I did a search and found about 68 topics but none covered anything on how the top hats are assembled. Does anyone know? I'm getting a weird (LOUD) bang when i go around turns and it sounds bad. I looked at my suspension and it seems to be fine. Any tips?

 

DO you have anything floating around in your trunk?
did you install the rubber thingies between the top hat & Springs?


For the konis I have the following hardware from the top down:

Nut
Nut
Washer

Bushing<-----\
tophat <--------this part appears as one unit (the top hat, but can be taken apart.)
bushing<-----/

washer
Shock shaft

 

i'm 99% sure thats exactly how I have it. No, I don't have stuff floating around in my trunk. It sounds like someone is hitting my trunk area with a hammer What did u torque the 2 nuts at? oem honda says 22. Did u tighten both at once or one at a time? When i did one at a time, the bottem nut keeps on turning and the torque wrench doesn't register until i put on the second nut. make sense?

 

also, that last bushing u have, it isn't really a bushing but a hard spunge material so is it actually a bushing?

 

Well the sponge thing is the bump-stop (comes with the top hats).

The bump stop is not shown in Crazydave's list. The bushings are two identicle hard black poly pieces that should already be installed into the top hat when you get them (one on top & one on bottom).

I also noticed the bushing sleeve not shown in Dave's list. This sleeve also goes between the two washers & should be pressed down the center hole of the two black bushings. One large washer caps either end of the whole assembly.

I think your problem may be related to the torque problem you mentioned. When your spinning the first nut, the black bushings are being compressed by the washers. You must keep compressing the bushings until the washers finally bottom out on the metal sleeve between the bushings. At that point your torque wrench should finally click. Then you may install the second lock nut & torque that one as well.

Below I've shown all the OEM parts that a Honda CRX uses. Your GC mounts should have the following parts included: 6,7,7,8,10,11,12,13,14

 

It just keeps on turning and that top bushing keepsgetting compressed more and more and more and doesn't look like the other side. I'm guessing this is what is causing my problem. From what I can remember, the way I have mine installed is 2 nuts, a upside down washer, the bushings and top hat together, *plastic washer, then bump stop,* and finally the black flat rubberly thing that rests on the spring.

The ** is either in the order I put it or the opposite, bump stop then plastic washer. I'm almost positive it is how i wrote it.

When torquing down, should the car be on jack stands, or just be on the ground with the top hat in the position it should be in? i'v done both and the first nut out of the two that I put on still keeps on turning. Any suggestions? I think i might take a look at how it is put on later on tonight.

 

You absoloutly should NOT be using a plastic washer anywere...

That plastic washer (#9 in my pic above) that was on your OEM parts was just a spacer between the dust shield #11 and the bushing #7.

If you didn't use the gold colored washers that the GC top hat came with, your probably in trouble. Without the big METAL washer (#12), the shock shaft is poping up & hitting something in your car when you hit bumps!!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> also noticed the bushing sleeve not shown in Dave's list </TD></TR></TABLE>

oops... i forgot to mention that plus my lame *** art work wouldn't accomodate it

and the bumpstops.


Also... make sure that your top hats are sitting all the way up in the socket.

Something else you can do, put the car up on jack stands, and move the suspension through its range of motion (use jack under the control arm) and see if you have something clanging around, maybe you have something hitting.

 

gold washer? I didn't have a gold washer.... what washer are you talking about? I think the plastic washer (or white) went on top of the bump stop... expletive I need to check this out because GC gave me the white washer so i don't know

 

basically on the top hats..

you want a washer on top to tighten onto the metal shaft to be tighted on the bottom washer to tighted onto the shockshaft stopper knobby thingy

the bushing just locates the shaft in the center of all of this

(with that black hard bushing) there should be no noticable slop or play in the top hat and shaft

 

Yes, and from what I can remember, there wasn't a second washer. This is why I'm going to check, most likely on wednesday since that day I don't have to do anything. I have class tonight and I don't think it will still be light out when I get out.

