I bought some coilovers that come with rear top mounts but not front top mounts. The seller says I can use my stock top mounts. I've never installed coilovers so I wanted to find out if I need any special tools to remove and reinstall the top mounts. Thanks.

 

You'll need a set of spring compressors. You can rent these from your local kragen,auto-zone, etc. If you don't compress the spring before removing the tophat off your stocks, you're asking for that spring to unload the tophat into your face at a very high speed.

Should look like this:


To use them, you put one on each side of the stock spring and begin tightening down each side a bit at a time. Once the spring (with the tools on it) is free playing on the strut, you can safely remove the top hat. then slowly unbolt each of the tools off the stock spring a bit at a time.

As a side note, you don't need the spring compressors on coilovers. Oh and an impact gun really help tighten down the top strut nut when you reassemble.

 

Now that's the kind of information I desperately needed. Thanks for helping me keep my good looks.

 

Personally, I'd wait and get camber plates and do it all at once right. Also: wrap the claws on the spring compressor with painter's or electrical tape so you don't scratch the springs.

 

^where were you with that tip when i was installing my springs?!?!?!?!?

 

BE CAREFUL with an impact gun. It's possible to seriously mess things up. Don't overdo it. A strap wrench will help you keep the shaft from spinning. Not always necessary, but helpful.

- drew

 

No need to use an impact. Loosen (but don't remove) the top hat bolt first thing before you even jack the car up. After installing the top hat on the new strut, get it as tight as you can with a socket wrench. After installing it and lowering the car back down, torque it (I think it's around 40lbft).

 

I have AST 4100s and the front top hat was easy to put back on once I found the adapters for the shaft.

I cannot find any good info on using the rear mounts.

Do i reuse any or all of the rubber that comes off?

I tried using just the big rubber donut on the underside of the mount and then removing the small one on top and using the "washer" that held it down.

Anyone with help on this would greatly be appreciated.

 

He will do rallyx and rally. The camber plates are just a problem as soon as hou leave tarmac. Unless you get something like the R4 or the wrc cars running, which is a ridiciouls combo of both and looks like a pyramid lol. That would be fine if they wouldnt cost arms and legs.
The best for less then a factory teams are the stock top hats.
Reailable sturdy easy swap cheap.

 

Agreed. I should have come back and said that here after I realized who the OP was. In a dream world, someone will make us an upper plate that adjusts camber but continues to use a rubber shock bushing and - more importantly - continues to have the spring rest against the plate, instead of sending the force through the shock's bearing (or bushing) via a coaxial spring hat. If anyone know where such a plate can be found, please say.

To be clear: I'd like a camber plate that does not use a coaxial spring hat on the shock's shaft.

 

Give GT worx a call. They will know what you need to do.