Doing some work on a couple of front shock mount cores this afternoon.
Sometimes I check how stable the shock is in the mount, putting in a vise and jerking it around, just checking how well I'm doing in cutting the internals.
I had a bit of luck today in finding a problem that kind of been bugging me for a while. Some of the cores coming in besides the mounts being flat, they are torn all to hell, being hammered and visually beat up. These are the ones that didn't slide off. I normally don't use them, just a parts piece, and turns out I should not use any of the washers inside the bell.
Like most things we get in the Triumph and MG aftermarket parts, Jaguar is not exempt from parts that basically look like they fit but don't.
When I installed the shock stem into a mount on the vise, I didn't get a very good tight fit, so I took it off the vise and set it on top of the shock, it wobbled all over the place. I went and got the other one, with a goodly amount of rocking I managed to get it on down to the shelf on the stem. So, you could if you held the shock stem crank this one down to shelf.
I grabbed a couple of other washer and installed on the stem and they fit right down to the shelf, no problem. Changed them out and will in future check any I receive.
The ones that didn't work where the ones with the rings in the washer and gold. They came in as a set, so one did work with effort, the other is never going to tighten down and this could cause a major problem with getting things tight.
The area of the shock that goes into the washer and settles on a shelf below is .470 (11.938MM). The washer that worked so effort was .465 (11.811MM). No good.
Now the one that must have been one more king of bitch to get off and was surely screwing up the shock stem for the next set of mounts was .450 (11.43MM)
So now you know why you had to fight to get it off, or why it was never tight. I'll get some pictures later.

This one would not go on, guess I could have hammered it but tightening up to get it all the way down would have been a task.

This is the right fit, lots of threads showing

 

I just got around to adding this at the top of my shock mounts notes:
"Always check that shock mount bottoms out without binding with upper piston rod mating surface BEFORE installation."
Although in my case, this was "self checking" since I did multiple packer adjustments on both sides during my recent installation of Wayne/Baxter mounts, I can picture one getting "lucky" with a "proper" ride height measurement only to be so because of such binding.
Thanks to Wayne for the heads up.

 

I have this exact same probelm right now - one top came off fine, the other is stuck as all hell.

I did message cjd777 (the original poster) to see if he was ever faced with actual removal - but I'm going to copy my message to him here to expose it to a wider audience>

"I've *finally* been able to install your fabulous strut top mounts, and the first one went as well as those things go with janky spring compressors will LOL

But the second (existing) strut top mount will NOT come off - and I saw a post of yours that tops you've received with a "gold washer" actually had too small a diameter to properly fit on the strut shaft - and lo and behold, this one has a gold "washer" around the strut shaft.

We (my youngest son and I) spent over an hour trying everything we could think of to get that top off (the spring is properly compressed and retained), but the damn thing will not budge, even after:
- putting the strut shaft nut back on and banging the unit upside down on a piece of wood
- liberally lubricating that whole connection with penetrating oil, then tapping on the strut shaft with a big rubber mallet, and then even just tapping on it with a metal hammer.
- taking a heat gun to the junction of the shaft and the "washer" through the top hole and then tapping the shaft again

All I can think of that's left is using a cutting wheel to cut off most of the top hat, then notching the golden washer and seeing if I could split it

Any ideas?"

 

@jimborino what about trying a gear puller?

 

I had a few that were stuck.
I used a hammer on some with success but I don't remember if I used a gear puller or long barrel air impact hammer on the really stubborn one's.

 

Jim, just sent you a PM, and yes gear puller and bring the nut on the stud all the way up to keep the gear puller stud from slipping off.

 

"There are problems you can't solve with a 20 ton press ... this is *not* one of them!"


Support the top mount while pressing on the strut shaft

Setup the strut - with the compressed spring on the press

Now you can see that the strut shaft is barely above the collar - it's popped out of it.

Strut top mount top plate removed to show the result

All pieces now apart!

 

LOL, you betcha.

 

I just bought a 1998 XK8 'parts-car' and I noticed a previous owner's suspension repair.




I would imagine a rather 'harsh ride'.
The car has a good gearbox and other parts I might need but the mounts are not one of them.

 

Just so you know, I do get some in that are too tight and I ream them out to fit the shaft before sending them back.
Painful. LOL

 

But they are not usually WELDED to the outer housing!

 

@cjd777 Hi Wayne, I'm new to the forum but have been doing all the required reading on our cars. My father-in-law and I each recently acquired X100s (05 XKR Coupe and 06 XK8 Convertible Victory) and I've been doing the once over. Not surprising but both our cars are need of front mounts. Are you still building your improved versions? Sounds like it would be an improvement over OEM when we replace them. Would love to chat if you can send me a message.

 

my25cents, you will need a few more (5) post for me to send you any PM's.
That said, I should be able to help you both, but it's a busy time of year and would need for at least one of you to send me a core as I only have one at the moment. Plus, I always require you send me a c. I had rather build what you have and make sure the crush is correct.
Answer a few of the post that are active with a comment and it won't take long to get what you need to use all the good stuff on the Forum.
Thanks for thinking about me.

 

There must be a crapload of deadbeats because I sent you 5 broken (core) sets and requested two repaired ones.

You should have 3 cores from me alone.

Everybody needs to send the broken mounts to you if they have some 'laying around'.(quit being stingy people)

 

You hit the nail on the head.
On some I sent out trying to speed a transfer up, I got replies much later, "I have them for the next time I need them,"
I can understand that a bit, but in my case, I can't make the core metal parts, so have pretty much gone to you send me your core and I'll fix it.
Thanks Bob.

 

I think I've sent all the cores I had but will be cleaning the garage the next 2 weekends so if I find any more - will be sure to send.

 

I'm going to miss you support Steve, thank you.

 

They're rare as hens teeth down under Wayne. Only ever hear about them after the workshop clean ups. I have never so much as seen one that is not going straight back to owner.

 

Hi Steve, members motorcarman and Slimii have sent extras and I thought I was ahead of the game, but them a few have come in with the studs for the inner fender cut off, to clear the top I guess, without taking the A arm off. So knocking those out and replacing with a beat-up parts one then spot welding gives us a good one. Cleaning up the welds in the bottom of the bell housing has got better over the years, some of the early URO ones would cut your finger off much less a foam bushing.
It's all fun when the cores arrive, dust and rubber parts falling out of the box, not a good idea to open in the house, the madam give me that "you better not" look if I even think about it. LOL ,
I always wonder when I start with the whole job for someone, what will the big issue in getting this one apart be, never easy. I do try to document all the problems I run across, that latest one where the washer was tight in the forward bushing was new.
Be careful, and don't stress any of the parts, hoses and wires.

 

Looking to purchase a pair of front shock mounts for my 2003 XKR. Not sure how many posts need to be made, where they need to be made, etc. Any guidance on how to get communication with Wayne / cjd777 going will be appreciated. Thank you, Eric