Suspension Geeks: Strut mount question

[jdbubb at verizon.net (Dan Bubb)]

I really think the big deal is not so much to lower the car. That should be easy to accomplish with the H & R's. The big deal is to still have enough bounce travel after you do it. So, along those lines I'd think the thing to concentrate on is to raise the upper shock mount, which is what you're doing, but not necessarily raise the upper spring mount.  Then your basic idea could work as long as you take into account the loads and reinforce the various parts to handle them. So, if you can keep the upper spring mount in the same place, yet raise the strut bearing, then you should have no clearance issues. Certainly modifying a stock upper spring perch is easy enough to do. Don't know about doing that to the coil overs though.


From: "GGehrke" <ggehrke@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 10:37 PM


As I mentioned a second ago in my other mail, I'm thinking of
modifying my suspension to get a little more drop without reduction in
travel.  I was looking at camber plates with spacers, but decided "not
yet" so here's what I came up with instead:

Would it be possible to cut off the studs on a stock upper strut
mount, drill out the holes where they used to be, and use bolts
instead?
And then, instead of mounting them on the underside of the strut
tower, mount them on top.
And for an added bonus, put a 1/2" or so plate between the strut tower
sheet metal and the strut mount.  I'm thinking you'd probably want a
reinforcement plate on the underside of the strut tower as well to
distribute the force of the bolts (this could potentially be made from
an old strut mount).

Here's a picture of what I'm thinking:

http://www.xgtgx.com/img/StrutMountMod.jpg

My questions are, though:
1. First off, is this an accurate portrayal of how the strut mount
fits together?  I haven't taken my scirocco suspension apart yet, so I
could be completely off base.  Keep in mind, too, I'm talking about
all this in context of aftermarket coilovers.

2. In the process of drawing it out, I think I debunked my own idea -
The spring would still have to seat on the underside of the strut
tower, so even if the shock were more extended, the spring would not
be.  Correct?

3. If #2 is the case, then how do camber plates with spacers work? 
Where does the spring seat?  Is it a problem?

Opinions?

I'm probably just going to install my new coilovers and new strut
mounts and call it a day, but I'm a huge geek with this stuff and
would love to tweak it to perfection...

-Grant-

P.S. Next week's pipe dream: Drop spindles and eMachineShop

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