I am going to check out on the cycling of the suspension. That is a good idea. Also, when I did put the top hat on, it was all the way in the sockets of the body. Thanks for your help guys and i will let you know how it all goes!

 

Just a general comment, the bushings that go on the bottom and top of the top hat, if you get the Type-R ones they're made mostly of steel and are much stiffer then the stock ones. They'll work with any honda suspension setup. The only issue is you need to ream them out a bit to fit the koni shock shaft. The stock spungy bushing just stretch over the shaft.

The white split washer that comes with the shock goes around the shaft, and sits on the shock body below the bump stop.

1) Nuts
2) Bushing
3) Top Hat
4) Bushing and sleeve
5) Washer
6) Dust Shield
7) Washer
8) Bump Stop
9) Plastic Split washer

You want to tighten down the shock bolt till it bottoms out then torque it to spec.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by UltimX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I think the plastic washer (or white) went on top of the bump stop... expletive I need to check this out because GC gave me the white washer so i don't know</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wait... I'm not sure that I had gotten a white washer from GC; but konis do come with a white 'washer' that goes over the shaft and sits directly on the top of the shock body. It's not structural at all, it oly serves to wipe the shaft off and keep grime out of the shock.

The 'gold' washer mentioned should have come off of your old setup on top of the bumpstop. It's a very thick washer, and may have more thickness in the middle. It's made of an alloy that looks like a brass / gold color.

 

This whole thread is getting way out of control...

First this guy (ultimX) needs to tell us exactly what setup he has and exaclty what parts he's using (shox/springs/sleeves/vehicle/etc)...

From the sound of it, he might have Koni shocks and Groun-Control coilovers, but I can't tell. It will be the difference between getting good advice & chassing your tail...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MasterKwan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just a general comment, the bushings that go on the bottom and top of the top hat, if you get the Type-R ones they're made mostly of steel and are much stiffer then the stock ones. They'll work with any honda suspension setup. The only issue is you need to ream them out a bit to fit the koni shock shaft. The stock spungy bushing just stretch over the shaft. </TD></TR></TABLE>

None of this matters because the original question involves Ground Control upper mounts. Type R mount bushings are not compatible...a

 

I do have gc's and koni yellows.... no one specificly asked what i had. lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by UltimX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...no one specificly asked what i had. lol</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm not trying to sound rude, but that's your problem not ours. Giving us complete & accurate information is the key to you recieving complete & accurate information in any sort of timely manner...

Well, assembly order should be like this:
-Koni Shock
-Koni Plastic C clip washer
-GC Bump Stop
-Koni METAL 12mm inner diamter WASHER
-GC top hat w/ bushings installed
-Koni or GC METAL 12mm inner diameter SLEEVE (pressed into bushings on top hat)
-Koni METAL 12mm inner diameter WASHER
-Koni 12mm Nut torqued all the way down until both black bushings are squished
-Koni 12mm Nut

NO OEM OR HONDA PARTS...

 

That sounds right. When I checked it it seemed like it was the spring seating each time. I cycled my suspension and found that the upper rubber bushing on top of the spring was stuck to the bottem of the top hat. So each time I took a turn, the shock would decompress, the spring would stick to the top hat, then as the shock compressed again, the spring would sit on the adjuster on the sleeve. As the car started to move a little more, the spring would then seat causing a loud noise. Anyone else experience this?

 

Your suspension shouldn't be able to droop like that while driving the car (especially if you have sway-bars). I've had the problem you described of the spring not seating properly, but thats only when lowering my car back down off of jack-stands. When spring suddenly pops back into place, you'll know. It's loud as hell...

 

lol i think u answered your own question.... I don't have sway bars. I'm looking for a set right now actually.

 

I had that same problem with my R when I first got GC's (no GC tophat). I ended up ordering a set of front springs that was an inch longer than what GC used and the problem went away. I did have sways though.

 

cool. This further conferms my theory. Thanks for your help guys