DIY: Hopeless project.

[Bean]

(07-15-2014 04:34 PM)Rascal21 Wrote:  Aaah alright, finally got the stuff out.
Definitely overtightened top nut, the process of getting it out involved a MIG and breaker arm and counter weight and sledge hammer.

The cartridges are both dead too, the one I took out is completely seized, the one that broke can be pushed in by my unborn son, and doesnt even extend all the way back out..

650mm extended length, getting some "not so long ago" released inverted 40mm GAZ replacements.

Thank you so much for assistance Bean Bandit, I learned something useful

You're welcome. Took me 1 year of research until I settled with the setup I have now (came to my attention just recently). So far I'm very pleased but proper tests are still to come.

[Rascal21]

I hear good things about bilsteins, and how the internals are of higher quality than that of those BC Megan thingies etc.

I`m having problems finding Bilsteins with matching top bolts though! The ones online have different top bolts with different thickness beneath the threads while mine has the same bolt OD on both threaded portion and unthreaded portion..

Cant exactly swap them over either as I have only one intact (The other broke), bah.. Never an easy replacement of parts on this car, its all worked on, fiddled with, done something with..

[Bean]

have you checked if there is a partnumber on any of them somewhere?

[Rascal21]

Only 5 numbers are visible, 37697, theres wear and tear and rust over the rest of the numbers on both cartridges which looks to be 3 numbers - 3 numbers (just below the top mount bolt portion), no online searches for the visible numbers bear fruits, Esa Peltonen sells the inserts with apparently the correct top mount bolts but he wants nearly 300E for an insert that apart from top bolt is the same as the ones that goes for 150E...

I dont mind spending money but 2x the price??

Hopeless project.. Always some special unattainable ae86-tax priced part required.. Someone said this looked easy peasy

[Bean]

the important piece is the diameter of the 'shaft' just below the thread, if this is the right diameter for your topmounts the threaded part doesn't really matter (just get a matching nut).

[Rascal21]

(07-15-2014 10:51 PM)Bean Bandit Wrote:  the important piece is the diameter of the 'shaft' just below the thread, if this is the right diameter for your topmounts the threaded part doesn't really matter (just get a matching nut).

But nobody lists shaft diameter or anything, just, and I`m not ranting, crappily designed websites from 1995 with pictures of their wrecks and stories of how they started out on the front index, and no specs on the parts they only say "contact us" and never answers mails (Been at it for days now), had one guy answer me after like a week once about bilsteins and he was rambling about getting caps LOL I have that stuff already

Hate Bilstein so much now, discontinued parts, minimal info available, no dimension specs other than "40mm", unresponsive dealers (at best), but going away from it is gna be more expensive and most "bang for buck" coilover kits have worse internal parts than a measly 100E bilstein cartridge..

Threaded part matters too as its a tight fit up through the uniball bushing in the top mount and has to be long enough to fit through the top mount, a bushing can be made but deffo cant have it rattling around up there

Sure I could get the ones with non-matching top shafts but slapping that cartridge in a bench and milling away at what is essentially a uncentered and vibrating gas cartridge rotating at 650rpm in a shoddy 1940`s/50`s Czech bench and no cooling in hopes of getting the shaft matching the top mounts is 99% death wish

[Bean]

(07-15-2014 10:53 PM)Rascal21 Wrote:  

(07-15-2014 10:51 PM)Bean Bandit Wrote:  the important piece is the diameter of the 'shaft' just below the thread, if this is the right diameter for your topmounts the threaded part doesn't really matter (just get a matching nut).

But nobody lists shaft diameter or anything, just, and I`m not ranting, crappily designed websites from 1995 with pictures of their wrecks and stories of how they started out on the front index, and no specs on the parts they only say "contact us" and never answers mails (Been at it for days now), had one guy answer me after like a week once about bilsteins and he was rambling about getting caps LOL I have that stuff already

Hate Bilstein so much now, discontinued parts, minimal info available, no dimension specs other than "40mm", unresponsive dealers (at best), but going away from it is gna be more expensive and most "bang for buck" coilover kits have worse internal parts than a measly 100E bilstein cartridge..

Threaded part matters too as its a tight fit up through the uniball bushing in the top mount and has to be long enough to fit through the top mount, a bushing can be made but deffo cant have it rattling around up there

Sure I could get the ones with non-matching top shafts but slapping that cartridge in a bench and milling away at what is essentially a uncentered and vibrating gas cartridge rotating at 650rpm in a shoddy 1940`s/50`s Czech bench and no cooling in hopes of getting the shaft matching the top mounts is 99% death wish

You misunderstood me... I meant the part that goes through the uniball needs to be the right size. This section should not be threaded. Sent GRP4 an email - I'm sure they can send you the info. They use those cartridges on their own coilovers.

[Rascal21]

Yeah I sent GRP4 an email a while ago, no answer and the pictures they have of their cartridges look all wrong, same with classicandrally and motorsport-tools and so forth..

[Rascal21]

Grp4 just got back to me via reply on a FB message I left them last night, they think I might have Capri inserts, but I looked at Capri OEM 2,8i and Capri 4-banger/escort, none of them matches.

I am flabbergasted why my car always is in need of replacement part that does not match anything available..

[Bean]

(07-16-2014 10:13 PM)Rascal21 Wrote:  Grp4 just got back to me via reply on a FB message I left them last night, they think I might have Capri inserts, but I looked at Capri OEM 2,8i and Capri 4-banger/escort, none of them matches.

I am flabbergasted why my car always is in need of replacement part that does not match anything available..

I assume the reason is due to whom ever built it used whatever was around. Happens more often than you think. I've seen many super strange DIY jobs, some are creative other just plain lazy and or cheap.