Ok, so I'm doing the r31 into 1200 strut conversion, and I'm a bit of a newbie to playing with front suspension. I have some adjustable strut tops to rectify the camber problem, and I am in the process of making the stanza springs fit. I'm not quite sure as to how to get the strut tops to fit with the stanza spring perches.

A couple of pics to show you what I mean:



Here's the strut top as viewed from below. red arrow (1) is the bottom of the nut, which sits about 5mm higher than the bottom of the spherical bearing (2)




this pic shows the top of the r31 shock, with the stanza spring perch sitting on top of it. (2) points to the lip on the top of the shock, which is narrowed to fit the spring perch onto (which the stanza one (3) fits onto perfectly)

The dilemma I have is that the nut and spherical bearing only get as far as (1) on the shock. If i retain the original r31 bearing (which works ok as a spacer width wise) It will hit the housing area (black section) on the bottom of the strut top, which renders the spherical bearing useless.

I'm guessing that the best way to rectify this will be to make up a spacer which will fit over the top of the spring perch, and fit into the bottom of the strut top (both the spherical bearing and the nut).

what do people think of this?? I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who have a lot more experience than me

Thanks in advance

you know I am in an almost simmilar process at the moment with my stanza struts, they should be sorted by this afternoon. You're right about the spacers.

Like I've been promising Andos, I'll bring him and everybody else up to date when they're back home with some nice pics and ####

i used hi tensile washers to make up the differenc, was not as lerge a gap as yours though (was only 10mm maxor 3 washers).

as long as there is no slack you wont have a problem (knocking noises)

I have done this exact set up before, if you use washers it over time will crush the spring top, as all the weight is on the small rim on the top of the spring top. I ended up machining up a stainless spring top support, that fits into the pillow ball and sits over most of the flat section of the spring top. This is also used to get the correct spacing.

thanks for the replies fellas! looks like another little thing i'll have to draw up for my machinist to make. Wish I had a metal lathe

if your pillow balls are 20mm id i have a set of supports i can do for you. I make them for my camber tops, ether to suit coilover set ups or standard spring tops.