Help asap

[Nick 0]

Currently trying to fit my fk highsport coiloevrs to my G60, but weve tried every combination to make it work, but there is still about 4-5 mm of gap on the top mount, so if i were to add the wheel and put it back on the ground as soon as i hit a bump the whole of the susp[ension would move rather than the bit thats supposed to! Any ideas?

[Blue_Joe 0]

pics would help us understand if you have a camera handy

[Nick 0]

Thanks BlueJoe, i was in a bit of a rush when i posted that, but the problem is still there so i have a few pics to help explain better.

 

Got the existing stuff off no problem, and then tried to replace it. Now i have to say that myself and my mate Matt didnt exactly know what we were doing! But we were both willing to give it a go, and we made some measurements in case it all went tits up, so we could return it back to as it was.

 

We removed the old spring no problems;

 

http://public.fotki.com/Nickers/coilove ... pring.html

 

We used the existing mounts on the new coilovers,

 

http://public.fotki.com/Nickers/coilove ... pring.html

 

and put them in place, tightened it up on the top, but it wouldnt sit flush. Couldnt work out why. We spent hours trying different combinations with the mounts and washers etc (prob not the right thing to do) to get it to sit right, but to no avail.

 

So it was getting quite late and i had a date with a bottle of southern comfort, so we thought sod it, well put the old one back on, at least then ive got a car to drive. So put the old suspension back EXACTLY as we removed it, and the same f**king thing happened!!

 

Couldnt explain it!? So we half removed the passenger side to check if we were being tits, decided that what we had done was right, so tightened it back up (bearing in mind we hadnt removed it) and that side did it aswell!?! This is what it currently looks like;

 

http://public.fotki.com/Nickers/coilove ... e_top.html

 

Has this happened to anybody? Does it just take some time to “bed in” or is it fooked? I have driven on it a bit, carefully as im not confident its 100% safe, but i cant think of anything to solve it? Any ideas?

[bix 0]

All I can say is you've done something wrong!

[Nick 0]

lol. Honestly, we put it back EXACTLY as it was, and the passenger side we didnt even undo!

[_Monkey 0]

Looks like your top mounts have given up the ghost, i have the same problem on my mk2, when i took off the original suspension, i really upset them. I'm 90% sure it's dead top mounts, just got some new mounts from the show sunday, and i'll be fitting them wednesday so i'll let you know.

[Walesy 0]

nice gloves :wink:

[Nick 0]

Thanks Dave.

 

To remove the suspension you have to undo the top mount from under the bonnet, and two nuts from the steering rack (i think). When we checked the passenger side to make sure we had put it back together right we only undid the two nuts by the brake. We didnt touch the top mount, so why would this affect it?

 

Is it safe to drive on?

[bix 0]

Ah, its supposed to look like that, I hope so anyway! :oops:

[_Monkey 0]

Sometimes the rubber mount is disturbed when you take it out of the tower. Especially if it's been there a while,(nice to know that there's a lump of rubber holding your strut to your suspension tower, isn't it?!) and the bearing inside can start to push itself out.

 

Ive been driving the golf about like it for 2-3 weeks now,(daily drivers are fantastic!) it clonks about a bit, but the struts haven't poked outta the bonnet...

 

 

yet!! :oops:

[bix 0]

Hmm, I'm a bit worried now :oops: When I jack it up the top mount fall out of the suspension tower, I have fk aks, is it supposed to, yeah mine clunks a bit too :roll:

[Nick 0]

I figured it must be reasonably safe to drive on as it isnt going to "pop out", due to the construction, but it wasnt like that to begin with!

 

Bix, thats exactly what mine look like now. How long have you been driving like that? Any problems?

 

Can anybody else shed some light? As many different photos or opinions or experiences as possible would be very helpful! Thanks in advance!

[_Monkey 0]

My c has fk coilovers and i haven't had it clunking, but i don't think it can do any immediate harm.

 

Just don't go doing any track days! :)

[bix 0]

I figured it must be reasonably safe to drive on as it isnt going to "pop out", due to the construction, but it wasnt like that to begin with!

 

Bix, thats exactly what mine look like now. How long have you been driving like that? Any problems?

 

Can anybody else shed some light? As many different photos or opinions or experiences as possible would be very helpful! Thanks in advance!

 

Hmm, you sure it wasnt like that to begin with? I've no problems, and its been driven hard for months, I'm pretty sure it was always like that, I dont see how it could be any different. There is a bit of road around here, that dips, with a bump in the middle, where the suspension clunks, which is obviously the strut coming out of the tower and clunking back in, which cant be healthy :oops: But I guess the oem struts dont come out cuz there longer, bit strange aint it :?

[Nick 0]

I made absolute sure what it was like, and then even took measurements of the length of thread of top screw, and things like that because i knew it wasnt gonna be plain sailing! it never is! The roads around here are pretty bumpy, and i took it out for a quick hard spin at lunch and it seemes fine as it is, no clunking. I'll get some top mounts ordered up, but if that doesnt solve it i dont know what ill do as i dont want it to be a temporary, and have to drive around slow everywhere! Cheers for your help though guys. :)

[gibber 0]

Shaggsy that right!

[Nick 0]

Shaggsy that right!

 

Thats right? Thats how it should look? Poking out the top 5mm ish? That means it was wrong in the first place?

[gibber 0]

So when you jack your car up, it floats around.

[Nick 0]

The pictures of the top mounts are taken when the cars wheels are on, and is sat on the floor, ready to drive. Is this still how it should be?

 

And yes it can be moved around when jacked up.

 

 

Thanks, youve all been most helpful : :notworthy:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Is that pic of the blue one the front? It doesn't look quite right to me. The alloy cap should be held onto the piston with a shallow nut and collar which you pilfer from the old struts. That big nut shouldn't be there like that as the bearing for the top mount needs to sit directly on that alloy top cap and it won't if that nut is there.

 

As for the strut dropping out when jacked up, it won't. It's like that by design. The weight of the car keeps the strut in place and the top cap prevents the strut falling through when jacked up, but it won't anyway as the wishbone bushes have enough force in them to keep the strut up.

[Nick 0]

Ok...im a little confused. If i asked you very nicely mr Haywire sir, is there anychance you could take a pic of what yours looks like. And also, could you draw an arrow onto the pic of the blue G60 posted up by Bix when you refer to "the big nut that shouldnt be there".

 

Sorry to be a pain, but i want to get this right.

[Supercharged 2]

Erm... it looks to me like your missing something - top spring plate maybe? but I don't understand as coilovers come 'made' up don't they?? you just have to add the top mounts..

 

It looks to me like the top plate is on upside down ontop of the spring - this should be ontop of the top mount and visible from under the bonnet..

[bix 0]

Ok...im a little confused. If i asked you very nicely mr Haywire sir, is there anychance you could take a pic of what yours looks like. And also, could you draw an arrow onto the pic of the blue G60 posted up by Bix when you refer to "the big nut that shouldnt be there".

 

Sorry to be a pain, but i want to get this right.

 

I think he means your strut with the blue spring on!

 

kevhaywire, my strut drops out when its jacked up :?

[Nick 0]

The pic of my car with the top mounts slightly protruding (sp) is as they are now, without the coilovers on. (it isnt however standard, its got 80mm lowering springs on) But once built, and coilovers on, it still looked the same. Could anyone else provide a pic of their engine bay with fk's?

 

*edit*

 

Just realised - what exactly do you need to re-use from the old set-up with coilovers?

[_Monkey 0]

Right, just finished swapping my top mounts over, and they've made the world of difference, i'll have some pics for you tomorrow, but for now you'll have to take my word for it. :wink: