Technical top mount

Currently reading:
Technical top mount

Joined
Dec 10, 2006
Messages
2,372
Points
743
Location
wilmslow, cheshire
I work part time in motorsport, office based [and also at the track at a weekend], and sadly due to the virus we have had to stop operations as the public come to our events :(

anyway while theres no work to do, I have a few jobs to do on my GP that have been gathering during the winter

most important, the n/s top mount is siezing, upon steering I can hear the spring twanging, I have had a look up in the arch and it isnt broken, as funds are low I am going to first try taking it apart and regreasing, I have seen the Guide on here, so its doable.

drop links are likely the originals, I have a brand new set in the shed ready to go, so instead of struggling with the rusty nuts I might just cut it in two when removing the strut, I can deal with the strut link bolt on the bench, and I will have room to get to the bottom one with a grinder with the strut removed, hopefully. Or maybe with recip saw.

So a regrease might do the job, or at least be a big help for now. I will try and do the other drop link, but it will depend on whether I can get enough access to cut the drop link bolts off, assuming that trying to undo them doesnt work, Hmm.

I also have a set of front pads, they are really easy to do.

and also I might change the rear shoes, sometimes the handbrake seems quite good, and other times really poor, and chances are I bet the shoes on it now are the originals.


so, I hope for a bit of dry weather :)
 
... most important, the n/s top mount is siezing ...

That Guy (Covid-19) sucks indeed ! Nice thing is that it won't spread through the forum :)

As this forum has quite a lot (I guess here) of various nationalities represented, would you English Native Guys be kind enough to stop using (or at least comment) typical UK (United Kingdom) acronyms ?

Personnaly, being from the french speaking part of Belgium, I understand " n/s top mount ..." as being " near-side top mount ...", which -the car being supposed to be RHD (Right Hand Driven)- I thing is the right side (near the driver).
Am I right ? How would the opposite side be called, F/S (far-side) ? For clarity I'd use left and/or right ...

Best regards and... stay at home !!

Bernie.
 
Yeah you're right in your thinking. The problem is left and right are relative to where you are on the car and what direction you're facing. N/S and F/S aren't relative to the same level so it usually is described as that
 
Hi Charlie,

I like your explanation about the 'kerb', never thought about it that way !

tip: italian Destra (DX in the drawings) stands for right, as is dexterity which most commonly is accomplished with the right hand ... (sorry for left handers, tip won't work ;-)

Cheers, Bernie.
 
Last edited:
The UK term the stone blocks at the edge of the roadway 'kerbstones'

On our travels.. the LeftHanded members of our family have discovered that eating with your left hand can be frowned upon..
'A SIN'
( Thats how I remember Sinistra : left) :eek:


Ok - Grande suspension:

Im looking to overhaul the suspension on my LOWEST mileage grande ( new purchase: ex. City car)

The prices seem high

Examlples

Damper @£60 x2
Wishbone @£70 x2

Are Corsa D items the same fit?

As they are probably less money for the same thing
 
Last edited:
Hi Charlie,

so would it be a sin to drive on the left side as you do ? ;-)

Found Quinton-Hazell front damper for abit more than 40 € (each) on Oscaro.be. The Bilstein B6 is quoted 177€/pce on the same site.
Quinton-Hazell again offers the wishbone for 37,11€ each ...

Not sure Oscaro would deliver in the UK, but it might even be worth to use a transit person ... See what I mean ?

Regards, Bernie
 
The UK prices for FIAT:Alfa front suspension..

Damper @£60 x2
Wishbone @£70 x2

Are Corsa D items the same fit?

As they are probably less money for the same thing

After some trawling.. and nothing great from Ebay
I found a link to this:

https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/oenumber/51796543.html


Its GM and FCA part number comparisons..
On the same components :)

I started looking because my other Grande purchases have all been listed as:

Grande -Corsa D, mito - adam

So should be interchangeable

The brands on the link are 'unknowns..'

But Ive seen QH dampers for £30..corsa d spec.

Looks like Ive got at least 3 weeks to figure it out ;)
 
Last edited:
I tried to attempt my top mount job a couple of days ago, the two bolts holding the strut to the hub are just too rusted, they have exposed threads on the end of each one and the nut wouldnt go over that rust despite some cleaning up, sorry I didnt get any pics.

ideally I need two new bolts, then I will just slice off the rusty thread ends with a cutting disc on a grinder and run the nuts off the end of the cut threads.

as I didnt have bolts, I tightened the bolts back up and have left it for now.
 
