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what does this actualy do? do i need it when i install coilovers? if i do where do i put it?

Yes they are still needed. Ya only have em on the front and having the upper perch ride on a thrust bearing is what allows the lower strut to rotate (when steering) without binding up the spring.

what if the thrust bearing doesn't fit the top coilover spring perch?

Can someone get a picture of these?

can anyone get a pic of the ground control installation instructions?

thanks

mine came with no instructions....its pretty self-explanatory how they fit together, although getting them to fit your strut WILL require some cutting/fabbing.

Thrust bearings, also known as strut bearings are needed on any car with struts. gc's are simply replacements for the springs, not the struts so you need to keep the thrust bearings. They sit between the top spring hat & the strutmount. Without them, turning your steering wheel is way more difficult and your car won't track straight.

they are circular, a little bigger than a half-dollar coin size and are black (the stock ones). the top peice turns seperately from the bottom peice & the bottom pece has a D shape into it so it cna sit inside the springhat without moving along with the top part. I have a pic somewhere, but its on a backed up DVD of my pictures from a couple years ago. I had pics of me installing a ZX2 one into the strut hat perch.

If you could get some pics that would be great. Cause I don't have them in my car and I really don't know what they look like. Thanks!

one other thing i need help on is the rear struts. instead of a strut bearing, what goes between the top hat and the strut mount? thanks a lot. you've been most helpful

also, what components do you reuse when converting to coilovers for both the front and the rear. for example, do you still need the stopper seat? what parts do i still reuse when converting to coilovers. thanks

i can assure you your car has strut/thrust bearings.

If you don't have them, your car will veer left or right, depending on what your last turn was. For example...if you turn right to get out of your neighborhood and start driving straight on a highway, your car will track to the right a bit b/c the struts aren't completely forward like they should be. You'll have to counter-steer to keep the car forward.

If you take a sharp left turn, then your car will track left.

How do I know? I was an idiot and didn't install them on my Protege when I originally installed my B+G springs back 3+ years ago. Drove on no bearings for about 2 weeks before correcting the situation.

As for the rear, since your rear struts don't pivot when you steer, they do not have any kind of bearing...they simply have the top strutmount which also acts as the hat/perch for the spring to press against.

thanks gro! ok i have one more question. for the rear, when i convert to coilover suspension, the stopper seat doesn't in between the coilover springs. so where do i put them? do i remove them?

seriously I really need to know what this looks like!! Anyone?