Front Extended Top Hats Installed

[FAK_LAF]

Hey guys. I had an old thread about the extended top hats I was having made. Well I got them all done and installed the front ones. I have not got around to the rears yet. The car rides better now except when I hit large bumps and the upper control arms contact the strut tower. I am still on OEM springs that are WAY to soft for how low the car is. I have since ordered some stiffer sleeves that should keep the suspension from traveling quite so much. Here are the pics from start to finish.

Drawings for the welder:


OEM strut mounts after extension pipes were welded in:


Grinded the welds down and painted:


Enlarged the strut tower hole slightly:


Assembled strut:


Installed in the car. Barely clears the hood


Front sits a little lower now. It was definitely sitting on the shock body before extending the mounts:

[Jarrett]

Is that much of an increase in height really necessary? I'm just wondering why you went so extreme.

[black sunshine]

sweet,whats the ride on that like?

[fatboy1185]

I'm jealous.

[FAK_LAF]

Is that much of an increase in height really necessary? I'm just wondering why you went so extreme.

Well, if the suspension has been lowered 4-in to 5-in, then really the strut mount should be extended the same amount to relocate the damper back to its factory range of travel. So actually, my "change in height" of 1.5-in is not very extreme at all. It is very necessary if you are low and don't want to be bottoming out your shock bodies on the strut mount and bouncing all over the place like a freakin pogo stick. Some people say that the ride will be bouncy because the damper is not properly matched to the lowering spring, but I firmly believe most of the bounce comes from riding the shock body on the bump stop. Since I extended the strut mount, my ride is not bouncy at all and it was EXTREMELY bouncy before.

[Domesticated]

You could always just get proper coil overs instead of making your engine bay look like shit.

[blazenem]

You could always just get proper coil overs instead of making your engine bay look like shit.

one mans shit is another mans treasure...everyone cant afford proper coilovers, not saying thats the case for the op but did you bother to ask?

[FAK_LAF]

You could always just get proper coil overs instead of making your engine bay look like shit.

My 194,000 mile 2.2L SOHC sedan is not a race car that I would like to spend 600+ dollars on "proper coil overs" that will not get me as low as I would like to go. Besides, a stiffer lowering spring with a higher damping coefficient shock is exactly what you are getting when you buy "proper coil overs". Sure, the spring rates and damping coeff. are probably matched better, but hey, i'm not trying to set time attack records here. Just want to cruise my slammed cb and have a decent and safe ride.

['93CB7Ex]

i dont understand the point of this. enlighten me please.

[foamypirate]

You need to find a new welder...Those welds are awful...

[FAK_LAF]

i dont understand the point of this. enlighten me please.

Extending the upper strut mount relocates the mounting location of the damper's piston up higher. This is beneficial when using a shorter lowering spring in combination with a damper of OEM body length. It returns the damper closer to its intended range of travel. If the upper mounting location is NOT extended, and a sufficiently short spring is used, then the body of the damper will contact the bump stop (if you have them) or directly contact the upper strut mount. Either way, the suspension travel will be limited (potentially damaging the damper) and the ride quality will be horrible. I designed my extended upper strut mounts so that the body of the damper can protrude into the extension if the suspension were to ever compressed that far. But, as I am finding out now, the UCA hits the strut tower before that happens. A stiffer spring should prevent this. However, at least my damper is now operating in the range of travel it was designed to.

Ground Control makes them for Civics and Integras, its not a new concept.

[Domesticated]

You don't have to have a "race car" to run proper coilovers. And nobody will accuse you of trying to set time attack records, especially with your car being just as low as it is. And you can get as low as you want and have a softer ride, you just have to get the right coilovers. For most reputable companies you can order your coilovers with custom springs.

[TracieS]

So much hate in this thread it looks awesome dude I may have to try it here soon my self. Low is a lifestyle and its not for everybody!

[Domesticated]

I seem to be the only hater except for the other guy objectively saying the welds sucks. I didn't say anything about not liking low. I'm a big fan of low, but I'm also a big fan of doing things right. Do you trust those welds to hold up 1000lbs each? You'll hit 4000lbs with a full tank of gas and 4 full grown men in the car. What about going over a bump The impulse on that could easily be quadruple the weight. Brakes and chassis is something you never go cheap on.

['93CB7Ex]

Extending the upper strut mount relocates the mounting location of the damper's piston up higher. This is beneficial when using a shorter lowering spring in combination with a damper of OEM body length. It returns the damper closer to its intended range of travel. If the upper mounting location is NOT extended, and a sufficiently short spring is used, then the body of the damper will contact the bump stop (if you have them) or directly contact the upper strut mount. Either way, the suspension travel will be limited (potentially damaging the damper) and the ride quality will be horrible. I designed my extended upper strut mounts so that the body of the damper can protrude into the extension if the suspension were to ever compressed that far. But, as I am finding out now, the UCA hits the strut tower before that happens. A stiffer spring should prevent this. However, at least my damper is now operating in the range of travel it was designed to.

Ground Control makes them for Civics and Integras, its not a new concept.

thank you.

those dont look too bad, but if they work and it was cheap then its perfect for me.