mic_VR 3 Posted July 22, 2008 sorry guys I know this topic has been thrown around a bit but I've got bit of a problem with my front top mounts about 4 months ago I swapped from standard to weitec gt suspension, changing the top mounts and spring caps as recommended as I've got a late VR6. Problem is that I'm now getting a 'clunking' sound when turning left/right which I think is the top mounts binding on the spring plates and just making a horrible noise. :( I ordered the mounts and plates from G-werks, who were very helpful, but thinking back the mounts they sent were the 2 piece (mount and bearing) mounts and reading through other peoples posts this doesn't seem right. Now my etka only lists one mount for all the VR's but two different types of spring plates, so am I meant to be using a specific spring plate or do I need to use the earlier one piece mount from a G60 or something? :shrug: All help much appreciated as I'm trying to get all my suspension/handling issues sorted before I go on the Karmann trip so I want to order the correct parts asap... Phew! sorry for the long winded post! :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted July 22, 2008 i had the same problem, and did the same as you, went from standard late suspension to the same weitec kit. this is the early suspension arrangement this the late type here's a pic i took with both types of mount and both types of plate this is how i found it fitted with the early type stuff, (not the bumpstop and cover are wrong way round, ignore it) :lol: i put car all back together with the above arrangement and when turning at low speeds you have something "twanging" and generally feeling crappy, bit like you describe. only way i could see of getting rid was to use different springs that used the late arrangement, the weitecs are suited to early (larger top coil diameter) Pi spring with a late spring cap on top fitted perfectly with the late mounts and seems so much better Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted July 22, 2008 i took loads of pics of everything when i did this :lol: early top mounts late top mounts early spring caps Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted July 22, 2008 Good response, I've got the same setup that you used first time...... Unfortunately I've not got the money to change the springs so can I just use the early mounts with the early spring plates I've got? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted July 22, 2008 i think you can, i don't know any other differences they made to the suspension when VW changed it. not sure why mine made the funny noises 1st time around, but i just got the Pi springs anyway, they not actually very much money and i sold the weitec ones on so ended up costing very little if anything, apart from the time it took to swap everything over again, 2nd time round i used copper ease on pretty much everything i could the other thing i noticed is the early arrangement of early plate and mount is about 2" higher than the late style Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted July 22, 2008 people on here told me when i was doing mine that its fine to use the early spring plate/cap with the late top mount, but i guess thats what you have at the moment Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mariojoshi 1 Posted July 22, 2008 Hummmmm Both myself and a good friend have got exactly the same weitec kit and top mount kit, both on late VRs and haven't noticed any problems...?!? :confused4: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted July 23, 2008 Mic, I would stick with the later 2 piece mounts as thats what all VR's got and they are more 'comfortable' that the old style... The spring plate just matches the size of the pig tail on the spring, it should be fairly clear if they are wrong... what you must watch is that the plates you use have a flat top for the bearing surface of the later top mounts, this is opposed to the round top as shown in the pic above (these are to be used with the early mounts only) That clonking sound - either the spring is not located in it's stops properly at the top, this can happen when the top nut is tightend, especially with an impact wrench as it will spin it round slightly or it has simply just been overtightend crushing the bearing... