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[johnnydog]

I currently have the front suspension stripped on my 2002 3.2 Elite saloon ready for replacement with new GM struts, wishbones, drop links etc. The struts are ident LM / RP which are GM 919949 /50, with springs with two brown blobs on them (I assume are 90541754).
The bottom rubber insulator is quite perished / cracked, and I have checked t'interweb, but no one seems to supply them. I have new bump stops, top mounts / bearings etc ready to fit.
Does anyone know a source of the bottom insulator rubber?
Secondly, I have a good set of complete GM front struts that I took off a late TVP 3.2 estate with self levelling rear suspension several years ago. They were obvious recent GM replacements along with GM wishbones, drop links etc.  They have the ident LP / RP  which are GM 9192291 /2, which are NLS, so the EPC lists replacement part no. 919949 /50 as suitable.
However the  Police springs are different - they have 5 1/2 full coils with orange / green paint blobs, where as the ones off my car have 6 coils and two brown blobs. The Police are marginally thicker but so negligible my manual vernier caliper doesn't indicate how much but I would say 0.2mm??
The question is - does anyone have any info on the colour coding on the Police front springs, and if I fit the complete Police struts, how would it affect the front end? There are obvious differences according to the minefield in the EPC, but what? I can only presume they are firmer, but without any info, who knows?
Thanks anyway.

[johnnydog]

Fat finger typo - the struts that came off my 3.2 are LM and RM (LH / RH), not LM / RP as I typed.
The Police ones I correctly stated are LP / RP (LH / RH)

[Doctor Gollum]

Febi used to do a strut assembly kit with the insulator and bump stop.

https://share.google/UT0EhzMcvoYNvt8sX

This might not be the Omega one but it should lead to the correct parts with some digging...

[johnnydog]

Thanks for that info - I have searched many of the spring / shock manufacturers with no success. Plenty of bump stop and gaitors in kits, but no insulators.
I have now cleaned up the Police units I took off the TVP Omega estate - the colour coding on the front springs is actually purple and green, not orange and green (they were covered in a dried mixture of oil and dirt and the car had been fitted with massive extended mudflaps as it was used in its last duty on a skid pan presumably until it had a minor impact on its front left corner).
I'll keep searching...

[Doctor Gollum]

You mean the spring seats?

In which case...

https://superpro-suspension.com/au/search/product/steering-suspension/suspension/bushings/coil-spring-spacer-insulator-seat/coil-spring-spacer-insulator-seat-for-holden-monaro-v2

Monaro front struts are basically the same but attach to the hub differently. The Holden VW/X/Y/Z shares very little with the Omega, but some suspension components are interchangeable and it's a much better supported platform than the Omega B.

[johnnydog]

Thanks for the pointer; however the profile is not the same. These assume the spring seat in the lower cup on the strut is a flat profile where as the Omega strut has the inbuilt step to correctly locate the end of the spring coil. The Omega insulator / damper ring/ rubber seat (various names for the lower rubber that the spring sits on) is a relatively thin moulded rubber to accommodate the step, whereas the Monaro type is a flat base and I don't think they would be pliable enough to follow the profile in the cup which is quite a step.
But every avenue will be looked into, thanks..... 

[cam.in.head]

the monaro ones on ebay look ok ?

[Doctor Gollum]

Thanks for the pointer; however the profile is not the same. These assume the spring seat in the lower cup on the strut is a flat profile where as the Omega strut has the inbuilt step to correctly locate the end of the spring coil. The Omega insulator / damper ring/ rubber seat (various names for the lower rubber that the spring sits on) is a relatively thin moulded rubber to accommodate the step, whereas the Monaro type is a flat base and I don't think they would be pliable enough to follow the profile in the cup which is quite a step.
But every avenue will be looked into, thanks..... 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133573911306

Complete set of OEM rather than aftermarket upgrades... Heated in a low oven/boiling water would probably facilitate assembly.

I always reused the original ones without issue regardless of the springs being used.

I should add that Monaro front struts also have a cupped lower spring seat and the springs are fundamentally interchangeable with the Omega.

[cam.in.head]

some holden commodore and vxr8 that look similar too ??

[Doctor Gollum]

An alternative, if originality is critical, would be to buy a pair of second hand complete struts and strip them down...

[johnnydog]

An alternative, if originality is critical, would be to buy a pair of second hand complete struts and strip them down...

I have just stripped a couple of struts off a scrapper - one lower seat rubber insulator was knackered and split in numerous places; fortunately the other one was more or less intact and is salvageable. The upper seems to survive a lot better.
It's not originality I'm after - just the correct ride height. The originals are only about 1mm thick.

[johnnydog]

Thanks for the pointer; however the profile is not the same. These assume the spring seat in the lower cup on the strut is a flat profile where as the Omega strut has the inbuilt step to correctly locate the end of the spring coil. The Omega insulator / damper ring/ rubber seat (various names for the lower rubber that the spring sits on) is a relatively thin moulded rubber to accommodate the step, whereas the Monaro type is a flat base and I don't think they would be pliable enough to follow the profile in the cup which is quite a step.
But every avenue will be looked into, thanks..... 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133573911306

Complete set of OEM rather than aftermarket upgrades... Heated in a low oven/boiling water would probably facilitate assembly.

I always reused the original ones without issue regardless of the springs being used.

I should add that Monaro front struts also have a cupped lower spring seat and the springs are fundamentally interchangeable with the Omega.

On the Omega strut, the step is built into the lower cup, and the thin flat insulator / seat sits on top following the profile without the step being fully moulded into the insulator as with the Monara ones shown above. It's difficult to see as there only a couple of pictures (and no dimensions), but if the body of the insulator is hollow to follow the step, then they may be ok if the dimensions are correct - if it is solid then they will be far too thick. A message to them may give more info.

[johnnydog]

Any thoughts on the spec of the Police struts I described in posts 1,2 & 4 and their suitability for my 3.2 Elite saloon?
I know I could fit them as an alternative option as complete units and try them, but others views would he appreciated first!
Ta

[Doctor Gollum]

They're perfectly fine and will last longer than the lighter duty ones. Especially if you fit the plod springs too...

Elite springs are too soft for their own good.