I've had some pinging/creaking noises when making low speed right hand turns (such as parking lot maneuvers). I was looking through past threads around NAM when I saw someone describe similar noises, so I went and checked. This is what I found







My questions:
1. Am I looking at a cracked strut tower cap?

2. Is part #31306778833 the correct part to repair this?

3. Should I do both sides at once, or only the offending side?

 

OK, I've answered my own question that it IS a strut mount.

I read that someone had issues w/ a Moog replacement. What about MasterPro?

EDIT

Nevermind, I just found that Pelicanparts has OEM units for about the same money as Autozone and O'Reilly have 3rd party mounts.

 

Yep - looks like your upper strut mounts are failing.

I'd recommend doing both sides at the same time, and also recommend sticking with OEM.

As far as part number, what year is your car?

 

It's an '03. This looks to be the parts I need at the best price: http://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Inf...78-833-M69.htm

 

I would also add strut tower protection plates and correct any mushrooming at the same time. There are plates for the top or bottom of the tower, and it's debatable on which is better. I went with VIP top mounts and the optional strut tower bar. If you don't care about the bar, Cravenspeed and ECS also have good top mounts.

 

I used kyb mounts from ecs.

 

OK, I've definitely got some mushrooming going on. The defenders look like a great idea, but this is a seriously unexpected expense. I know a guy w/ a machine shop (and I have access to a plasma cutter myself). If I fab up my own, do I make the center opening 2.5" like the opening in the strut tower or 3", which is the size of the lower bevel below said hole?

Also, could someone confirm that the Lemfoerder mounts I linked are a worthwhile purchase?

Thank you all.


EDIT:

I'm looking to cut an under plate, BTW. So I need to know if and under plate needs a 2.5 or 3" hole. Thanks

 

Everything you need to know about shock tower mushrooming is contained within this video.
Then mount a pair of tower defenders. Proper torque is 25#.

 

Alright. Found a video about repairing the tower. He used the cravenspeed defenders, and by laying them on top I found that the hole needs to be 2.5" Thanks all for your input.

 

Lemfoerder is a good brand for strut mounts.
The MINI oem ones are actually rebranded Lemfoerders.

 

If you are on a budget and as it appears you are handy with tools, you could make a strut brace that mounts below. Some 1/8" to 3/16" flat stock would work, could use the strut mount as a template. Would need longer bolts. This only addresses the mushrooming so you still need to replace the cracked mount.

This does affect the camber. I used the bottom mount on my R53 and did not have issues. I used the car for my DD and put over 30k miles on.

 

I actually traced out a template that I'm going to plasma cut from 1/8". Going from pix, it looks like mine will end up looking like an unpainted WMW. Heck, I may cut out an extra pair and offer them in the marketplace for a few tens of dollars.

 

Remember that when you make something yourself and then try to sell it here you should become a vendor.

 

Holy crap! UPS shipping indicates that I'll have my order from PelicanParts tomorrow already (and I just chose free ground shipping)!

I thought I'd start w/ just cutting one extra set to gauge interest as a one off. If there's demand I could see setting up as a vendor, but this many years later I don't imagine that there are that many remaining first gens that haven't had this done yet.

 

To the contrary, there are still allot of Gen1's out there and the majority of people know just about nothing about their car unless the visit forums like NAM. You talk about mushroom caps to some and they could think you are a druggie.

 

LOL. And I suspect you may be right. The student who's helping me do my struts thinks he may have already sold another set of plates to a local for me!

So, since I don't have access to a powder coat facility, and I'm making this out of mild steel to prevent breakage, I'm considering spraying the pieces w/ undercoat for corrosion resistance. Does anyone have any thoughts pro or con to that? My only fear is that a thicker material like that, while being robust, would prevent proper torquing of the nuts that hold the suspension bits.

 

Looks like a busy Saturday in store. Hopefully I can get new struts in and exhaust welded in. Can someone who has used the Cravenspeed or MM under tower defenders confirm whether they were able to get by w/out replacing the factory studs on the mounts?

Thx

 

I went to change my strut mounts this past weekend, but ran into a complication. The nut on the top of shock is so tight it twisted 3 different allen wrenches before the hex stripped out. Anybody have suggestions on removing without further damage to an otherwise good shock replaced by a shop not too long ago?

 

You're talking about the one that secures the strut to the mount? I didn't have to counter hold it at all to take it off w/ an impact. going back on, I just reached through the spring w/ a leather glove to hold the strut shaft... then again, I didn't realize there was a torque spec to that nut and just blasted it on w/ the impact.... I may live to regret that.

 

This. Impact wrench should solve all your problems.

 

An Impact Wrench is your best friend, get one. Also, make sure that you get some penetrating oil and spray, spray spray the area around your pinch bolt. If that head breaks off, that's a whole other issue. I would spray it up, then use the Impact gun to take it off

 

Do one better. Follow the formula and make your own penetrating oil. I seriously was able to reuse my pinch bolts, and I was able to thread them back in by hand until the last ~1/4" or so!!

 

nu

I have and used an impact, but it just spun the shaft.

 

Since you're replacing the strut, just take a pair of vise grips and lock them on the shaft, you should be able to get to it...

 

Yeah, I had no issues gaining purchase removing the old nut. Then again, my spring compressors are older and had about 1/16" to back off before they were actually holding any tension. Maybe back off your compressors until they're just loose enough to slide, so that there's pressure again the mount nut, and break it loose. You'll want to fully compress again when installing the new nut. That part sucked working by myself and w/ compressors that were not quite small enough.

Edit: Just be safe. I'm still a bit scared of working w/ compressed springs from the stories I've been told. Truthfully, I'd consider the vise grips on the old strut. I can assure you that a leather glove and your hand will be enough to prevent the new from spinning.