[rodw]

Hi Guys,

Went down to the wreckers this morning and picked up a set of strut mounts for my Vitara. I took them home, pressed out the studs using a socket in a vice and drilled out the hole to 8mm and cleaned them up.

So I know I ned some 8x 1.25 mm HT bolts, and I assume some washers to pack up the underside, but what other tricks do I need to do to finish this job off?

[rodw]

Never mind, I found it here, Sounds like I was on the right track...
http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=13687.0

[steve]

very resourcefull with the stud pressing thing rod

[rodw]

Thanks, I had hoped to reuse the studs, but the thread was well and truly destroyed and even after I ran a die over it, was still not good enough to use.

[VitZook]

Once flipped I also packed a washer underneath and inverted the washer that was on top to give the rubber mount more chance of surviving when jumping sand dunes etc ...
All worked just fine for years now and I give it some when i can, best go now and work on maths for my so called buggered up rear suspension !

[rodw]

Sure your suspension is not the buggered one. Thought I'd do a bit of stirring..

[VitZook]

Buggered... its totally shot eh... hardly any movement due to constant binding and joint failures ...

[VitZook]

Hang on ... here's a pic .. you can see the binding and lack of travel quite clearly ..

[casper]

gee camp hill has changed so much

[rodw]

I replaced the front suspension with OME struts and springs today so now I know how it all goes together. I decided not to flip the mount just now because I was toying with making up a spacer so the mount stays right way up.

So when you flip the mount, I assume that you swap the washers over as well, so the top washer is swapped with the bottom one so everything sits on the mounts nicely. Can somebody confirm this for me. Thanks.

[crikeymike]

Yes, you do install the flat washer on the lower end of the mount, and the funky non-round washer on the top, otherwise the strut could pop thru the rubber mount.

[rodw]

Mike,

Thanks for the feedback. I have more or less decided to put a strut spacer in instead of the flip to keep everything lined up nicely. I have my eye on some drop brackets so was planning 30mm strut spacers, 30 mm diff drop brackets and 30 mm spring spacers. so everything comes down together.

At the rear I was thinking of a 50 mm diff drop bracket and some spacers or extended springs and shocks or something.

But 'cos I'm not putting big tyres on, I might not really need to do anything much. We'll wait and see

[rob_macca67]

crikeymike wrote:

Yes, you do install the flat washer on the lower end of the mount, and the funky non-round washer on the top, otherwise the strut could pop thru the rubber mount.

Has anyone just left the plate as is (ie not remove the studs) and just flip the plate over and feed the plate from the top within the engine bay and bolt from underneath??

Would this create a "weak" point in that all the pressure is on the 3 nuts & the surface area under the nuts??

just curious......
Rob

[royce]

mine is done like that, IE through the top) but you still have to press the studs out as it wont fit in the hole int he guard with the studs on

[rodw]

When you think about this, all of the weight is on the spring, not the strut, so you should be safe provided the strut can't bottom out (ie. your bump stops on the springs are set up right to keep the weight on the spring). After all, you can compress the strut by hand.

[rob_macca67]

royce wrote:

mine is done like that, IE through the top) but you still have to press the studs out as it wont fit in the hole int he guard with the studs on

I managed to get mine in from the top without removing all the studs (one stud was removed only). I just had to use a pinch bar to bend up (slightly) the part where the plate hits the inner guard when trying to insert the plate. You can't even notice where I had to bend up the inner.

When I find another plate I'll try with all studs still in place...

cheers

[morpheus]

ok this whole strut mount flip looks good, im in to things that are almost free.

how much does height and flex improve??

and can someone put a photo of it on here finished, so i can see what it "should" look like so i know i did it right? i'd rather not find out when the wheel falls off

AND more of a step by step would b handy. im not really a mechanic..

[RUGARD]

crikeymike wrote:

Yes, you do install the flat washer on the lower end of the mount, and the funky non-round washer on the top, otherwise the strut could pop thru the rubber mount.

Fllat washer on lower end of mount?? where? is that washer alreadon the shock?

[inbits]

Im thinking about doing the mount flip my struts are fully topped out at the moment will this help? which way is best to do it?

[christover1]

Found this very helpful.
I like his "spacer" idea

http://www.suzuki-forums.com/suzuki-sid ... ice-2.html

[christover1]

Having Old Man Emu struts, mine already has 30 - 40 mm extra travel,
but I have lost this with the 25mm (thus 50mm lift) coil spacers.
(So presently have stock Vit travel roughly)
Thinking I don't want to stress cv's too much, or spend any more money,
I may do the strut mount flip,
as is less of a droop than the strut mount spacers available,
and I shouldn't need to bother with diff drop brackets,
as that feels counter productive?

Just thinking out loud, while waiting for me HD Idler arm to appear.

[inbits]

I ended up doing the mount flip was really easy and done the trick no more topping out on a stone lol

[christover1]

inbits wrote:

I ended up doing the mount flip was really easy and done the trick no more topping out on a stone lol

My spending spree has to end, nearly out of Sierra parts to sell
Can't keep getting pension advances.
So basically back to cheap stuff, and/or build stuff again.
But thats ok, its part of the fun

[christover1]

PS
And fitting of some of the strut spacers for sale looks quite fiddly, an upturned mount be a bit easier.
Does the rubber bush go in upside down, too, easily?

[banga]

does the spacer on the rear help any

[christover1]

banga wrote:

does the spacer on the rear help any

If you mean A-arm spacer, or coil spacer, yes to both.

[christover1]

inbits wrote:

I ended up doing the mount flip was really easy and done the trick no more topping out on a stone lol

It was easier than I expected, too.
Though with the already longer travel of OME struts,
I am hoping it aint too much for cv's

[christover1]

rodw wrote:

I replaced the front suspension with OME struts and springs today so now I know how it all goes together. I decided not to flip the mount just now because I was toying with making up a spacer so the mount stays right way up.

So when you flip the mount, I assume that you swap the washers over as well, so the top washer is swapped with the bottom one so everything sits on the mounts nicely. Can somebody confirm this for me. Thanks.

Thats how I did it, right or wrong.
Wasn't able to flip the actual rubber mount over, as it wouldn't come out.
I had to drill out the funky shaped washer to fit the strut.

[christover1]

My spring is still under lots of tension at full droop.
I added bump stop spacers of 30mm, coil spacers of 25mm,
and the strut flip added about 25mm, so it is close to stock OME travel.
So all should be fine with strut flip on OME.
Unless the CV's go on strike for better conditions.
I can see how much they work in these photos.

[Fatzook]

Thats a CRAZY CV angle!