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[24_Valve]

I have just had new front wishbones fitted by a good local mechanic. I know that I should now have camber, caster & toe adjusted as necessary but will have to wait until I can afford it. The problem is, that when I lifted the bonnet after the job was complete, I noticed that the nut & plate at the top of the damper rods/suspension struts are now raised about 1cm from the chassis mount  :-? Before I had the wishbones replaced the plate was sitting flush against the chassis. I'm sure the plate & nut shouldn't sit proud of this mounting? I honestly don't know if this is normal or if I can make any necessary adjustment without taking the car to a garage. pictures below... I've had nothing but trouble since deciding to renew the wishbones 

[feeutfo]

Might have removed the shock to change the wishbone I suppose, but it's not necessary normally, just pull the shock out the way.

Did you have new springs fitted? Guessing not.

Could remove the top plastic cap, nut, and disc/plate thing, and see if the nut underneath has been undone. Do this with the car on the floor though, won't you. 

[24_Valve]

thanks chrisgixer, to my knowledge the mech did only pull the struts to one side. also as you rightly stated, same old springs.. thats why I'm confused  don't think lower nut has been removed but will follow your advice. should upper or lower nut be adjusted to correct the problem?

[feeutfo]

It's the bottom nut may need tightening, or the top mont on the shock is disintegrating, but that's not a common problem afaik.

Does it knock over big bumps?

It's only really a problem if the car becomes air born, all it does is stop the shock falling out, but they do normally sit lower than that.

[24_Valve]

no knocks over big bumps & the plates are only sitting high since the work? If i raise the front of the car to take the tension off the springs then wind up the bottom nut until top plate is firm against chassis would that make the struts/dampers more secure over bumps or going airborne  I don't know anything about struts or dampers so I'm only going by intuition?

[feeutfo]

no knocks over big bumps & the plates are only sitting high since the work? If i raise the front of the car to take the tension off the springs then wind up the bottom nut until top plate is firm against chassis would that make the struts/dampers more secure over bumps or going airborne  I don't know anything about struts or dampers so I'm only going by intuition?

No, do it with car on the floor, do not Jack, the top mount will stay compressed allowing the nut to be tightened down, but use a sensible amount of force, no need to bust a vessel.

[24_Valve]

thank chrisgixer, will do... I understand what you mean now, I was only talking about raising the car because I thought there may be a nut beneath the chassis mount that needed to move up... excuse my confusion, I'm very Irish & very tired 

[24_Valve]

ok i'm definately missing a trick.. according to the book of lies: once you remove plastic cap, large brass nut & plate thingy, there isn't any nut below this other than the damper rod nut beneath the engine bay that tensions the spring? I'd need to remove strut to tighten it, which would surely push damper rod even higher into engine bay. or loosen so that threaded portion of damper rod prodrudes less, in theory pulling the top plate back down to sit flush? I could simply tighten upper brass nut down from inside the engine bay so the plate sits flush but would still be left with same height of damper rod protruding (impossible to refit plastic cap) and still pushing against bonnet lining? please advise... just cant see how a wishbone change can cause this big gap between plates and chassis mount? thanks for all the advise tho 

[Darth Loo-knee]

The nut Gixer is saying to tighten is this very same one mate.
You have a platic cap (unless uprated shocks) over a nut. Once they are removed there is a round plate, (this plate is to stop the suspenion dropping out of the hole if jacked up or jumping a humpback bridge ) you will then see another nut when the plate is removed which holds the spring onto the shocker.
I think what Gixer is saying is make sure this nut is tight.

Hope that helps   

[Matchless]

Take it back to the mechanic and get him to make good his poor work.

If you do the work yourself be carefull, the cars weight must be on the wheels or you risk injury if the spring makes a bid for freedom.
Remove the plastic cap and you will see a nut fastening the top plate, remove this nut....there is a hex or torx recess in the end of the damper rod to stop it rotating as you undo the nut.
With the plate off you should see another nut underneath which should be tightened fully, do not remove this nut unless you fit spring compressors first. Tighten the nut fully, the nut clamps the top support bearing against a shoulder on the damper rod, use the hex/torx in the end of the damper rod again to stop it rotating.
Im guessing the mechanic loosened the top nut to make it easier to move the strut around when trying to separate the bottom ball joint (or even removed the whole strut and wishbone as one assembly).....but I dont understand why he would have touched the lower nut.

The top plate is trapped between the two nuts so if the bottom one is loose (too far up the threads of the damper rod) the top plate will appear to be too high, just like your picture.

[24_Valve]

The top plate is trapped between the two nuts so if the bottom one is loose (too far up the threads of the damper rod) the top plate will appear to be too high, just like your picture.

I really appreciate all the advise but surely if bottom nut is loose (too far up the threads) this would pull the plate down? Where as tightening the bottom nut would cause the top plate to sit high? maybe I'm wrong, just can't see how a greater distance between the two nuts would rectify the problem.  Was thinking that closing the gap would pull plate down? BTW took the mig back to the mechanic who say's there needs to be a gap between plate and mount  :-/ I don't think there should be a gap  :question

[Darth Loo-knee]

 

The top plate is trapped between the two nuts so if the bottom one is loose (too far up the threads of the damper rod) the top plate will appear to be too high, just like your picture.

I really appreciate all the advise but surely if bottom nut is loose (too far up the threads) this would pull the plate down? Where as tightening the bottom nut would cause the top plate to sit high? maybe I'm wrong, just can't see how a greater distance between the two nuts would rectify the problem.  Was thinking that closing the gap would pull plate down? BTW took the mig back to the mechanic who say's there needs to be a gap between plate and mount  :-/ I don't think there should be a gap  :question

Matchless is exactly right mate what he has said
If you imagine the shock has a thread on the top. The spring goes onto the shock. Then compressed down by tightening a nut. The plate you see under the bonnet sits on this nut. So if you loosen/slacken it the nut raises up the thread inturn will lift the plate. So what has been said is make sure the nut under the plate is tight. 

[24_Valve]

really sorry, my mistake.. just didn't realise the lower nut was immediatly beneath the plate, thought maybe it was much further down the thread beneath chassis mount hence why I couldn't understand that driving it down further would help. sorry for being a dimlo tried to look earlier but didn't have a 24mm spanner. Will get on to it tomorrow