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Is this the boot and bump stop ?


http://www.stopshopanddrive.com/item.ww ... B101%2Ejpg

Woh that's weird looking. But I don't know - haven't picked them up yet. Will let you know by the end of the week.

About the thrust bearings - I got them from oemfordparts, but I think I must have got the 22mm ones for the zx2 perch, not the 20mm for ground controls. I wonder if it would be better to have a machine shop enlarge the GCs/use with metal bearings rather than sending them back and using plastic ones... yek

I got the monroe strut mate boot kits from advance auto. Once they are installed on the front they don't have a lot of room. The boot is really compressed since the bumpstop is so large. When I put them on I slid the stops all the way up is that right?

My front bump stops were noticably worn, more likely from the broken coils (there's a recall related to this for us Canadians), even tho i replaced my drivers side about 2 years prior (although it was used, but in good condition). When I lowered my car, we just removed them, they were getting hit with only a slight, unnoticable, drop that we though they would be pointless with a lowered suspension, so we took them out completely

Well I took the GCs and new shocks to my machine guy today.

#1 He enlarged the hole through my GC top perch from 20mm to 22, just like everyone says.

#2 He enlarged the resess (on top of the GC perch) that the thrust bearing fits into from 22(?) to about 26mm. This was needed to fit the metal zx2 thrust bearings.

#3 He suggested NOT chopping off the lower perches/welding rings on (like I think Gro did?) because he didn't think the heat of the welding would be good for the shock. It would probably be fine, but I can't say I blame him. Actually, the GC sleeve still sits levelly at three points on the awkward factory lower perch, so I'm OK with that.

I haven't gotten the Monroe boot kit yet so give my impressions, but I might go pick it up today.

I'm distraught, though. The ZX2 struts came with metal caps at the base of the rod/top of the sock (right over where the GC sleeves slide over) I had read the you can either grind these down or pull them off. When I went to the machine shop to pick my stuff up we pulled the caps off of the front struts. Nothing under there but a grease seal that rod slides through on its way down into the shock. My problem is that when I got home and decided to remove the caps from the rear struts, I accidentally nicked the shiny rods (on both struts) with the "cat's paw" (like the back of a hammer) I was using. So now a have number of small-medium sized nicks in the robs on my rear shocks. Am I going to pay dearly for this with the longevity of my shocks? Like lakersfan said, if dust on the rod is that much of an enemy, I bet these nicks are going to be hell on the grease seal.

Now that this post is getting long, I apologize.

So what is it about dust that causes a strut to wear out? Is it because it's bad for the grease seal? Or is it another reason? I'm thinking about how I can smooth out those nicks. I already took a razor and gently scrapped down the bad ones. I was thinking of using some very fine carbon sand paper on them now... Any ideas/input would be invaluable.

Well I got the boot/bump stop kit. Yes it is the same as in the picture above. With the spring and bump on the strut, with it a little compressed by hand (as if it was just sitting supporting the wieght of the car..) there is abou t 1/2 in of travel space before hitting the bump. I chopped/grinded about 3/4 more so there is a total of about 1 1/4in travel space when compressed by hand and maybe just shy of 1" if the springs are just chllin with the weight of the car. I hope that is enough.

I have a problem with the dust boots, though. They are too big to fit inside the GC springs. Even if you cram them through there, they fold over on thmeselves and there is NO ROOM for the bum stop to fit in there too, let alone enouch room between the spring and GC sleeve at the bottom to fit the boot in between. I have Gro sees this an can offer some advice, or i may PM him and see what he did about dust boots. I really don't see any good options because there just isn't room.

What have you guys with GCs done as far as dust boots?

Alright, just a pick update.

I took a chance and ordered some skinny looking "Skyjacker" boots:

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... toview=sku

They totally fit the bill. I did have to cut them almost in half, and grind a good ammount off the top/sides of the urethane Monroe bump stops to make everything fit well.








Don't worry about that thrust bearing - it recesses in the perch, it just wasn't pushed in for the picture.

I might take the struts apart again tomorrow and cut another rib off the dust boots - I won't want them getting smashed under the bump stop.

Will post full impressions when I'm done. Hope this helps someone.