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yandards 0 Posted July 23, 2008 I know I have mentioned this before but cant find the link. There are 3 revisions of front suspension fitted to Corrados as follows: Revision 1. Early stuff as fitted to 16vs & G60s only: Spring Plate diameter 105mm - 357 412 341 Top Mount, large rubber assembly with a metal disc bonded to the bottom - 357 412 329 Limit Stop, metal 'disc' that sits inside the engine bay - 1H0 412 319 B Bump Stop, 84mm long - 357 412 303 E Bellows, 172.5mm long - 357 413 175 Revision 2. Early VR Stuff up to around 06.93 builddate Spring plate diameter 105mm - 1H0 412 341 Top Mount, large rubber ring - 357 412 341 A Bearing for inside of top mount - 1J0 412 249 Limit stop - 357 412 319 B Bump stop, 83mm long - 357 412 303 F Bellows, 228.5mm - 1H0 413 175 Revision 3. VR Stuff from around 06.93 and 8v and 16v cars with a build date of 07.94 onwards Spring plate, diameter 92mm - 357 412 341 A Top mount - 357 412 341 A Bearing for inside of top mount - 1J0 412 249 Limit stop - 357 412 319 B Bump stop, 83mm long - 1H0 412 303 B Bellows, 221.5mm - 357 413 175 A Points to note: The difference between revision 2 and revision 3 spring plates is more than a simple diameter change, the revision 3 plates are shallower by 6mm in depth and are also flatter where the spring meets the spring disc. The reason for the change was the introduction of a new type of spring to the VR, these were lateral force compensating springs and were designed to reduce friction on the damper causing a better response from the damper resulting in a better ride, the downside was that the car sat slightly higher than the revision 2 set-up. When fitting the revision 1 top mount it is worth noting that the threaded bush that is used to retain the top mount to the suspension assembly can be overtightened crushing the bearing, it needs to be tightened to 40Nm. When fitting the limit stop ensure that the suspension damper piston rod does not rotate when tightening the nut that hold the limit stop on the car, this may cause the threaded bush to become loose, the torque for the limit stop nut is 60Nm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted July 23, 2008 When fitting the revision 1 top mount it is worth noting that the threaded bush that is used to retain the top mount to the suspension assembly can be overtightened crushing the bearing, it needs to be tightened to 40N It's really difficult to get even 40Nm down onto this nut as the shaft turns... I just made sure the springs were compressed enough and the shock was fully extended and that the bush/nut held the top mount and bearing firmly against the lip on the strut but still allowed the rubber mount to rotate with very little lateral movement / play. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herisites 0 Posted July 23, 2008 Mick dont forget what i told you that time we were in your car after you just fit the suspension. I had a clunking on mine which sounded like what you have described, i got a mate to turn my steering (with engine on) whilst i had the bonnet open so i could watch the top mounts and what was happening was as the steering was turning the top mount was slowly turning with it but then the clunk was the top mount twisting back in to place. I assumed maybe i had over tightened and damaged the bearings so i got some new ones (the mk4 ones) and got a mechanic mate to do it (i couldnt be arsed lol) and he told me that i had actually put the bearings in upside down making them ineffective and so he replaced them anyway with the better mk4 ones and put them in correctly and mine havent clunked since! Worth checking out as sounds like you will be taking it all of again anyway :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted July 23, 2008 Cheers for all the info guys, I'm going to take the whole lot off on sunday and see what need to be replaced or adjusted. At least I've got all the possible info now! :lol: Reading down the thread, and having a quick look at the invoices for the parts, I think I've put it together with the early dome shape spring plates and the late VR top mounts. So easiest fix will probably be to see about changing the spring plates and keeping the late top mounts, although I might now have buggered up the bearings...... Corrado ownership.... gotta love it! :salute: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bowen 1 Posted July 23, 2008 the late spring plates don't work with the weitec springs, it just falls through them Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted July 23, 2008 the late spring plates don't work with the weitec springs, it just falls through them Yeah but Mr Yandards post earlier on shows that the VR had 2 different spring plates. The smaller ones on post 93 cars, which is what I had originally, and the wider 105mm one on the pre 93 VR's. Or that is my understanding....... First thing I need to do is get it all apart to see what it actually is. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
was8v 0 Posted July 23, 2008 Yeah but Mr Yandards post earlier on shows that the VR had 2 different spring plates. The smaller ones on post 93 cars, which is what I had originally, and the wider 105mm one on the pre 93 VR's. Or that is my understanding....... Thats correct 2 sizes of spring plates for VRs. (all VRs had 'late' top mounts). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
