The iinside face of the topmount, where there damper slides through. Put an internal mic on the top and bottom of that metal tube, I reckon there is a dia change and radius.... At least it looked like it!

Ah right. I got a consistent 13.95 or so mm on the mic, so no varying radius.

Fog lights turned up today, so when I get a free day I'll get the on and wired up. I'll plug them in to the normal fog switch. I bought them off a chap on RR, brand new and a cool price, so figured what the heck. Part of me wants to fit them behind the CVT vents, but that'll mean cutting them out and faffing around. Here's a p-shop of where they are going to go.



Awhile ago I also decided on where I'm going to put the oil cooler. I'm going to lower the number plate down, leaving a flat area on the bumper where I'll cut/drill through it, and mount the cooler on a bracket behind that. I cut out part of the bumper support bar, leaving the bolt mounting points at either end, and CVT vent covers.



Here you can see the lower number plate, and where the holes will go. I can always move the number plate back up if I want to, so it's not irreversible.

So I trial fitted the top mounts, fitted fine. However I'll need a eccentric bearing of some sort to compensate for the geometry change when driving. I found the force originally absorbed by the rubber was then placed on the strut top when turning (trying to bend to strut tower), obviously not good. For now, the top mounts will be put on hold. A re-design is needed!

Got the front fogs on and wired up. Switch not properly mounted to the dash, but wanted to check they were working and whether my wiring worked, its did! So just need to mount the switch, and that's it.

Still no drive-ability, lack of money is hindering repairs atm. However, all should be sorted by the end of the week!

Some pics of the fogs working . . . I realise it's very "scene" to put tape on the lights, but I had it in my hands, and wondered what it would look like!





I also drilled holes in the bumper for the oil cooler ventilation. That still needs to be mounted and plumbed in, again, a job for the coming week.

looking nicer and nicer! yellow fogs FTW

Most top mounts have a Spherical bearing in them, usually held in with a circlip. To allow for the camber/castor changes during acceleration/braking and cornering You made the top mount easily enough, fitting a bearing should be childs play for ya Thomas........

Cheers Matt!

Tom, that's waht i was on about, thanks for that! Had a lapse of engineering brain, couldn't remember the name for it. Re-design shouldn't take too long.

jon-ovlov wrote:Cheers Matt!

Tom, that's waht i was on about, thanks for that! Had a lapse of engineering brain, couldn't remember the name for it. Re-design shouldn't take too long.

Surely you could have ur old ones modified in an hour or two?

ha ha! Yeah, I wish. I'm working most of the week, and the lathe is in uni. That and I don't have the cash atm to buy the bearings. Guh. But the re-design in solidworks shouldn't take me too long.

Just the way the top mounts work. I only need the spherical bearing to take the change in angle, not the steering, so I'd keep the standard roller bearing for that. What I'd do is bore out the underside, leaving 8mm or so of top where the spherical bearing would sit, then use a sleeve of some sort to space the steering bearing from the top spherical one. That's my first thought anyway.

I'll draw up a CAD tomorrow and discuss

Also, I'm going coilovers sooner or later, so the design might change for that.

jon-ovlov wrote:ha ha! Yeah, I wish. I'm working most of the week, and the lathe is in uni. That and I don't have the cash atm to buy the bearings. Guh. But the re-design in solidworks shouldn't take me too long.

Just the way the top mounts work. I only need the spherical bearing to take the change in angle, not the steering, so I'd keep the standard roller bearing for that. What I'd do is bore out the underside, leaving 8mm or so of top where the spherical bearing would sit, then use a sleeve of some sort to space the steering bearing from the top spherical one. That's my first thought anyway.

I'll draw up a CAD tomorrow and discuss

Also, I'm going coilovers sooner or later, so the design might change for that.

Sounds good to me, although if its sleeved and you were to hit a bump and the suspension drop, might he bearing fall out of place? A circlip underneath would hold it in place?

The coilovers i've got for my 340 were from a company called F1 Moto, custom dampers shortened by 2inches, with top adjust and 400lbs springs with top camber mounts. The top cup that sits on top of the spring, is machined to take that roller bearing in the standard top cups on the suspension, and then there's a spacer between the bearing and the bearing in the top mount. So pretty much the same principal, food for thought? Thomas.........

I was thinking the bearing would be pressed in place, so it wouldn't fall out, it'd be "stuck" in there. Also with the weight of the car, unless I caught proper air (never gonna happen ) it would prevent the bearing from falling out.

Was it Nev who made them? He's a genius, got some real ingenuity he has! I was thinking about S13 top mounts, seen them used before. Probably would go that route if I had the money to buy some adjustable top mounts. From the way you describe, the principle used is the same, so at least I'm on the write track! I went the way of the solids because of the spacing issues, as the damper needs to be shortened, and thought it might work without shortening it. Alas no. To be fair, I might go the way of adjustable top mounts anyway, for the camber adjustability, but then keep on with my own top mounts as a side project, see if it works. Gives me something else to do!

Love the fog's mate, actually just fitted the same set to my 360, well pleased with the results. I should really put a thread up on here saying that.
Keep it up fella

Just saw your thread on RR. Shaweet!

Just fitted the air filter. Uses a 90 degree 80mm - 70mm reducer hose, and fits neatly beneath the bonnet vent. It's nice to have an actual filter on the now, I was always a little unsure of the tights, but they did the job well!

whats she lowered here. 3 front / 2 rear? cause youve changed the back now havnt you?

jon-ovlov wrote:

HE is lowered -3" front. 2" rear yeah. Raised to standard at the back atm, as the old leaf springs were sagging. I'm going -1" when the coil-overs are done.