front strut install - use the big spacer "doughnut" or not!

[jwasbury]

Continuing my suspension project tonight installing new front inserts. I found that the spacers were still in there. I think I've read that these are often removed when lowering the car. My car seems to have been lowered, and I am shooting for a similar ride height when the project is finished.

However, I am ugrading to 22mm front torsion bars, from what appear to be the factory 19mm ones. My front adjusters were backed out pretty far, so this all leads me to think that no spacers is the way to go if I want a similar ride height with the bigger torsion bars.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Miguel Antonett]

What type struts do you have, what car year?

[jwasbury]

Bilsteins - 1979 930 but you knew that already

[equality72521]

My '79 doesn't have them...

[Miguel Antonett]

I thought it was for a different car...

I just did my inserts - I have adj Konis with Bilstein struts - all I have is the bump stops (2"), which had to cut a rib when lowered the car.

No spacers. Where are they located?

[911st]

If you are talking about the big spacers that sit on top of the shock hats, they were for US cars that where set higher to meet our lighting laws or maybe our bumper laws.

They will restrict your suspension travel on a lowered car and should be removed.

[full quack]

Remove anything that will allow the car to sit lower......but then I'm baised and not altogether mentally well........
Mark

[jwasbury]

[QUOTE=Miguel Antonett;5516349]I thought it was for a different car...[QUOTE]

Only one P-car for me...given all the time I'm spending with this german mistress, my wife would probably lose it if I bought another.

Yes...these were the big spacers between the top of the strut and the rubber mounts in the strut towers. I was surprised to see them in there since the car was definitely lower than US spec.

Like I said, I'm shooting to have it at a similar ride height as before when all is said and done. I left these spacers out during re-assembly.

[fredmeister]

You should remove them as they will increase the chances your struts will bottom out once you lower the car after the new bars are in. When you lower the car you move the range of strut travel towards its upper limit (reduce overall travel range) and removing that donut gives you that much back.
Also, You are going to have to reset your ride height after the new bars anyway and at that time you should center the adjusters in their range of travel so that when its corner balanced the mechanic has lots of range to adjust them without having to remove and reindex them.
Fred

[mooney265]

I spoke with Chuck at ER about this very thing a couple days ago -- he said to remove them because of the lowered ride height...

[Miguel Antonett]

I place the bump stops inside the shock hat not the outside. The outside of the shock hat must be in full contact with the strut tower plate (rubber washer if OEM). If you have them on top of the hat, definitely remove them.