I tried to attempt my top mount job a couple of days ago, the two bolts holding the strut to the hub are just too rusted, they have exposed threads on the end of each one and the nut wouldnt go over that rust despite some cleaning up, sorry I didnt get any pics.

ideally I need two new bolts, then I will just slice off the rusty thread ends with a cutting disc on a grinder and run the nuts off the end of the cut threads.

as I didnt have bolts, I tightened the bolts back up and have left it for now.

Not too unusual.. they are probably the worst exposed part on the car..

Heat..salt.. not good :(
 
I dont need new shocks, I just need to remove the top mount to regrease.
Ok, so I presume you are talking about dismantling the top mount from the damper rod but not removing the top spring retaining pan? I would guess, from what you say about your place of work, that you could get access to an impact wrench? If so that's definitely the way to go to slacken the top damper rod nut (this holds the top mount to the rod - whatever you do don't then undo the second nut which is underneath it as this retains the spring plate and you must compress the spring before undoing it - unless you want to spend a lot of time in hospital!)

I've read that, once that damper rod nut is off, it's possible to wriggle the top mount out from the underwing if you can lever the bottom suspension arm, and so the strut, down far enough. I'm not so sure myself, must try it sometime. So taking the strut right out is the way I would do it and then the problem is, as you say, seized/corroded fixings. The drop link nuts are often corroded but you seem well prepared to deal with them. The two bolts which hold the strut to the hub/upright are often hopelessly corroded both to their nuts and into the casting of the hub itself. I had this problem with our 2010 Panda when I did a front suspension rebuild on it a couple of years ago. Wire brushed and put Plus Gas on them the day before I started but even so only the nuts on the top bolts reluctantly came undone. Bottom bolts, on both sides, sheared leaving the remains of the bolts in the casting. Although the top nuts came off the bolts were solid in the castings. Lots more Plus Gas and tapping with a hammer and twisting with a long breaker bar and socket eventually got them out but I wasted a good hour or more on them. Having had this experience, and read of others with similar tales, I would just replace these bolts every time now.

The N/S (passenger side) top mount bearings were in a bit of a state, although she was driving fine and not making any graunchy boings when the steering was turned. Heavily corroded. A bit of grease would have made them last slightly longer but I wouldn't do it as another strip down would be shortly needed. A top mount doesn't look to pricey to me? don't think I'd ever bother "bodging up" a dodgy old one:https://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Product&ProdID=2812

Hope you found that interesting/useful?
Jock
PS Just been reviewing what I've written above and what I've read seems not to be true. The top nut only secures the strut assembly into the wing so undoing it allows the retaining plate to be removed so the strut can be removed from the vehicle. The top mount itself is held in place by the second nut - which I warned not to undo without spring compressors being in place - which also restrains the spring. So to get the top mount right, off so you can clean and lubricate the bearing, you will need the spring compressors to restrain the spring. DO NOT undo that second nut without the compressors being in place! Sorry for any confussion! Trying to remove the top mount without removing the strut from the vehicle might be possible with compressors on the spring but I think it would be a very dodgy thing to try. Better to take the whole strut out, compress the spring and go on from there.
 
Last edited:
thanks for the info, for some reason I thought I had to take the spring off the strut to get the top mount free, thats how cars I have worked on in the past have been, I had bought some used spring compressors last year ready!

I think with the top drop link nut undone, there will be a possibility of levering the assembly down, to get the top mount wriggled out, I will certainly have a look to see if its possible.
 
thanks for the info, for some reason I thought I had to take the spring off the strut to get the top mount free, thats how cars I have worked on in the past have been, I had bought some used spring compressors last year ready!

I think with the top drop link nut undone, there will be a possibility of levering the assembly down, to get the top mount wriggled out, I will certainly have a look to see if its possible.
Ooooops! Just come across this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g3OHFTg8ck
So spring does have to be compressed to get the top mount off! Looks like you're going to need those spring compressors after all. So, this being the case, why not just renew that top mount whilst you've got it all in pieces and save yourself repeating it all later on?
 
Back
Top