Suspension Geeks: Strut mount question

[ggehrke at gmail.com (GGehrke)]

Replies to the last 3 emails within...


On 2/22/06, Dan Bubb <jdbubb@verizon.net> wrote:
> 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.

Exactly.  In fact, I don't think I'd even want to slam the car all the
way to the bottom of the coilovers' range.  I figure if you keep the
ride height the same before and after modding the strut mount, you get
the same lowering, but more travel.
I revised the picture to annotate this (the spring on the right is
less compressed than in previous pictures)

http://www.xgtgx.com/img/StrutMountModRev2.jpg


>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.

Would this have the same effect?  That is, to raise the upper mount
but somehow keep the spring perch the same.  Would that be possible?

>modifying a stock upper spring perch is easy enough to do.
>Don't know about doing that to the coil overs though.

What difference does that make?  I'm not completely clear on how the
spring seats on the coilovers work as opposed to stock.

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On 2/22/06, nocones77-vw@yahoo.com <nocones77-vw@yahoo.com> wrote:
>First off, the easiest way to obtain improved travel is to
>modify your A1 housing to accept A2 strut inserts, which are shorter.

Wait, that doesn't make sense.  Wouldn't shorter struts be the
opposite of what I want to do?  I was thinking getting the longest
struts possible in there would be the best option...
Or is it just that the A2 shock offerings (Koni double adjustables,
for example) are better in other respects?

>You could accomplish the same thing with some thick
>sheet steel welded into a "cap" that contains the strut bearing,
>though it won't be adjustable. Have it mount around the perimeter
>with six or so bolts, and a reinforcement ring on the underside
>of the strut tower to spread the load of what will now be bolts in tension.

This sounds a lot like this:
http://www.bildon.com/catalog/DetailsList.cfm?ID=TAS0137G&Nav=10
which I wrote about in another email post yesterday.  Is that along
the lines of what you're thinking?  Do you think that'd get the top
mount for the strut higher?  How might it affect the spring perch?
I might try to call them up to talk about it...

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On 2/22/06, Nate Lowe <nlowe79@gmail.com> wrote:
> Grant, exactly how low do you want to go?
> I have the H&R coilovers on my mk1 and it sits pretty low.

Not insanely low - I'd actually like to keep moderate ride height but
get the lowering effect by raising the strut mount rather than
compressing the spring and shock to a point where they're less
effective.
Kind of why I'm thinking of looking seriously into things like drop
spindles as well.  Basically lower the car by moving the wheel up
rather than compressing the suspension so that you don't get the
negative effects of lowering springs/shocks.

-Grant-