WTB: OEM Rear Strut Top Hats (MY 04+ Impreza)

[cody]

Anybody have OEM rear strut top hats from any '04+ Impreza-chassis car.... (2004-2007 WRX wagon or sedan, STI, RS, FXT, even Saabaru)?

Crucial offered to sponsor me with a set of their springs but I'd need the above to make them fit.

[Joeyy]

My new primary sponsor is...

[cody]

Shake 'N Bake Baby!

[sperry]

I've got a set of OEM '05 STi rear top mounts... what's a fair price for 'em? $40?

[cody]

Cool. IIRC they're like $50 or $60 from the dealer...I'll look online when I get home.

[sperry]

Cool. IIRC they're like $50 or $60 from the dealer...I'll look online when I get home.
SubaruParts.com lists WRX rear strut tops at $52 each. Sounds like $40 for the pair of like-new '05 STI tops is a raging deal. Hell, I should bump the price to at least $50, since that's still less than half the cost of WRX ones! :P

[cody]

Me and my big mouth....

Ok, let me figure out if I want to "do this thang" or not. I'll let you know ASAP.

[M3n2c3]

You know you won't be able to keep your struts with those, right? :(

[cody]

I will have to do the "washer mod".

[M3n2c3]

I will have to do the "washer mod".

:|

That's not totally safe. . .

[cody]

It's not?

[M3n2c3]

It's not?

The washer mod has been known to fail, since it's still not totally secure. People have the hole in the topmount bored out wider by vibrations and odd stuff like that.

Quote from NASIOC:
Yup, nothing worse than an ovalized rear hat hole! Its what eventually happened with our original experience. The strut spigot still moved a bit and eventually ovalized the hole even more. No amount of spacers was going to make up the difference.

They're not making 02/03 springs? :?:

I looked at doing this when I was getting rid of my coilovers (in fact, I think you pointed me to the washer mod thread on NASIOC orginally), and decided based on all the feedback that it wasn't worth the potential trouble.

[cody]

No, unfortunately they only make MY 04+ fitment.

Thanks for posting that. I think I'm gonna roll the dice though.

[Kevin M]

TiC sells a machined, properly sized "washer" for this.

[Dean]

TiC sells a machined, properly sized "washer" for this.I think this is what Kevin is referring to: http://turninconcepts10.chainreactionweb.com/product_info.php?products_id=234&osCsid=ea009fb1610788186b6bbb5b24e64731

[Kevin M]

Yep.

[cody]

Those are pricey especially if I factor in shipping from Ohio to get it here by Friday.

Where would you suggest I go to buy some high quality washers?

[Kevin M]

Maybe Crucial can send you some ceramic coated ones with the springs.

[cody]

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j43/freakyfn3/VW-OhSnap.gif

Thank you so much for your help. :roll:

[sperry]

Those are pricey especially if I factor in shipping from Ohio to get it here by Friday.

Where would you suggest I go to buy some high quality washers?
That must suck... you know spending $25 to get free springs. :P

R&E fasteners can probably find something for if you know the specs (I.D., O.D., thickness, grade). But I wouldn't run on standard Lowes washers for very long, 'cause apparently you'll wear out the top mount eventually.

[Kevin M]

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j43/freakyfn3/VW-OhSnap.gif

Thank you so much for your help. :roll:

If it's not worth doing the mod the "right" way, such as it is, then I guess I wasn't very helpful. But if you're gonna do things half-assed, go right ahead. But don't bitch because you are being too cheap to spend less than $50 to get free springs.

[JonnydaJibba]

Go big or go home like the I-buy-$140-centercaps-guy. :lol: You're getting free springs, take a hit.

[cody]

That must suck... you know spending $25 to get free springs. :P

R&E fasteners can probably find something for if you know the specs (I.D., O.D., thickness, grade). But I wouldn't run on standard Lowes washers for very long, 'cause apparently you'll wear out the top mount eventually.

