Help with Binding strut bearings - WTF?!
07-02-2003, 02:43 PM
#1
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Help with Binding strut bearings - WTF?!
OK, some of you may recall my little strut bearing install fiasco. In short, when I installed new strut bearings a while ago I put the new ones in the way the old ones came out. Turns out, or at least seems like, they were installed incorrectly, so when I replaced them I put them in wrong.
Why I feel this it the case is that:
1) when installed with new bearings the strut tops still seemed to move around quite a lot
2) the front end rattled like crazy
3) the front end was really squirrelly (camber would change) to the point of putting me in a ditch
4) the order of installation did not look like the schematic in the PET
So I replaced the bearing with new and installed them in the same order as the PET shows. This was the only thing I could reference since there really is no good description in the shop manual of what order the parts go together (should be pretty straight forward, no?). Well, now I seem to get binding to the point where the spring hat doesn't turn freely and the spring will wind up and then *POP* everything free. It actually even looks like the bushing rubber is winding up when this happens. And yes I left everything loose until I put the front end on the ground.
Here is the order that everything when together:
-Spring slides over strut into seat
-Spring hat slided over shaft and onto top of spring
-spaced slides over shaft
-large opening side of bearing slides over spacer, big opening facing down.
-bearing fits up into metal cup in bushing
-bushing fits into metal strut top mount
-plastic stop ring goes on top mount
-big concaved washer thing goes over shaft
-locking nut threads onto shaft to hold it all together.
Does that sound right? Can somebody provide really good pictures of assemble order if what I have above is not right.
Why I feel this it the case is that:
1) when installed with new bearings the strut tops still seemed to move around quite a lot
2) the front end rattled like crazy
3) the front end was really squirrelly (camber would change) to the point of putting me in a ditch
4) the order of installation did not look like the schematic in the PET
So I replaced the bearing with new and installed them in the same order as the PET shows. This was the only thing I could reference since there really is no good description in the shop manual of what order the parts go together (should be pretty straight forward, no?). Well, now I seem to get binding to the point where the spring hat doesn't turn freely and the spring will wind up and then *POP* everything free. It actually even looks like the bushing rubber is winding up when this happens. And yes I left everything loose until I put the front end on the ground.
Here is the order that everything when together:
-Spring slides over strut into seat
-Spring hat slided over shaft and onto top of spring
-spaced slides over shaft
-large opening side of bearing slides over spacer, big opening facing down.
-bearing fits up into metal cup in bushing
-bushing fits into metal strut top mount
-plastic stop ring goes on top mount
-big concaved washer thing goes over shaft
-locking nut threads onto shaft to hold it all together.
Does that sound right? Can somebody provide really good pictures of assemble order if what I have above is not right.
07-03-2003, 10:54 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
Hey, sorry I missed this. I gather that the 924S uses the same upper strut bearing at the early 944s? If so, I can offer an opinion. When I recently reinstalled everything I was getting the same pop and bind you were speaking of. It went away after about a week of driving the car. I took it easy in the beginning because I was concerned as well but it just seems that everything needs a chance to settle.
In regards to the order of assembly, everything looks good. The major problem I had during assembly(and the reason I had to do it all again recently) was that the bearing itself was installed incorrectly. When looking at the bearing it has two distinct sides. One is solid metal and extends over the edges of the bearing. The other is the interior parts of the bearing which appears to be a much softer substance, graphite like. The softer side should go up into the metal cup and the stronger metal side should go down and be in contact with the upper spring perch. I had this installed wrong and the weight of the car had cracked the softer interior substance and cause some wierd handling issues. Nothing as serious as yours but if you really cranked down on the upper strut nut you could have more serverly damaged the bearing leading to the symptoms you described.
In regards to the order of assembly, everything looks good. The major problem I had during assembly(and the reason I had to do it all again recently) was that the bearing itself was installed incorrectly. When looking at the bearing it has two distinct sides. One is solid metal and extends over the edges of the bearing. The other is the interior parts of the bearing which appears to be a much softer substance, graphite like. The softer side should go up into the metal cup and the stronger metal side should go down and be in contact with the upper spring perch. I had this installed wrong and the weight of the car had cracked the softer interior substance and cause some wierd handling issues. Nothing as serious as yours but if you really cranked down on the upper strut nut you could have more serverly damaged the bearing leading to the symptoms you described.
07-03-2003, 12:16 PM
#4
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Hey Ken,
Yeah, the bearing itself definitely has two distinct side. One side (shell) seems to wrap almost all the way around like a tin can and the other side is as you describe, more like a cover. The two sides also have distinctly different sized openings, obviously so the spacer can slip in. One other thing I noticed is that the bearing itself only seems to fit correctly in the metal cup in the bushing if oriented with the big opening facing out. I can't see how that could be the wrong orientation, but with all the binding...
I may put the car up on jack stands and loosen the top nuts on either side and shake/turn/twist everything so see if it frees it up at all. Then I'll set it back down and tighten the nuts again. Hopefully that will fix (assuming the assembly order is actually correct).
Yeah, the bearing itself definitely has two distinct side. One side (shell) seems to wrap almost all the way around like a tin can and the other side is as you describe, more like a cover. The two sides also have distinctly different sized openings, obviously so the spacer can slip in. One other thing I noticed is that the bearing itself only seems to fit correctly in the metal cup in the bushing if oriented with the big opening facing out. I can't see how that could be the wrong orientation, but with all the binding...
I may put the car up on jack stands and loosen the top nuts on either side and shake/turn/twist everything so see if it frees it up at all. Then I'll set it back down and tighten the nuts again. Hopefully that will fix (assuming the assembly order is actually correct).
