the bottom washer and put the mount straight onto the shock but it doesnt wasnt to fit.

so i ordered the wrong eccentric top mounts :(

i will get on the phone to warren at gaz tomorrow and send the coilovers and top mounts to them.

[Iain]

wtf, they look exactly the same as my "normal" Gaz shocks which were for std topmounts.

[MK999]

i did get gaz to machine them for eccentric top mounts thats the thing.

They way they are atm they would almost definitely fit the top mounts I have from rally design, so they've not gone far wrong.

edit: maybe not, I hadn't seen the standard ones, apparently Iain has lol

[Plug]

i can see all the machine markes on the piston so i know its been done.

the thing is the gap above the spring cup is slightly bigger (diameter) than the inside of the bearing itself.

It will go on but only about 1mm where the edges are tapered

[MK999]

i can see all the machine markes on the piston so i know its been done.

Quite possible it hasn't as Iain says... shock pistons don't just appear like that, they would have been machined from something for the standard application :thumb:

[Plug]

ok i guess ill get on the phone to warren tomorrow then and get them sent back

[Iain]

Very weird Mr Jimbo. My machined diameter at the top of the piston was bang on perfect for sitting inside the topmount.

Any pics before it was machined? What have they actually done to make them suitable for the topmounts?

[Plug]

i didnt have the shocks before they where machined. asked warren on the phone to do it when i ordered them.

are your top mounts from rally designs or compbrake?

all i can think is they have the measure ments of one companys top mounts and the comp brake ones are slighty smaller maybe?

the bit about the spring topcup is only 1mm out from fitting inside the bearing

[Iain]

Mine were Compbrake topmounts. The internal bearing diameter is about 20mm I think.

[Plug]

mine are compbrake aswell :( the internal of mine is 19mm.

Maybe a new batch of topmounts with differant bearings as my top mounts are black

[Jonlem]

IIRC you can specify which sleeves you want.

I had some machined for mine, anyone with a lathe should be able to knock you some in no time at all !

[Plug]

well ive packaged up the coilovers and top mounts and im going to ring gaz tomorrow and get them to do the work for me up there.

[MattBrown]

I was going to say, just send them the lot, ask them to machine and build them up for you, and send them back, jobs a good-un:)

[Plug]

Right i sent them off on thursday and they turned up today :)

they machined the top of the piston and bolted them all up for me and returned them :)

Also ianial (sp?) if you send them off with the mounts they machine the thread down so you dont have to cut the bonnet out like you had to.

[Iain]

ianial :(

Any pics of yours with the topmounts off then? So they just lop an inch of the thread off and thread it down further? I didn't think it would be as easy as that as the adjuster is there.

I've made a neat job of cutting my new f/g bonnet out to suit them now so meh lol