Thanks Scott. It sounds like people have had good luck following this guy's advice on Nasioc.

Okay... so I took apart and reassembled my suspension today (again... what a pain in the a**). The washers are 9/16" inside diameter and 1-1/8" outside diameter.

When I removed them from the rear struts, I was able to match them up with an unopened package on my workbench. The package says:

Hillman 9/16" SAE Flat Washers Hardened
UPC code (barcode) is: 0 08236 70652 9
H# 880260 (I'm guessing this is Hillman's product number)

The outside diameter of these is really close to the inside diameter of the '04 style rear strut tops. I think this is good because it prevented them from sliding on each other. They fit tight enough inside the strut tops that it was necessary to lube them with some grease and tap them with a screwdriver to remove them. Nothing like that was necessary when I installed them... I simply kept everything aligned while I tighted the top nuts. That pulled the washers into the strut tops. I suppose you could lube them a bit during installation also.

The washers are between 1/16" and 1/8" thick (around 3/32"). I used two washers stacked inside each rear strut top. That provided enough thickness to tighten the top nuts on the Konis. It's definitely possible to use more... and it may be necessary with a different amount of threads on a different rear strut top. I think you want to use as few washers as possible, however.

I hope this makes sense... and I hope it helps. Let me know if you have more questions.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=877041

I'll swing by R&E fasteners and pick some up.

[cody]

If it's not worth doing the mod the "right" way, such as it is, then I guess I wasn't very helpful. But if you're gonna do things half-assed, go right ahead. But don't bitch because you are being too cheap to spend less than $50 to get free springs.

Simma-down-naw

[MPREZIV]

Buy coil-overs, and STFU! :P




:lol:

[Kevin M]

Buy coil-overs, and STFU! :P




:lol:

No, if he had coilovers, he wouldn't have an excuse when Nick and Derrick whoop him. :lol:

[cody]

Nor would I have an excuse when my GF whoops me for making my car ride like hell.

[Kevin M]

Damn, total lose/lose. Either your car rides like crap, or you get beat by a bunch of other guys whose girlfriends don't complain about their cars. :lol:

[Nick Koan]

I just solve that problem by not talking to girls.

[cody]

Damn, total lose/lose. Either your car rides like crap, or you get beat by a bunch of other guys whose girlfriends don't complain about their cars. :lol:

Well, keeping the woman happy is job 1, but we'll see if I can't offer a little competition even with my last year's skinny tires. :P

[cody]

I just solve that problem by not talking to girls.

You sure that's how that works? :P

[Joeyy]

Nor would I have an excuse when my GF whoops me for making my car ride like hell.

I got coilovers and my GF married me!..

[Kevin M]

I got coilovers and my GF married me!..

Well, it never works the other way around apparently. :lol:

[sperry]

I just got a whole other car. No GF wants to take a road trip in a race car. :lol:

[MattR]

Damn, total lose/lose. Either your car rides like crap, or you get beat by a bunch of other guys whose girlfriends don't complain about their cars. :lol:

Or in my case, he just get's beat by my girlfriend!

[Kevin M]

I was going to laugh about that, until I remembered that she'll probably whip my ass out there too. :lol:

[M3n2c3]

Cody, I know someone who might be willing to trade you a full set of 05 struts, topmounts, and prodrive springs for your agx struts, topmounts, and eibachs. . .

;)

[sperry]

Quit fucking up my sale, assholes. :P

[cody]

Cody, I know someone who might be willing to trade you a full set of 05 struts, topmounts, and prodrive springs for your agx struts, topmounts, and eibachs. . .

;)

If you had some sweet Tociko or Koni struts, I'd consider it. :)

I'll have the Eibach Pro Kit (wagon specific spring rates, but would work fine on a sedan) and 03 tophats for sale after Saturday.

[M3n2c3]

If I had the time or money to get Tokico or Koni shocks inserted into my strut housings, I'd consider them too. :lol:

[cody]

Thanks Scott!