Spring isolators - stupid question

[Blink]

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Cut 5mm from the diameter of the lower isolator with a pair of sharp tin snips, then pare off any raggy ends with some coarse production paper.

Brian

Brian - when you say cut 5mm off with a pair of tin snips, do you mean nibble bits off? My tin snips will never cut through that stuff in one go and they're razor sharp & brand new (Stanley FatMax).

[Blink]

Originally Posted by Blink

...... I'll try and get a pic to illustrate it.

This is the best I can do. 1st pic is just to show the layout, 2nd pic shows the gap between isolator and arm. I can't get a steel rule in to measure it (spring is in the way) but it's a good 6-7mm - enough to be able to slide the arm of a Bic biro top in with the fat side vertical.





The white marks on the hole btw are the edge of the Dynax S50, which has been plastered all over the inside of the arm.

[Blink]

For comparison, here's the spring & isolator in one of the old arms.

[Blink]

Slightly better angle.

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by Blink

Brian - when you say cut 5mm off with a pair of tin snips, do you mean nibble bits off? My tin snips will never cut through that stuff in one go and they're razor sharp & brand new (Stanley FatMax).

Nope Simon, I cut along a line I scribed onto the rubber using a pair of old dividers, I didn't nibble, and the snips I used were of the aero type.

looking at your picture, why not use a rasp to pare a radius onto the rubber to allow it to sit into the cup?

There are many ways to tackle this job, not every one suitable for the tools you have to hand.

Brian

[Blink]

Thanks Brian. I've sent a PM.

[Comfortably Numb]

Doesn't the spring pressure (once installed) keep the rubber isolators flat? On another thread, Brian recommends loosening the subframe mounting bolts on the opposite side of the car, and undoing them completely on the side you are fitting to increase the distance between the arm's cup and the wheelarch cup. It also allows the arb to drop with the subframe. It worked for me. One last thing, as said, lube both spring seats so the spring can be turned more easily. You can temporarily lock the isolators in their correct positions by putting bolts through the drain holes during assembly.

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by Comfortably Numb

Doesn't the spring pressure (once installed) keep the rubber isolators flat? On another thread, Brian recommends loosening the subframe mounting bolts on the opposite side of the car, and undoing them completely on the side you are fitting to increase the distance between the arm's cup and the wheelarch cup. It also allows the arb to drop with the subframe. It worked for me. One last thing, as said, lube both spring seats so the spring can be turned more easily. You can temporarily lock the isolators in their correct positions by putting bolts through the drain holes during assembly.

No Andrew, the spring cup is in the wrong position, moved 10mm towards the outboard side, so the isolator must be trimmed otherwise it is almost impossible to correctly engage the locking bayonet on te base of the isolator.

I spoke to XPart yesterday, the new suppliers arms are being successfully trialled as we speak, and stock from the new supplier is anticipated to hit our shores in January.

They also had checked and rejected the Chinese arms due to various QA issues.

I'm holding fire on replacing the subframe and arms on my wife's car until there is a definitive line of supply established, and I've seen them with my own eyes.

Brian

[macafee2]

Originally Posted by Blink

Slightly better angle.

looking at this picture rust is starting to take hold and the paint lifting around the drain hole.
I would deal with this now.

macafee2

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by macafee2

looking at this picture rust is starting to take hold and the paint lifting around the drain hole.
I would deal with this now.

macafee2

That is the old arm Ian

Brian