Drop Hats (Yay or Nay) Need More Infos - CONCLUSION

[SkiFree]

Will do.



Thanks for the info. I have never done them before so am not familiar with their function.

It's literally the upper spring perch. The term "drophats" throws people out of wack.

[mr.vang]

I'm selling my e90 drop hats, if you want them, I can do $23 shipped.

[Schnitzer318is]

i'm selling my e90 drop hats, if you want them, i can do $23 shipped.

ygpm.

[Schnitzer318is]

Drop hats have arrived in the mail. Thanks to mr.vang. Here are the before pictures. Notice the reverse rake? LOL me too.

[N2MYE30]

WOW! Hats are meant for small adjustments, not whats going on with that gasser! Good looking cabrio though.

[Schnitzer318is]

WOW! Hats are meant for small adjustments, not whats going on with that gasser! Good looking cabrio though.

Thanks for the compliment.

Yeah, I was a bit confused about the ride height as well after replacing the struts. BTW, I LOL'd at "gasser." :) The OE struts were definitely shorter than the replacement Monroe's. I had them double check at Oreilly's (who is usually pretty good in my experience) and that is what pops up for a 92 vert. I even looked online myself to triple check.

Going to install the new hats and see what she looks like. If it is still not okay... I am going to have to return the struts (lifetime warranty) and go with something else. BTW, in the Bentley it gives ride height checking procedures and adjustment info... the car is sitting about 1.5inches high according to the specs. But that is fully unladen. The vehicle is supposed to be checked with 150lbs up front, and other weights spread around the car. LOL I am detail oriented, but I wasn't going to drag 300lbs of weights out there to check the measurements. Plus I think the 16" wheels would throw it off compared to the stock weaves.

[jeffnhiscars]

When I got my barn find the front struts were blown so I threw in the drop hats along with Bilstein Touring struts soIm in the camp that says drop hats make a nominal difference and will not eliminate the reverse rake in an otherwise stock cabrio. IMO its not even worth the trouble to install then unless you are removing the struts anyway.

Its the springs that make the difference.

[Schnitzer318is]

When I got my barn find the front struts were blown so I threw in the drop hats along with Bilstein Touring struts soIm in the camp that says drop hats make a nominal difference and will not eliminate the reverse rake in an otherwise stock cabrio. IMO its not even worth the trouble to install then unless you are removing the struts anyway.

Its the springs that make the difference.

Thanks for the info on your experience.

I will be installing Bilstein Heavy Duty (same as Tourings I think) struts and removing the Monroes. I believe this is a large part of the reverse rake shown in the pics. My stock shocks were shorter than the Monroes and still had life in them. I replaced because "while I'm in there" took over while doing the bad strut mounts. Will install the drop hats with the Billy HD's and I believe will level out the suspension. Don't want low at all... or I'd be with you guys saying go with springs.

[AndrewBird]

Struts have no effect on ride height. Springs are what set the height of the car.

My guess is your old strut mounts were severely worn and were distorting upward. Replacing them essentially raised the car back up. The rear is low because those are also distorted.

[Schnitzer318is]

Struts have no effect on ride height. Springs are what set the height of the car.

My guess is your old strut mounts were severely worn and were distorting upward. Replacing them essentially raised the car back up. The rear is low because those are also distorted.

That's something I hadn't thought of... but what's up with the different lengths of the struts? Seems like it would mean they have the wrong travel for the vehicle if it is not causing the car to raise at all. No?

I'll have a look at the rear mounts next time I am putting the top down... but I think those were done not too long ago. Will update with more info. The plan was to do rear shocks as well with the same brand as the front struts but that got pushed back until I can get the front to a reasonable level and figure out why it's so high. The car definitely never sat this high before (this is the second time I've owned this vehicle) so I am still inclined to think it has something to do with those shocks... even though it is contrary to your info. I'll figure it out... and update here.

Thanks for the input nitro. Gives me something else to ponder.

[jeffnhiscars]

A new strut will naturally extend but that's not enough to raise your car. Thendamper and spring need to match so if you have a sport spring you need sport struts and standard dampers require standard height springs (or close to it) so they don't bottom out

Again, changing dampers will not change your stance. I also doubt your strut mounts will effect ride height unless they are totally shot in which case you would feel it.

[Schnitzer318is]

A new strut will naturally extend but that's not enough to raise your car. Thendamper and spring need to match so if you have a sport spring you need sport struts and standard dampers require standard height springs (or close to it) so they don't bottom out

Again, changing dampers will not change your stance. I also doubt your strut mounts will effect ride height unless they are totally shot in which case you would feel it.

Yeah... I went out and checked to make sure I had the springs all seated properly and the rubber isolators were in the perches correctly. And I agree now with you and Nitro the new struts are not making the ride height higher... but they are too soft and am going to change them for the billys anyway (already ordered). As you say, my mounts would have had to be totally shot for it to affect ride height and they weren't... the bearing was just making more noise than I would like.

I've gone back and looked at some old pictures of this car from the first time I owned it... and it appears that it always sat really high in the front. The only reason I am noticing it so much must be due to the wheel/tire change from the stock weaves. Still need to have a look at the rear strut mounts to see if anything is wrong there... but like the fronts if they were so bad to be affecting ride height, I'd probably hear/feel something to that effect.

BTW, BavAuto is having a nice sale on Bilstein HD's and Sports right now... $118 and $122/ea respectively w/ free shipping.

[Schnitzer318is]

Super late update. But I don't drive the car too much so never got around to updating. Plus had a second child... so have no time to take pics, upload, and update anymore. Only doing it now because I am sick and the wife has me quarantined to our bedroom.

So, here is the after shot of the drop hats w/ billy HD's installed. As was advised here, the drop hats don't drop too much, but it definitely helped a bit visually.



As you can see though... still too high. But the wife was driving it at the time so I left it that way. For the last year I'm the only one who drives it as we got her a 2010 X5d... and not even that much. Maybe 1000 miles last year. Soooooo, down she goes. Installed some H&R sports with the billy HD's this past weekend with the help of another member here.



Dropped everything because she needed an oil pan gasket and wanted to clean everything off at the same time. She also got new tie rods, control arms, CAB's, and sway bar bushings. I debated removing the drop hats but the buddy who was helping with install said he'd leave them, so I gave it a shot. Here is the end result, no spring settling (if there is going to be any).





The rear is still on stock springs with unknown pads, shock, etc. Not sure if I will be installing the H&R sports springs on the rear. Have Billy HD shocks on the way along with HD mounts so we'll see.