Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 5:14 pm
Now that we are talking about this part.....it brings to mind...information I should have remembered a long time ago.
Some of you may have noticed that when using the Audi 4000 cartridge, that its threaded portion above the upper spring plate is juuuust barely adequate to go reach where it needs to, up though the bearing, the washers and the upper cup plate.
There are two ways to fix this. (1) You can grind away a portion of teh bell shaped metal housing that protrudes from the bottom of the bearing. I think you can take away about 3/8" max. Remember that this part is a flange that the bushing donut rides against. You don't want to over do it. Just be sure that you grind it nicely condentric. (2)...or you can do the mod I listed in the last e-mail with the delrin bearing. Since the strut rod now protrudes up through the upper bearing plate....it will now rest against the back of the bearing. You will need to have a spacer or a stack of washers under that bearing...sitting on the step of the rod. Not many...maybe 13mm. This is because.....actually....when the rod goes through teh upper bearing plate...it will span the space between the bearing plate and the actual bottom of the bearing in that bell shaped cup. This can actually lower your front end something like 3/4".
It does this because the part from the rabbit/audi 400o (the upper bearing plate)...was cone shaped on many models.
Just gather the parts together first, measure the 411/412 strut as it is...stock....from upper plate edge to lower plate edge....and just realize and measure while you are modifying. You are looking for total extra spring compression of about 3/4". In my opinion....you are looking for total front end lowering of no more than 3/4"-1".
The sum total of all of the basic mods I have laid out...can lower the front end...by about 2.25" if yo are not careful. I knew those measurements to be correct....but until I remembered these two parts of the mods...I was trying to remember how I got there. Also bear in mind that just compressing teh spring this 3/4"....and lowering the the front end 3/4"....actually chambers the castor to slightly positive....and also the weight distribution as well. Add in the rear KYB's and new bushings and an alignment....and the total "visually" apparent lowering and change in stance is about 2". Ray
Some of you may have noticed that when using the Audi 4000 cartridge, that its threaded portion above the upper spring plate is juuuust barely adequate to go reach where it needs to, up though the bearing, the washers and the upper cup plate.
There are two ways to fix this. (1) You can grind away a portion of teh bell shaped metal housing that protrudes from the bottom of the bearing. I think you can take away about 3/8" max. Remember that this part is a flange that the bushing donut rides against. You don't want to over do it. Just be sure that you grind it nicely condentric. (2)...or you can do the mod I listed in the last e-mail with the delrin bearing. Since the strut rod now protrudes up through the upper bearing plate....it will now rest against the back of the bearing. You will need to have a spacer or a stack of washers under that bearing...sitting on the step of the rod. Not many...maybe 13mm. This is because.....actually....when the rod goes through teh upper bearing plate...it will span the space between the bearing plate and the actual bottom of the bearing in that bell shaped cup. This can actually lower your front end something like 3/4".
It does this because the part from the rabbit/audi 400o (the upper bearing plate)...was cone shaped on many models.
Just gather the parts together first, measure the 411/412 strut as it is...stock....from upper plate edge to lower plate edge....and just realize and measure while you are modifying. You are looking for total extra spring compression of about 3/4". In my opinion....you are looking for total front end lowering of no more than 3/4"-1".
The sum total of all of the basic mods I have laid out...can lower the front end...by about 2.25" if yo are not careful. I knew those measurements to be correct....but until I remembered these two parts of the mods...I was trying to remember how I got there. Also bear in mind that just compressing teh spring this 3/4"....and lowering the the front end 3/4"....actually chambers the castor to slightly positive....and also the weight distribution as well. Add in the rear KYB's and new bushings and an alignment....and the total "visually" apparent lowering and change in stance is about 2". Ray