michigan_soler

haha, the worst that will happen if they brake is dent the webbing on your hood... and i doubt you are baller *** enough to have fiberglass or CF hood. so nothing really to worry about.

Loserkidwac

lol I'm not really worried about my welds, just playing...I'm fairly confident in my abilities...this should be fine...

neuspeedescort

i did a mod like this about 2 years ago on my mazda 323. just in the front tho. i founf thta the grade 4 bolts like he is using are to weak. i ended up ordering grade 10's in the correct thread pitch from fastenal. i only got about 1/2-3/4 drop out of it. i also ran coil-overs. my strut towers are a we bit different then honda ones.


NEUMAN

danronian

I was skeptical about all the info I've heard regarding where the civic suspension "bottoms out," in regards to how long I should make these top-hat. To make sure I don't make these top-hats so that they are too high and require too many bump-stops, and to see how far the strut can protrude inside the top-hat, when the suspension is fully compressed, I tested it out, and measured.

I did the front and rear compressed suspension test with the top-hats off, and no springs, just with the struts.

For the rear I found that when the tire was rubbing the wheelwell 100%, the strut sits 1/4 inch below the opening for the top-hat. Which means the top hat does not need to fit around the rear strut since the only way it would ever be inside the top-hat, is if your tire was against the wheelwell.

For the front I found that when the OEM Upper-Control-Arm was against the wheelwell, the strut was still sitting a half-inch below the opening for the top-hat. Which means the strut will never go inside the top-hat if you maintain the same upper-wheelwell dimensions (aka, leaving it stock).

side note: I also realized from doing the front suspension compression test that my car's ride height is about an 1/8th inch off the bumpstops... damn it.

So overall, as usual, all internet sources were 100% WRONG for this myth regarding that the strut will go into the top-hat. The only way this could happen, is if you were to modify the wheelwells of the car so that your tire in the rear doesn't bottom out first, and so that the UCA in the front doesnt slam agains the wheelwell.

So if you're going to make these, simply stick to about an inch extension (if they clear your hood) for the front and back, fill the extension with bump-stops, and your ride should be better and now with about a 1/2 inch more suspension travel. Kinda seems stupid to do all of this work for this little bit of travel, but I've heard it's worth it, and since it will be near free (and I'm sure I could sell the ones I made later.. ), I'll give it a try to see if this actually helps the ride at all.

I took pics of the clearance of everything, and will post them later.

Still need to put the one side of the suspension back together on the front....yaya

michigan_soler

oh, i knew the actual strut body would not go in there... sorry, didn't realize that is what you were talking about...

yeah, id say do them as hi as you can... with hood clearance...

danronian

I wasn't really asking that here I don't think....

But where I had this question originally posed, HT, all ---- responses saying the strut body MUST fit inside the extended top-hat. Stupid *****. :1

Gonna upload the pix soon.

lkailburn

can't wait to see the picks. i might do this. i dd my civic and both right side struts are blown, im thinking a combination of nasty pot holes and lack of travel.

-Luke

danronian

I found some free 2 inch tubing, so once I get that, I should have them welded up and installed soon after with some pix. The pipe that would be the ideal ID would be 1 and 3/4 in., but I figure I could just grind down a lot off of it since it is going to be fairy thick-walled, and that will make it easier to weld to the thin metal the stock top-hat is made from.

neuspeedescort

as i said earlier. my version of it......

http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25029


NEUMAN

Scott-EP

anyone ever think that maybe your car is too damn low. just cause your car is an inch from the groung doesnt mean it handles btter. all of your control arms are at bad angles when the car is that low