John....what are these?

so I'm going to need to replace my front top hats before the end of this year.

I found these:

http://www.compbrake.co.uk/Parts-by-Car-Manufacturer/Subaru/SUBARU-IMPREZA-FRONT-FIX/prod_543.html

so do I just need to stick 3 (inverted) metric bolts in the right holes and mount them to my struts and that's it?

They're just a little more expensive than then Group N Suby mounts ($145) but a LOT cheaper than any other 'solid' top mount I've seen out there, but I don't see how thick these are.

What's "HE 30 aluminum" and how's that compare to whatever you would use if you made something similar? Is the 20mm spherical bearing rally worthy? (I think in another thread you said something about a 25mm spherical bearing).

Thoughts? Thanks!

(whoops, meant to put this in construction zone, sorry)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2011 01:38AM by Jon Burke.

Dang those look nice. They look like the non-ghetto, shiny version of what I built before Idaho to attach the rear struts. (Mine even stayed together and didn't bend!!)

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Brap Brap.

I think they're for tarmac rally or track use only. Not recommended for dirt.

I have a set of their non adjustable ones, that i mounted to my JVAB struts.

Basically yes... you just toss 3 bolts in the holes you need, or find some studs.

The bearings have held up fine.

Make sure you get the right nuts/sleeves with them, they have to match the threads on your shocks.

I had some Ksport solid top plates (camber plates). hated them. they never broke, never bent, but added a lot of noise/ and harshness to the ride. i felt like the little bit of compliance you get with Rubber versus solid material was very nice for overall driving , and rally.

also i was fearful of bottoming out my suspension with solid tops ,, Probably unfounded fear ... but .. meh ...


though maybe you are trying to address something i haven't had to deal with.

I'll take your group-Ns off your hands though if you're moving away from that ... esp if you have rear ones, my STI needs them replaced...

I'm on OEM ones, and they're starting to die....you don't want them.

Jon they are coolio but kinda excessive: You really think it need a bazillion holes?
Second; all spherical brgs die eventually. Some anoyingly soon.

I know you're a rich guy and like to throw money around but check REALLY carefully just what the bearing is because some METRIC sizes in HIGH MISALIGNMENT are 3 times or more what a better INCH non-high misalignment brg would cost..
That part shows inertia in thinking..

High misalignment bearings have a wee little shoulder on the ball.
Great.
But in most applications we're sleeving a shaft UP to fit a bearing of the load capacity we want.
An intelligent designer would say "OH! Wait, while I's busy machining up some nifty spacers why don't I just accomodate the need for the shoulder INTO THE SPACER and then everybody saves $60 a pop on the bearing. Mahvelous, simply mahvelous."

Or, maybe you want to pay an extra 60 bucks just to replace some dumb bearing...

So nice, but....long term the infinite improbability drive adjustment won't be used, and the probable bearing replacement the NEXT time, and the next and the next......

will come to suck when you know all the cool kids in their JVAB spherical bearing equipped cars have higher load capacity bearings that cost a 1/3 because he's such a swoot frood and thinks ahead and incorporated this scummy 3mm high shoulder into his spacers..

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

^^ so wait, do you have your OWN top hat? I thought you just pushed the Subaru top hat stuff. If you have your down design...pics and price please, I'd much rather buy something off you that you made so I can have a baller JVAB part on my car and give you business than some random brits.

This is a timely thread. I think I sent John a picture of similar mounts just a few days ago and was wondering if he could do up a set. Only reason I was looking at something like this was that my BMW at rally ride height is camber challenged.

Personally I don't like the slotty camber/caster plates because in a big hit, they're prone to sliding and changing the allignment. These roundy round ones seem like a better idea since there's nothing to move.

What do you think doing up a set of these with inexpensive non-metric stuff would run? Assuming you'd just need to know the amount of offset available since you've already done a set of centered BMW ones?

Dave

Ya'll could always look to the Burmeister Engineering top mounts. A bit higher price but rally proven.

We are switching to Vorshlag camber plates for both our hillclimb and rally cars.

Disclosure, I do work with Vorshlag and they do provide products as a sponsor, and the owner is a friend of mine, but I don't receive any benefit if you buy their parts.

The main benefit of their plates is that there is a huge roller bearing built into the top spring perch that saves a lot of wear and tear on the oversized spherical. And, none of the bearings are hugely expensive. Note the bearing in the top of the spring perch below the camber plate.



Here's their Subaru perch tops.
Subaru Perch Tops at Vorshlag

Man those low to no budget rally cars you guys have just keep getting more cool stuff.
PS> Nice job at Pikes Peak!

I'm in a love hate relationship with my last expensive mods. 3K on a motor rebuild and 2k on real rally suspension. Debt dragging on my visa? 5K

Then again I was really hating the 1.8L on uphills ... so Its worth the upgrades... and now i can win OA at rally crosses, and regional rallies if /when the Open wallet guys have troubles staying on the road. just need to stay ahead of the Grp 2 guys who keep showing me that i'm rather slow... LMAO

though i won a $100 last rally, so i guess i'm down only being out $2900 on my motor... lol

so, the Vorschlag stuff is >$400/pair. The compbrake ones are less than $200/pair...yet john keeps calling me excessive. what gives?

Quote
modernbeat
We are switching to Vorshlag camber plates for both our hillclimb and rally cars.

Disclosure, I do work with Vorshlag and they do provide products as a sponsor, and the owner is a friend of mine, but I don't receive any benefit if you buy their parts.

So that must be what is needed to get anything from them in a reasonable time frame...

We ordered a set of AST suspension (thru a Colorado retailer for Vorshlag) for the black evo @ PPIHC, and were quoted 4-6 weeks. The 6 weeks being if they had to fab parts. AST USA guy was at the factory in Holland(?) that week and we were told all parts in inventory and that it'd be closer to 4 weeks. 8 weeks later after literally 10 calls/emails a week from the shop in Colorado and we finally got them.

There's a tech section on their website that explains how to change springs on their stuff, and the wrench sizes they've got listed led to me breaking an adjuster (stupid on my part I know). I called and spoke with someone on the phone was was assured that a new adjuster would be put in the mail the next day. A week and a half later still no adjuster (during PPIHC week of course) I called to find out where the adjuster was and nobody had any record of speaking with me.

They make nice stuff (I have the full set of Vorshlag top hats and AST5000s on the Evo), but I would think long and hard before ever sending anyone to them again based on my experiences.

Dave