Top mounts/pillowball mounts
- Thread starter TURBO2GO
- Start date
Do all dampers have a bearing like that in the bottom section? I don't remember seeing that before on other shocks. Maybe I didn't pay attention.
BTW Billy I got that Pegasus pressure gauge too, I will measure and post. This is cool, learning a lot...
BTW Billy I got that Pegasus pressure gauge too, I will measure and post. This is cool, learning a lot...
Interesting... So stock, V3s, and your 3-way motorsport dampers have 10mm threaded shafts. I wonder if it's possible to use the stock top hat like a V3. Twist the lower spring perch (on the threaded shock body) down (count how many 360* rotations you do - not that it really matters since the ride heights are probably not set at all - but measure it first anyway just to record it). and once its low enough, see if you can bolt the stock top hat in there. If you can - twist the lower spring perch back up until you get the same ride height as before. It will get much harder to turn once you start compression the helper spring.OK I took some pictures and measurements. The damper "rod" is 10 mm. The bolt at the top is also 10mm.
The thinner part of this rod:
Here is a photo of the bottom part, they all have these bearings:
Billy... Chris Marion is getting hats for who? Me? I'll email again but I have emailed twice and with no reply, I don't want to be a pest.
Doc, I am really learning a lot here (and so are many guys that PM me and say "thanks for asking these questions"). The coilovers have not gone into my car for months because I am busy with work. I think I want to do this myself and learn something.
Chris@sos, I forgot to measure inside the lower bearings. I will do so tomorrow.
Stock is a rubber bushing. Some aftermarket are rubber or polyurethane bushings. Some high end dampers or race dampers use monoballs in the bottom like you have. Some cheap coilovers use them as well but they are cheap bearings that tend to develop slop and 'clicks'/noise.
I'd bet the shocks are at 0psi. Its okay if you accidentally deflate them, you can just fill them back up again.
Did you get a small nitrogen tank with a 200psi+ regulator too?
The prior post brings up another question. Do you have the correct spanner wrench?
So what does this mean in terms of the bottom spacer? Roondogg had some machined I was thinking of buying, but what happens with that? Do you slide the spacer inside the bearing? That doesn't sound right.
Yes, I also got a used tank. It's a CO2 tank, big heavy thick walled thing looks like a scuba tank but much heavier, I will have it filled with nitrogen. I will also measure the pressures tomorrow.
Thanks to all the guys that have been helping me sending me PM's, I want to continue to document this for others. I have made several measurements that you guys asked me about. This is the length of the whole assembly:
19.75"
This is the bottom bearing:
I turned it sideways and measured its width, it is 8mm
I measured the inside diameter, it is 11mm
I then measured the pressure in the cannisters they were at around 122PSI each.
So it looks like stock top hats will fit fine, and I have been told monoballs don't make much difference on an NSX because of the suspension design. Anyone disagree? Looks like all I need are the spacers and some nitrogen!
Oh and I wighed the whole thing with cannister, it is exactly 8.9 pounds. Does anyone know the factory strut weight?
19.75"
This is the bottom bearing:
I turned it sideways and measured its width, it is 8mm
I measured the inside diameter, it is 11mm
I then measured the pressure in the cannisters they were at around 122PSI each.
So it looks like stock top hats will fit fine, and I have been told monoballs don't make much difference on an NSX because of the suspension design. Anyone disagree? Looks like all I need are the spacers and some nitrogen!
Oh and I wighed the whole thing with cannister, it is exactly 8.9 pounds. Does anyone know the factory strut weight?
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With this information, and the width of the factory tabs on the control arms, you now know the width of the spacers you will need (note that the front and rear control arm widths are different).
Its in my pictures Chris, 8mm. Look at the third picture. Please note I turned the bearing sideways to measure, as the housing it sits in is wider and does not allow the caliper to fit in. The shock body "eye" is 12mm, the bearing width is 8mm. The bearing site inside the "eye", it is not as wide.
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Can you tell me those widths and if you have them? Thanks Chris.
Makes sense. The bearing size we use is different. However, you can take this information and the width of the factory tabs to a machine shop and have them turn the spacers to the sizes needed.
-- Chris
Cool. Thanks RD.
Chris are these aluminum? Steel?
Either can be used, aluminum would be prefered for weight as long as the tolerance in the bearing and to the bolt is tight to avoid galling.
-- Chris
My set will not work, but I can get my machine shop friend to make you a new set. My set works with JRZ and Moton. I have so many sets already made up. They are CNC machined and top notch stainless.
You do have a problem as I can see it. Your inside diameter is 11mm and our NSX suspension uses a 12mm bolt front and rear. I think you need a refund from whomever you bought it from.
Good luck.
I could be wrong, but you may have to buy Dave's sway links for the rear. He can size up the correct bolts. For the front, you may have to have Dave rig you something up so you can use an 11mm bolt. I have never seen an 11mm bolt. Are you send the coils to Dave? I hope so!!
OK, I suppose it would help to read a caliper correctly. I apologize to everybody. TiDave caught my mistakes. The inner diameter of the bearing is 15mm, the depth of the bearing is 12mm. The upper rod of the damper is 14mm (not 10). RD is this what you have spacers for? Now it looks like my stock top hats will NOT work.
Dave should be able to help you out. I suggest you ship him one of your coilovers and be happy when it returns ready to bolt on!!! You will have solved your problem.
BTW, I sent you a PM on the spacers. You will not be dissappointed. I packaged them up, but left them at the hobby shop b/c I believed that your original measurements were no where near what I had available.
:smile:
General rule of thumb is half of the weight of the spring/shock is sprung while the other half is unsprung.
What's the weight of the stock suspension? That comes to a surprise to me as well. 20lbs is a lot.
I read through the whole weight reduction thread and found two different numbers I think 54 was the low one and 69 the high one (they didn't specify ifthe hats were part of it or not). The R coilovers were listed at 62 for the set. I will weigh the stock ones when I pull them out. I've been told by several people that pulled them that the stock struts are pretty heavy.
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