Modifying Your Front Upper Shock Mount
07-16-2015, 10:03 PM
#261
First of all, why do this?
It's not going to lower or raise or change your ride height at all. What this mod does is move the shock higher up inside the spring about 3/4" and the result is that you will gain 1.25" in compression travel. Meaning the tire will tuck higher. At the same time, you loose the exact same distance in droop. Meaning the tire will not drop down as far when jacked up. What this does is give your lowered car more suspension travel and that means a smoother ride and more cornering grip. All of which lowered cars need.
It's kind of like a poor mans shock shortening.
(EDIT: If you want to lower the front of your car about 1" without having to buy new springs and shocks, then read post #49.)
Here are some before and after pics of my car with no springs, only the shocks and the weight of the car fully compressing the bumpstop.
BEFORE
AFTER
Now the front upper shock mount is a big mystery to most because it does several things in one complex package.
1. first, the outer part supports the spring and the weight of the car. As the suspension moves up and down the angle of the spring ends change. This is no big deal as the spring itself will bow left and right slight to compensate.
2. The triangle or trapezoid part inside is what the shock bolts to. It captures the shock preventing it from pulling and pushing so that it can do it's job properly.
Now remember that the spring can bow and flex as the suspension moves up and down. The shock on the other hand can not. It can only extend and collapse, not bend. Bending a shock can be very bad. It may be a little hard to picture, but when the lower control arm is level, the lower shock mount is farthest from the engine. As the arm moves up and down, the lower shock mount gets closer to the engine. Since the bottom part is moving in an out, and the upper shock mount is fixed in one position, it has no choice but to want to tilt. If it can't tilt, it will bind up the shock or even bend the shaft.
3. So the GM engineers designed the inner part of the upper shock mount to be able to tilt slightly.
When you modify the upper mount, you have to make sure it is still able to tilt a little without binding and you will see that I took care of that.
I have to give credit to "John" for showing me this. He uses it on his race car. I don't know of anyone else doing this, although it may be a bit of an inside secret. I hope not.
It's not going to lower or raise or change your ride height at all. What this mod does is move the shock higher up inside the spring about 3/4" and the result is that you will gain 1.25" in compression travel. Meaning the tire will tuck higher. At the same time, you loose the exact same distance in droop. Meaning the tire will not drop down as far when jacked up. What this does is give your lowered car more suspension travel and that means a smoother ride and more cornering grip. All of which lowered cars need.
It's kind of like a poor mans shock shortening.
(EDIT: If you want to lower the front of your car about 1" without having to buy new springs and shocks, then read post #49.)
Here are some before and after pics of my car with no springs, only the shocks and the weight of the car fully compressing the bumpstop.
BEFORE
AFTER
Now the front upper shock mount is a big mystery to most because it does several things in one complex package.
1. first, the outer part supports the spring and the weight of the car. As the suspension moves up and down the angle of the spring ends change. This is no big deal as the spring itself will bow left and right slight to compensate.
2. The triangle or trapezoid part inside is what the shock bolts to. It captures the shock preventing it from pulling and pushing so that it can do it's job properly.
Now remember that the spring can bow and flex as the suspension moves up and down. The shock on the other hand can not. It can only extend and collapse, not bend. Bending a shock can be very bad. It may be a little hard to picture, but when the lower control arm is level, the lower shock mount is farthest from the engine. As the arm moves up and down, the lower shock mount gets closer to the engine. Since the bottom part is moving in an out, and the upper shock mount is fixed in one position, it has no choice but to want to tilt. If it can't tilt, it will bind up the shock or even bend the shaft.
3. So the GM engineers designed the inner part of the upper shock mount to be able to tilt slightly.
When you modify the upper mount, you have to make sure it is still able to tilt a little without binding and you will see that I took care of that.
I have to give credit to "John" for showing me this. He uses it on his race car. I don't know of anyone else doing this, although it may be a bit of an inside secret. I hope not.
Love the L@@KS!
06-26-2017, 07:53 AM
#262
Staging Lane
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Reviving this thread once again for some more questions!
Koni supplies a washer that goes between the top hat and the upper shock mount. I've read in other threads that you definitely don't want to leave that washer out, otherwise you get clunking noises. Why is leaving it out okay in this instance?
Another thing that confuses me is that some people say this will not make your car handle bumps better and others say it will make your car ride better. I understand that the shock will be able to travel more before hitting the bump stop, so how would the car not handle bumps better?
Koni supplies a washer that goes between the top hat and the upper shock mount. I've read in other threads that you definitely don't want to leave that washer out, otherwise you get clunking noises. Why is leaving it out okay in this instance?
Another thing that confuses me is that some people say this will not make your car handle bumps better and others say it will make your car ride better. I understand that the shock will be able to travel more before hitting the bump stop, so how would the car not handle bumps better?
06-28-2017, 03:14 PM
#263
The reason that waster is needed is because an unmodified upper shock/spring mount is meant to work with a stock shock which has a flat top similar to that washer. The mount is coated in rubber or something to give it some isolation and play. The Koni yellows without that washer on top has a smaller bump at the top. If you leave out that washer, that little bump of the Koni sits on the middle hard part around the shaft of the mount and it doesn't isolate anything, which I assume would give you a nice clunk on some bumps. With the washer, the spring sits as it would stock and isolates the spring from the shock tower and allows the shock to tilt with control arms range of motion.
