As promised.... my made over perches

This one shows the original gold


now the refinish...


Painted the rest of the suspension parts for a freshen up! Everyone is sitting top up! (for assembly referance)


Here are the pics of the painted parts referanceing top and bottom as was not clear before...
Top plate and this is the top side



Here is the bottom side... you can see the ring from it meeting the plate below it



Top of the factory spring perch



Bottom



Top of coil spring retainer plate


Bottom of it



Top of strut shaft washer:



Top is up here... notice the dome shape


Bottom of strut shaft washer


Here is the top strut washer that goes under the nut on top of the coil spring retaining plate...
Here is the top side... notice the cupped shape being up!



bottom is facing us



I also threw some pewter paint on the lower part of my strut... I plan to hit the rest of the suspension with this color





Hopefully these edits, though it means more pics... will clear up some of the confusion that was mentioned later on in the thread

[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 09-15-2014).]

Ok sleeve install

Naked cleaned up strut: NOTE: I only used the pewter paint on the part of the strut that will be visible... rest is covered by the new sleeve, so why waste the paint. Especially since I have discovered that Duplicolor is discontinuing the color... grrr...



Sleeve:



Machined area for snap ring to slip in. This side up.



Slip on sleeve



As I said they just slipped right on!


Get the snap ring



Slipped on



here is the snap ring going in... it slipped in pretty well on its own with just my fingers,


then i tapped it in with my panel pry tool. I just had it sitting there and figured it would work as well as a screwdriver!



All in! Sleeve will not move at all!


Now added on the perch...



All the way on



Check out the set screws... came with a piece of rubber to protect the threads!


rubber in


set screw...

[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 09-15-2014).]

Here is how I disassembled my dust boot to only retain the rubber bushing

In its stock form


Screw driver past the first ridge


Now the second



the panel puller was needed for the final push to get it apart



Tada part to reuse... top is to the top of the pic!



Top!



Bottom... I'm pointing out the metal snubber with my screw driver. It is designed to rest on the collar of the strut shaft.
\

It will rest on this collar or ledge on the shaft of the strut


After being cleaned up... I dropped it on. You see it rests perfect on the collar

[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 09-15-2014).]

PLEASE NOTE!!!!

**** THIS POST OF MINE SHOWS MY ERROR... THIS IS THE WRONG WAY TO INSTALL THE PARTS!*****

(I show my errors to help make it clear for you what the right way is and why it is the right way and what happens when you do it the wrong way!!!!)

*****
The assembly (which went a bit wrong at first...) I was following the previous threads I had read and seen...

Quotes from the other threads I was following immediately follow below

quote Originally posted by fierohoho: First thing I did was bevel one inside edge so it would make it easier to slide the bushing onto the strut shaft. A little oil inside the bushing and on the shaft and it slid on with a little pressure. I decided to leave off the washer I had put on before, the next pic shows a view of the spring retainer plate and bushing without the spring in the way. This last pic is an underside view of the re-assembled coilover strut, I think the bushing will work well to dampen the shock when/if the car bottoms out. I'm very happy with this set-up, additional cost for two bushings, about $7.50, cool.

quote Originally posted by fierohoho: In the next pic you can see one of the washers I put back on the strut shaft

******

I went to work on my car with the above information and images in mind.... and I did it wrong.

TO REPEAT!

**** THIS POST OF MINE SHOWS MY ERROR... THIS IS THE WRONG WAY TO INSTALL THE PARTS!*****

I show this to help make it clear for you what the right way is and why it is the right way and what happens when you do it the wrong way!!!!

*****************

On with the oops...

Spring on... & added the washer as I have seen in pictures... this is supposed to keep the strut shaft from pushing threw the spring top and into the strut tower. (wrong order) Orientation correct though!


Now the dust boot as people said... fierohoho pictured his right up against the top spring plate... members mentioned its use being to protect the spring top center from metal impacts, so surely it had to be b/w the washer and coil retainer... (wrong again)


Now (finally) I'm starting to wonder how this is going to work... (the light bulb came on!) There were not enough threads left to make it through the spring top and bolt together...



This is NOT going to work... (duh!!!)

Here is why... look at the inside of the bump stop boot... The strut washer will not fit in here without creating a huge pocket of space. I notice the inside of the bumper is just big enough to slip over the strut shaft and catch on the collar of the shaft. The top of the dust boot also has a snubber made of a metal insert to keep it from pressing through the bushing and keeping the strut shaft collar from pushing through it...



Hmmm... time to reorder things the right way!... if only the darn dust boots had been installed so I would know exactly how it was placed stock sheesh!

[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 09-15-2014).]

ok now reordering things...

****THIS IS THE CORRECT WAY TO PUT THE PARTS ON THE STRUT*****

Spring on first as before....



Dust boot... oriented with the dome side up




then washer oriented with the dome side up!







Add the upper spring perch with the 3 studs drapped on the strut bottom. Studs face up! It wont fit on after the top spring retainer plate is on and the hole is not large enough to slip over the bottom ot the strut...


There is a "correct" way to face this piece. longer stud goes to the back of the strut...



now the top spring retainer plate. Flat side up!





Ahhh now that is a usable amount of threads! Victory!

[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 09-16-2011).]

Now to button things up

Now the smaller washer... cup side up!






the nut...


The allen 6mm and the 7/8 wrench.... worked AWESOME. Piece of cake.




Finally things were looking right!


The whole assembly is now ready to reinstall. Leaving the spring perch down till go time


Notice how everything is lining up in the pic... flat side is to the outside of the... toward the side of the strut that bolts to the spindle.


But for referance...I will add the top most plate. Again... flat side is to the outside of the car... toward the side of the strut that bolts to the spindle.


here is the perch up and the nuts just barely on for the heck of it, so you can see how it all looks together before its on the car.


Time for bed... hopefully more tomorrow... depends on the seawall and dock replacement though!

[This message has been edited by redraif (edited 09-15-2014).]