German Engineering Suspension GB

[PNWDan]

^^^^^^ Thats what I have to do then - put the 3 on the bottom. Its going to be tough since I already stripped the top of the Billy iX strut insert - that was some soft metal! Whats the fastest and easiest way to transfer the washers to the bottom? Would it be just unbolting the three 13mm nuts on top and undoing the one 19mm strut insert nut and try to pull the plate off from there? Or would I also need to unbolt the lollipop to lower the housing more?

Jack up the car and jack stand it.
Remove wheel.
Place jack under suspension and jack up suspension.
Leave the plate attached to the strut tower.
Unbolt sway bar and top nut on strut insert, lower jack.

the tube, spring, strut, and top hat will drop.

reach up and slip extra washers over strut shaft.

reverse assembly...

BTW, how did you strip the strut shaft? The nut should be softer than the hardened shaft.

[graphikg]

^^^^^^ Thats what I have to do then - put the 3 on the bottom. Its going to be tough since I already stripped the top of the Billy iX strut insert - that was some soft metal! Whats the fastest and easiest way to transfer the washers to the bottom? Would it be just unbolting the three 13mm nuts on top and undoing the one 19mm strut insert nut and try to pull the plate off from there? Or would I also need to unbolt the lollipop to lower the housing more?

[tinkerputzer]

The silver spring hat is not needed with the ie plates. The ie plates have their own spring perch (were the thrust bearing sits). Run the amount of spacers you needed to get the popping to stop. Currently i run 3 on the bottom.

[graphikg]

So let me try to understand this. I have to use 2 or more spacers at the bottom. Also, I have to use the chromish hat that came with the kit between the spring and the IE plates? I installed the plates without the hat because I thought Einstein would want them back if buying the plates to give back a refund for the silver plates.

Just to recap to understand: I need to use the silver plates with the kit. They need to be installed between the spring and the IE plates. Then I need at least 2 spacers at the bottom to avoid binding and the loose/popping sound. Is this right?

[PNWDan]

By stacking up on spacers your eliminating the needle bearings and placing all the weight on the aurora bearing. When you firt installed them they had a film of oil on them. Once that film went away you started to get binding.

The thrust bearings do no good anyway when installed as your supposed to. In theory yes but as I stated before, the axis of the spring and strut does not stay perpendicular to the face of the camber plate. The geometry isn't static. Its off by the amount of camber and also changes throughout suspension travel. This is why a spherical bearing has to be used. The hat cannot adjust to meet with the plate because the strut contacts and binds in the inside beveled edge causing the hat to stay centered at the struts axis. Using 2 or more spacers down below allows the strut to not contact the inside of the hat on the bevel and allows the hat with spring to contort and mate flush on the bottom of the plate and the hat can rotate without binding. The down side of that is even though the hat will sit against the bottom of the plate and the plate still takes the load from the spring, all load from the strut is now in the bearing during suspension travel. If the bearing is shimmed inside the plate and tight, all we will have to worry about later is replacing the bearing when it wears.

Basically the hat needs the same movement that the spherical bearing allows.

[graphikg]

I am running one spacer in the bottom. I guess I am going to take everything off and do the 3 spacers in the bottom and 0 on top with a little oil on the plate bearing. I will see if that changes things for the better. Theres way too much movement now though. I can here it from the cabin going down a bumpy road. It is kinda scary actually. I dont want the looseness anymore for sure.

[einstein57]

By stacking up on spacers your eliminating the needle bearings and placing all the weight on the aurora bearing. When you firt installed them they had a film of oil on them. Once that film went away you started to get binding.

[PNWDan]

It seems like it is the shaft... Between the actual housing and the plate.

If you are running only one spacer on the lower part, the nuts may be loosening up when you turn. I had the same issue due to binding. It could also be the bearing. I had to shim mine between it and the plate .

[graphikg]

It seems like it is the shaft... Between the actual housing and the plate.

Interesting. Where is the movement at? The shaft or the bearing?

[PNWDan]

Have you guys tried greasing the mating surface of the strut and the top hat? I''d also grease the surface between the top hat and the camber plate

The issue lies with the bottom face of the plate in relation to the tube and spring. As camber changes so does the angle. They are never 90° from each other. The spring will not flex and allow the hat to seat against the plate due to the hat having the same angle as the strut and spring. Using 1 spacer results in the hat binding on the top of the uneven strut around the threaded shaft and causes the above condition. Using 2 spacers allows movement between the hat and strut allowing the hat to flex and shift into position on the plate without being restricted to the axis of the strut however this puts 100% of the axial load of the strut on the spherical bearing and will cause clunking over bumps if there is axial play in the bearing or mounting bore. It also causes a gap greater than the thickness of the thrust washer allowing them to come out of the counter bore on full droop.

[einstein57]

Have you guys tried greasing the mating surface of the strut and the top hat? I''d also grease the surface between the top hat and the camber plate

[PNWDan]

I'm actually getting some looseness between the housing and the plates. I took a video and will post it soon. But I can toggle the wheel a couple mm when jacked up.

Interesting. Where is the movement at? The shaft or the bearing?

[tinkerputzer]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=3124298&postcount=1145

[wakdog]

I'm also getting popping sounds every now and the from the IE plates. Was quiet for about 2 weeks after install...

I had IE plates in my race car about 2-3 years ago and they never made any noises, but I don't know if they changed the design as mine were a gold finish, not the black that the current plates are....

[graphikg]

I'm actually getting some looseness between the housing and the plates. I took a video and will post it soon. But I can toggle the wheel a couple mm when jacked up.