Guys, I installed my new Spohn Billet Spherical Upper Strut Mounts today and have a question for you.

Can you/should you use the stock dust shields/covers for the struts? To stop the ingress of dirt or whatever?

The problem is that they don't fit onto the new mounts, they can't reach up to where they did previously with the stock style strut mounts.

I'll try to explain what I mean with some pics from other posts below.

Any suggestions?

 

Okay, here is a pic of 'AGood2.8's car showing exactly what I'm talking about. You can see the silver part of the strut, and there is no duct cover coming down to protect it.

This is from this thread:-
Billet strut mounts...
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...y&pagenumber=2

 

Yet later in that same thread, Dewey316, who has the HMS Strut mounts says that you should/might/can use the dust boots, and posts a pic of his car to show that they are there.

 

For any newbies wondering what all this talk is about here are some links for you:-

Need Recommendation on new upper strut mounts
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...t+mounts+alloy

Spohn Billet Strut Mounts
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...t+mounts+alloy

Spohn Performance billet strut mounts!
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...t+mounts+alloy

Billet Spherical Upper Strut Mounts
http://www.spohn.net/product.cfm?productid=1452

Many thanks in advance for any help guys.

 

I you read it again, Dewey(John) says "yes" to they can be used with the billet mounts- but never implies that they "must" be used.

To answer this correctly, it would be better suited to keep them on for protection from road salt, rocks/gravel, basically bad climate elements that could be harmful to the strut shaft. I personally live in sunny California and this car only sees a very occational rain. I choose to leave mine off- along with my rotor backing plates as well. To each his own opinion.

Dean (Ex. Agood2.8)

 

Thanks for the reply Dean,

I agree with you on the yes vs must. I just put my point across wrong. I should have phrased it better.

It it the Alloy Specialties/Spohn ones you are using or another brand?

I only drive this car in reasonable weather myself, so I think I could follow your example and get by without having them in place. I just couldn't see any way of getting them to fit on!

Should you put anything on the strut shaft to help protect it? Any lubricant or LM grease? Should it be cleaned regularly?

Thanks for all your help once again Dean,

Any other comments guys?

 

Mine are the HMS mounts.

I would not reccommend ever putting any type of lubrication substance on the strut shaft- It should be clean of debris. Mud for example is bad, it can wear the seals.

Thankyou for the thank you- and your welcome.

 

I haven't installed mine yet but I plan on using 4x4 style shock dust boots...know what I mean? My Silverado's Ranchos have them. You can just zip tie them on. I haven't figured out the top mount yet. They look like this:

 

Ed:- Thanks for the idea. I'll order a set from Summit next time I'm getting some stuff and try them out. I can see how you could just zip/cable tie them to the body of the strut, but how would you fix them in place at the top?

Do you think that perhaps bonding the stock shield to the undersurface of the mount or the arch liner edge beside it would work? Or would this just fall apart?

 

Call me crazy but I'm thinking about trying to use a sway bar bushing or something like that. You can just trim it to be round and slide it down the strut shaft to where you want it and then zip tie it up there too. I guess you could use RTV on the inside of the upper mount but I like my bushing idea better.

Ed

 

i am not exactly what you mean by bonding it, FYI mine just set in place, no modifcations.

also do note that i lubricate my bearing, and i get a bit that runs down the strut shaft, i always try to wipe down when i am done.

 

The stock round shields fit the HMS mounts? I swear Karl said they wouldn't work...

Ed

 

they fit just fine on mine. :: shrugs ::

 

OK, I'll try them first. I'd really like to use the stockers if I can.

Ed

 

I'll have to take some pics of the spohn mounts when I install them. I got some black boots like ebmillers to install if the stockers don't fit.

 

Fitted them up last night. The stock dust shields do fit right inside my HMS mounts. Guess I'll get to use them after all.

Ed