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[polilara]

On the cup the top mount sits in

I am totally lost. So top mount is made of rubber, next part is bearing and next perhaps this lower mount. It seems to be corroded and dirty. I cannot find yet any holes. Have to disassemble the spring first - during coming week-end. Could someone describe what is the right way to put it back. Guess it is not symmetric part?? Strut is already on the floor.

[Doctor Gollum]

From the top...
Nut.
Nut.
Cup washer.
Top mount rubber.
Top mount bearing.
Upper spring seat.
Upper spring seat rubber.
Cup washer (inverted).
Spring.
Lower spring seat rubber.
Shock absorber assembly.

Highlighted the part we're talking about for clarity. 

[Enceladus]

Apologies. I originally mentioned the "lower mounting dish" for the spring. I actually meant the upper dish/spring seat. It's item 2 in this drawing. There are pictures in this thread.

In the photo of the "top hat" upper spring seat, there are two similar holes. Mark the hole that's inboard when the assembled strut is mounted on the car. And make sure that your reassembled/rebuilt  strut has the hole in the same position.

[polilara]

OK, thanks. So Upper spring seat is part No. 2. As that part turns together with the front wheel and strut (when steering wheel turned) it is still today in a right position as I did not remove the spring yet. Do you all agree?

So, what happens if this spring seat is in wrong position? What is "steering knuckle" you are talking about.

[Enceladus]

The bottom of the strut has a collar on the shock absorber with two bolts which attach to the steering knuckle. You can use this as a fixed reference point. The upper spring seat needs to be reinstated with the same inboard/outboard orientation on the assembled strut that it started with. One of the two holes is an alignment hole. So mark the hole relative to the centre of the knuckle with a paint pen or similar.

If the upper spring seat is not correct then it won't be properly parallel to the bottom seat. The strut can be assembled with the upper mount 180 deg wrong. Some report that the strut assembly then fouls the mounting turret in the car body upon turning. I suppose the spring might also be distorted, can't remember about that.

[polilara]

OK, start to understand. I do my best. Bottom bolts and Camber Setting is clear.

[polilara]

The bottom of the strut has a collar on the shock absorber with two bolts which attach to the steering knuckle. You can use this as a fixed reference point. The upper spring seat needs to be reinstated with the same inboard/outboard orientation on the assembled strut that it started with. One of the two holes is an alignment hole. So mark the hole relative to the centre of the knuckle with a paint pen or similar.

If the upper spring seat is not correct then it won't be properly parallel to the bottom seat. The strut can be assembled with the upper mount 180 deg wrong. Some report that the strut assembly then fouls the mounting turret in the car body upon turning. I suppose the spring might also be distorted, can't remember about that.

I found them now and marked, thanks, good point. I did not know this.

[ryandennis254]

Hi. I’m just re assembling my struts but didn’t mark which way the holes were. Could you possibly tell me which hole goes inwards? Thanks
Ryan

[Doctor Gollum]

Hi. I’m just re assembling my struts but didn’t mark which way the holes were. Could you possibly tell me which hole goes inwards? Thanks
Ryan

The flat surface needs to be parallel to the flat surface on the strut.

From memory, the lower of the two holes is inboard, but one way will look correct, the other won't 

Moral of the tale, do one side at a time so you have a reference 

[Nick W]

The flat surface needs to be parallel to the flat surface on the strut.

From memory, the lower of the two holes is inboard, but one way will look correct, the other won't 

The last struts I assembled was from a pile of new(struts, springs, bearings, top mounts and bump stops) and used(all the metal bits, and the rubber isolators) parts, and had nothing to compare them with.


If you fit the top spring cups, top mounts, bearings  or the springs the wrong way around, they look very wrong.


They're laid out but not in order:





and completed



One little tip: a couple of spots of superglue on the rubber isolator keeps it in place while you loosen the spring compressor

[Enceladus]

I sympathise. I've done this job on Carltons (Omega A), Senators and Omegas. Without fail I forget to dig out a paint pen to mark the exact relationship between the strut tube, spring and upper spring seat. And then regret it.

As I recall, the larger of the two holes, the outermost of the two, is the water drain hole and needs to end up inboard to the car body. The smaller innermost hole is the alignment hole. This should sit above the steering knuckle clamp on the shock tube. At least that was the consensus when this was discussed a year ago. That said how this relates to the factory paint marks on the seat is not clear.

[ryandennis254]

Thanks all. I will give this ago tomorrow afternoon