Now in the case of this situation, the part that isolates and allows the shock to tilt is cut off, so if you mount a shock style shock, or a Koni yellow with a washer strait to the mount, it would be a flat shock top against a flat mount, which doesn't allow any wiggle room for that tilt that is needed. That is why he is saying to put a small washer between the mount and shock so it has space to tilt. In the case of a Koni yellow, no washer would suffice because you have that little bump at the top that I mentioned before that would basically do the same job as a small washer.
In either way, I don't see how you get any isolation from the shock with this mod so if you're getting a clunk from riding on the Koni's without the washer now, I don't see why you wouldn't get a clunk from doing this, but then again I'm not in either of those situations so I don't know. I actually came across this thread today doing some last minute research to see if I should change the perch height on my Koni yellows to the lower setting before I install them but IMO the cars look too low with it so I'm keeping it on the higher setting with my mount intact.
Now in the case of this situation, the part that isolates and allows the shock to tilt is cut off, so if you mount a shock style shock, or a Koni yellow with a washer strait to the mount, it would be a flat shock top against a flat mount, which doesn't allow any wiggle room for that tilt that is needed. That is why he is saying to put a small washer between the mount and shock so it has space to tilt. In the case of a Koni yellow, no washer would suffice because you have that little bump at the top that I mentioned before that would basically do the same job as a small washer.
In either way, I don't see how you get any isolation from the shock with this mod so if you're getting a clunk from riding on the Koni's without the washer now, I don't see why you wouldn't get a clunk from doing this, but then again I'm not in either of those situations so I don't know. I actually came across this thread today doing some last minute research to see if I should change the perch height on my Koni yellows to the lower setting before I install them but IMO the cars look too low with it so I'm keeping it on the higher setting with my mount intact.
06-29-2017, 06:34 AM
#264
Staging Lane
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In either way, I don't see how you get any isolation from the shock with this mod so if you're getting a clunk from riding on the Koni's without the washer now, I don't see why you wouldn't get a clunk from doing this, but then again I'm not in either of those situations so I don't know.
03-10-2019, 12:01 AM
#265
I did this mod several years ago. Im glad you all have followed up on the last report that it chewed through the upper mount due to missing support bracket. lol.
But I do want to check on something not necessarily related but I have to rule out with other who have done this mod as well.
I am chasing a droning / vibration happening around 75-82mph. I can feel it via the steering wheel. And I have slowly come to detest it more and more.
I strongly suspect maybe it is my front end bearings, maybe the wheels or maybe even the tires. I did put the washer in between the modded mount and my konis and I dont get any clunking noises for sure. Just wanted to ask as a point of troubleshooting and crossing out suspect.
If you have any suggestion please let me know. So far I have tested with the wheels off the ground using one hand at 12 o clock and other at 6 o clock on the tires and rocked back and forth there is almost no play. It is like maybe 1mm-2mm worth of play. Should there be absolutely none? If so then I suppose there is my answer. Hands at 9am and 3pm dont test the bearings and they shake the rack and pinion really.
Im checking all options because replacing those bearings is a real beach and when I do so I will probably end up re-inspecting this mod. So far im content w it.
I just wanna get rid of that drone/vibration. It doesnt inspire a lot of confidence at high speeds. I definitely do not need an alignment.
Let me know what you guys think or suggest. Like i said I dont suspect its this mod. I think its more the freakin bearings. How much play have any of you guys noticed w the 12 oclock and 6pm rocking test? If none....like dead on NO PLAY? Absolutely NOTHING. because I recall I do not have dead on NO PLAY...i have very tiny amount. I suppose its hard to describe just how much. But more important is should I have NO PLAY?
But I do want to check on something not necessarily related but I have to rule out with other who have done this mod as well.
I am chasing a droning / vibration happening around 75-82mph. I can feel it via the steering wheel. And I have slowly come to detest it more and more.
I strongly suspect maybe it is my front end bearings, maybe the wheels or maybe even the tires. I did put the washer in between the modded mount and my konis and I dont get any clunking noises for sure. Just wanted to ask as a point of troubleshooting and crossing out suspect.
If you have any suggestion please let me know. So far I have tested with the wheels off the ground using one hand at 12 o clock and other at 6 o clock on the tires and rocked back and forth there is almost no play. It is like maybe 1mm-2mm worth of play. Should there be absolutely none? If so then I suppose there is my answer. Hands at 9am and 3pm dont test the bearings and they shake the rack and pinion really.
Im checking all options because replacing those bearings is a real beach and when I do so I will probably end up re-inspecting this mod. So far im content w it.
I just wanna get rid of that drone/vibration. It doesnt inspire a lot of confidence at high speeds. I definitely do not need an alignment.
Let me know what you guys think or suggest. Like i said I dont suspect its this mod. I think its more the freakin bearings. How much play have any of you guys noticed w the 12 oclock and 6pm rocking test? If none....like dead on NO PLAY? Absolutely NOTHING. because I recall I do not have dead on NO PLAY...i have very tiny amount. I suppose its hard to describe just how much. But more important is should I have NO PLAY?
