CC plate install (MM) question

Torinalth

Founding Member
Jul 16, 2002
952
0
16
Clayton NC
i am about to start my install of my MM CC plates... however something bothers me that is not in the install instructions. it comes with this very large urethane bumpstop... however, it refers to using it and zip tieing it to the STOCK strut dust cover.... i have bilsteins... and unless i am stupid (possible) they have internal bumpstops... so this item would not be used... any able to say for sure.. as i am going to work on these after my cinnimon buns are done but would like some info on how to adderss this without the stock struts.

Torinalth
 
Might you have some extra icing?

What got me with the MM plates was the spacers for the strut rod. I followed their measuring instructions and ended up with the rod sticking up a lot further that the stock stance. Just make sure that you don't have them spaced higher than the edge of the fender (looks to be about equal with the height if the hood).
 
myponyrocks said:
maybe you should post what you missed in case some one else has a case of the stupids

good call. for those that have bilsteins, they have an internal bumpstop... this is mentioned many times all over this site, on the bilstein instructions, as well as everuy place a strut is mentioned on MMs site... so i figured the bumpstop that came with the CC plates would not be used.... before you get to the part about the bumpstop it has a lil note saying just what i wrote... if you have bilsteins, you will NOT use the zipties or the bumpstops that come with the kit. Bilsteins have this taken care of as part of their shock... saves a step... but now i have thses black cones sitting on my desk i am trying to figure out what to do with...

side note... the install was very very easy. something to point out is that depending on your setup you might have to do 1 or two other things that are not mentioned in the instructions. I couldnt get my strut low enough to get the stock perch off the top... and since i did not have a compressor (and i'm kinda small build so not He-man) i was unable to compress the strut shaft to remove this. if you are in the same boat then when you have the strut tensioned released (meaning you have the suspension at full extension, but everything still connected, you have used a jack to take the weight off the strut) i unbolted the swaybar endlinks top nut and remove it and the bushing... this allows the LCA to be lowered farther.

my second instance is that the brake hose was too short and became the limiting factor on how low i could drop the strut. so i unbolted the caliper (the two small bolts on the farthest parts of the caliper 12mm i think) used a large C clamp to slightly compress the brake pistons and removed the cliper from the rotor/mounting. now you are supposed to use a wire to hang the caliper so its not putting tension on the brake line... however i didnt care as my lines are comming on monday (cobra calipers and pads are here now, just the hoses and rotors are in UPSs hands).

removing the caliper and the top nut to the swaybar endlink allowed my to get the strut into the wheel well so i can do whatever i needed without issues of clearance. so now that its done i am off to the alignment, with my last 2 cinnimon buns :P and no, not enough to share...

Torinalth
 
CRZYHRSGT said:
Might you have some extra icing?

What got me with the MM plates was the spacers for the strut rod. I followed their measuring instructions and ended up with the rod sticking up a lot further that the stock stance. Just make sure that you don't have them spaced higher than the edge of the fender (looks to be about equal with the height if the hood).


the spacers was easy. the biggest thing you need to worry about is this key phrase "measure the struts length from the fender (i used the strut tower) and with the spacers to raise the shaft by the amount your car was lowered." my car dropped 3/4" from the HR race springs and prothane isolators so i used two large spacers on each strut... then used a small spacer on the top under the nut... this left me with two leftover small spacers. with this increase in range i should get better ride quality over hard bumps, as well as no chance for the strut bottoming out. doijng this i have no hood clearance issues that i noticed... was going to use playdough to test clearance, but i think my niece would have a fit... so i just eyeballed it, measured and closed the hood... no issues :)

Torinalth
 
Torinalth said:
if you have bilsteins, you will NOT use the zipties or the bumpstops that come with the kit. Bilsteins have this taken care of as part of their shock... saves a step... but now i have thses black cones sitting on my desk i am trying to figure out what to do with...

I use mine as paper weights... :nice: