Coilover Tophat Problem - HSD

[CAT_SPEW]

This is a bit of a stupid question but I need to know so I can get the car back together

I'm in the process of making up some 86 coilovers with a hsd sleeve kit and I'm having problems getting the tophat/cambertop to fit.

Can anyone tell me if the tophat is supposed to be drilled out so it's able to slide freely along the shock insert? Or it it supposed to sit on the "step" just after the thread.

The reason I ask is because right now with the hole being drilled out to about 15mm I don't have enough thread poking out the top to get a nut on over the cambertops (T3).
And there is not enough room to get a shank nut down there either..

[YLD-16L]

On the T3 gear when you run their upper hat system the ID of the hole in the upper hat is the size of a standard shock shaft so it can pass over it. If you want to replicate that then you'll need to do the same.

Keep in mind though that the way they design it it incorporates a thrust bearing so the upper hat can rotate against the base of the gold part that houses the spherical bearing on the camber top.


I made a set the other week though and the whole thing runs off the spherical bearing.

You have very little room to play with though due to the spherical bearing being so recessed in the T3 unit. I stepped the spring hat on the lathe so it sat over the shaft about 4mm, then ran a steel spacer above the hat that mates with the spherical bearing and a sleeve inside the spherical bearing.

This gave me ample room for suspension angle change without any fouling and works well.

[af300e]

I did two HSD sets the other day, one on a car with standard strut tops, the other with t3 camber plates. I throw them in the lathe and take the hole right out to around 35mm, then machine a conical shaped spacer with flat top and bottom. The spacer has a step on the bottom side with OD at 45mm which sits either on the top of the hat or the top of a thrust bearing which sits on the spring hat. I used a generic thrust bearing as there was not one supplied with the kit.

The smaller diameter of the step is just under 35mm and locates in the spring hat. The ID is around 25mm-27mm to allow for camber/angle of the damper shaft through suspension travel. This clearance isn't required in the case of the standard bearings as the whole lot minus the hat is tensioned against the damper shaft and the bearing (see below).

The top of the spacer sits against the flat of the t3 camber plate (as YLD describes) or against the inner shell of standard bearing. In the case of the standard bearing, I stepped the inside of the spacer top with the minor diameter at 15mm for 4mm. This allows the spacer to tension against the top of the damper shaft step and the bearing race when the nut is tightened.

I don't imagine you can properly fit these without access to machining gear.

I should have taken pics

[CAT_SPEW]

Hmm probably a bit more involved than I was hoping.. Right now I'm considering just using the standard ae86 strut tops for now, sell the T3 items and get some Tein/cusco cambertops, then I shouldn't have to worry about this problem right?

I just need the car ready ASAP for a drift practise I've already payed for lol.

[Chrisso]

I should have taken pics

Damn it! I was just about to ask for pics!


Thought I'd tie a couple of these threads together.

http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...ht=camber+tops

http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...ht=camber+tops

[SilverRA23]

Hmm probably a bit more involved than I was hoping.. Right now I'm considering just using the standard ae86 strut tops for now, sell the T3 items and get some Tein/cusco cambertops, then I shouldn't have to worry about this problem right?

I just need the car ready ASAP for a drift practise I've already payed for lol.

When is your drift day? A couple of the forum sponsors on ae86drivignclub.com.au stock the cusco (AJPS) and tein (someone else). I used Cusco on my race car and while I haven't driven on them yet, their quality appears to be very good.

[CAT_SPEW]

Drift day is on Tuesday next week, if I'm going to get some cambertops I'll need to get them locally otherwise I don't think I'll have them in time.
I've found a couple pairs in Brissy so I should be right

[WDE_BDY]

If you've already got the T3 tops, wouldn't it be better to get the T3 upper hats? Assuming of course you have the right diameter springs. I think they are $50US and if I had posted this yesterday you probably could have ordered them and had them arrive Monday or Tuesday.

Callum

[jeffro ra28]

Hmm probably a bit more involved than I was hoping.. Right now I'm considering just using the standard ae86 strut tops for now, sell the T3 items and get some Tein/cusco cambertops, then I shouldn't have to worry about this problem right?

I just need the car ready ASAP for a drift practise I've already payed for lol.

Not necessarily, i had to machine some spacers up for cusco camber tops just recently.