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[LC0112G]

I'm sure I've seen it wrote down somewhere, but stuffed if I can find it now. The metal top hat that supports the top of the front spring (together with the rubber bush) has got two holes in the top of it - one slightly larger than the other. What's the alignment? Fore/Aft or Port/Starboard? I think they're water drain holes.

[Doctor Gollum]

The orientation of that is governed by the spring, which in turn is located on the pressing of the strut collar

[LC0112G]

The orientation of that is governed by the spring, which in turn is located on the pressing of the strut collar

Huh???



The Top-Hat I'm talking about is bottom right in the above photo and you can see both holes - one small one large. The rubber spring seat (top right) is what seats on the end of the spring, but you can you can swivel that 360 degrees on the  Top-Hat.

What I'm asking is what is the correct alignment for the metal Top Hat part.

[LC0112G]

Found it. It's in the Haynes Carlton Manual, DWM1469, Chapter 10 Page 138 Figure 10.5. The small hole goes inboard (Section 4 Para 16).

[Doctor Gollum]

Sorry, with you now

[Enceladus]

As I recall it's the same principle as a Senator B and a Carlton/Omega A. In which case the alignment 'hole' has to be opposite the lower strut mount bolts. So port/starboard as you expressed it.

That said I'm not certain from your photo which is the alignment hole and which the drainage hole. I vaguely recall that the factory fit has a yellow paint mark by the hole, but I won't swear to it. If the bigger hole is in a lower part of the pressing with respect to the mounted orientation, then the alignment hole is probably the smaller one.

Are they new top mount plates? Might the originals have a paint splodge?  And maybe post up a picture of the plate viewed a bit more overhead..

[Muroman]

I'm just changing the top strut mounts and I didn't follow what are you aligning with the hole??

[LC0112G]

I'm just changing the top strut mounts and I didn't follow what are you aligning with the hole??

I've just been experimenting. The pictures in Haynes aren't very clear, and the image in the Carlton manual appears to contradict the text. Anyhow...

I *think* the large hole goes outboard, so directly above the two shock to steering knuckle bolts. The small hole is therefore directly above the anti-roll bar fixing point.

There may have been marks on the top hats originally, but I've just had mine powder coated so any marks have been lost.

[STEMO]

It’s all a bit anal, isn’t it? Could it really make that much difference?

[LC0112G]

It’s all a bit anal, isn’t it? Could it really make that much difference?

Afraid it does. To test it I assembled one with the big hole out, and another with the big hole in. The big hole in one caused the top rubber to bulge under the loading from the spring - it just doesn't sit right. There is about a 10mm difference between the heights each side of the top hat, so if you got it 180 degrees out then there would an effective 20mm difference in the plane of the seating area.  I also suspect it'll foul the inner wing / turret top - but won't know that for sure till tomorrow when I attempt to bolt things to the car.

Off home now - need to make my tin foil and cardboard FA cup replica for tonights game 

[STEMO]

It’s all a bit anal, isn’t it? Could it really make that much difference?

Afraid it does. To test it I assembled one with the big hole out, and another with the big hole in. The big hole in one caused the top rubber to bulge under the loading from the spring - it just doesn't sit right. There is about a 10mm difference between the heights each side of the top hat, so if you got it 180 degrees out then there would an effective 20mm difference in the plane of the seating area.  I also suspect it'll foul the inner wing / turret top - but won't know that for sure till tomorrow when I attempt to bolt things to the car.

Off home now - need to make my tin foil and cardboard FA cup replica for tonights game 

You did right to check on the fitting then. 


Good luck for tonight, stranger things have happened.

[Doctor Gollum]

Alignment marks are green and white, but do not apparently line up with the holes...

The larger hole is indeed the drain hole, but surely it would make more sense for this to be inboard as that's the low side of the strut

It also stands to reason that the horizontal surface of both spring cups should be parallel

Struggling to realign mine as suggested, as you need to compress the spring and release the top nut in order to align everything.

[Doctor Gollum]

I'm just changing the top strut mounts and I didn't follow what are you aligning with the hole??

I've just been experimenting. The pictures in Haynes aren't very clear, and the image in the Carlton manual appears to contradict the text. Anyhow...

I *think* the large hole goes outboard, so directly above the two shock to steering knuckle bolts. The small hole is therefore directly above the anti-roll bar fixing point.

There may have been marks on the top hats originally, but I've just had mine powder coated so any marks have been lost.

Drain hole inboard, alignment hole outboard.

As per the orientation of the original parts fitted to my car

[Enceladus]

I'm just changing the top strut mounts and I didn't follow what are you aligning with the hole??

The discussion is about the coil spring upper seat, item 2 in this drawing.
It fits into the rubber damper ring numbered 4 and together they sit on the top of the spring. However the upper seat's proper orientation is not immediately apparent.

Omega A/Carlton and Senator B use the same system. The Haynes manual for the Carlton says "The small hole in the upper seat must be positioned on the opposite side of the steering knuckle (Fig 10.5)." That would be inboard when the strut is mounted on the car.

That would seem to be at variance with Doctor Gollum's findings posted above which has the larger drain hole inboard and the smaller hole outboard. Or have I misunderstood? Haynes Fig 10.5 is also ambiguous.

In your case I would make a paint mark on the upper seat relative to some known point before you compress the spring or disassemble the strut. You might find that there are already factory white and/or green paint marks. And it might well be that the Haynes manual has got the holes mixed up or maybe the holes are a red herring. Might be the factory paint marks that should be used for alignment.

Yours is LHD so if I was re-using the springs I'd put them back on the side they were originally fitted to. If you remove the struts, you'll need to get your suspension geometry checked and adjusted somewhere with the right equipment and that might be expensive. Hence it might be an opportunity to renew the springs.

[Doctor Gollum]

That would seem to be at variance with Doctor Gollum's findings posted above which has the larger drain hole inboard and the smaller hole outboard. Or have I misunderstood? Haynes Fig 10.5 is also ambiguous.

No misunderstanding