Green top mounts needs extra washer for easy rotation???

[NEO]

I try this question here insted of at the bottom of another huge thread. I have the green top mounts in front on my S2 Coupé. I did not get through the annual car checkup, SBP, that we have here in sweden because they said the top mounts didn't "rotate" as easy as they should. The thing is that they have ony been on the car for like 1000km and are brand new. Anyways there wasn't much else to do then take it all apart and take a look at it. I replaced the grease in the top mounts and replace all nuts and put it all together. Still have the same problem but after some serious lobbying they accepted the car at the SBP. But they were not all to happy that it didn't rotate as easy as it should.

And now afterwards I have been thinking a bit. I now have the green top mounts and originally it is supposed to be the blue ones. Someone said to me that the green ones are a bit "taller" then the blue ones. So maybe the green ones touches the metalplate at top of the spring and therefor dosn't rotate as easy as it should. So I wonder if you guys with the green top mounts used a washer between the metalplate and the top mount? Any other theories? I hope my problem is understandable, I ain't the best at english. =)

[Jamo]

The S2 comes with green top mounts originally, the blue top mounts are from the UR Quattro mate.

[NEO]

So i've heard but I'm not all to certain. Couse in my top's there were blue color. Wich indicated that there should be blue ones there originally. Also the ones i replaced were infact blue. So how sure are you about this?

This picture i think i took on the back of the car. But looks the same regarding the color in the "towers" up front...

http://h2o.gotdns.org/audi/P1010124.JPG

[Nuvo]

Hi Neo, the green mounts are actually the ones fitted as standard to the coupes, avants and sedans. The blue was used in the ur quattro and AFAIK shares the same dimensions as the green, the blues are a bit firmer but still don't last any better.
EDIT: after reading Tims post the greens are infact slightly taller than the blues.

As far as putting washers in to ease the roatation of the mounts are concerned, it sounds like a reasonable idea but I don't think our vehicle testing stations are as strict as the ones in Sweden so we don't have this problem.

Perhaps the alloy ones by qr sports would fix this? I'm not sure.

Nuvo.

[Nuvo]

Jamo bet me to it on some info there.
The parts database list the green ones as replacements, perhaps the previous owner of your car had the blue mounts fitted as an alternative?

Nuvo.

[panzerwagen]

Neo, I'll be honest with you .....Why???

Are you still screwing around with those abominations called strut mounts? Just change over to the solid mounts. Believe me, you'll ask yourself the same question after fitting them on. Yeah they are a little pricey but well worth it.
Ask others here who have fitted them on their cars, me included. They are one of the best investments I've put on the car.

[NEO]

panzerwagen, to be honest with you... It's called money. When they told me that they wouldn't approve the car at the check up there was no money for the solid ones. But i will fix a group buy of the ones from qrsport to sweden in a month or two.

...But you ppl say that the green ones are standard. Then I wonder, since they obviusly wasn't that on my ABY -94, do you have a washer mounted from factory between the topmount and the metalplate at top of the spring...? Because I belive the rubber is so tight to that plate that when you turn the whole thing is rotated...

If there ain't a washer originaly, would a washer affect the setup in some way so it becomes a weak link or so?

[Mikes2]

There is no washer between the top mount and the upper spring plate. The only part of the top mount which should rotate is the centre bearing.

I'd love to know how they can fail it for not rotating correctly. Do they have a specification for what the rotation should be ?

[NEO]

MIke: Yes. It must rotate easily. Otherwise there is a small risk that the steering wheel might get "locked" in a position while you're driving. But after the dude that checked my car had driven it for a lil while and tested the steering he said it was ok. But it wasn't "OK ok"... Just ok...

So when the car was lifted up and the wheels hanging down and he turned the wheele the spring was not following alont nicely but jumped around. So my 5 cents is that the top mount is to tall and gets a to good grip at the upper spring plate wich gives the whole construction a bit of a harsh movement...

[Henka]

NEO, you know, I had some funky top mounts on my '93 Avant. They were blue, but they sure as **** weren't the kind of blue top mounts that people referr to here. My blue top mounts rubbed like crazy, both on the bodyshell and on the strut. I changed to green ones and the difference between the top mounts that were on the car and the new green ones was really big. I remember reading somewhere a while ago that Dalhems started to sell top mounts that would lower the car like 10mm - my car got raised about 10mm with the new mounts. Not saying that you have the same problem as I did, I just had a similar problem. BTW - the bearing in the old top mounts felt unused - and that's cause the damn thing didn't reach the top of the damper - the outer part of the top mount sat on the top of the strut, thus the bearing was "unused". Check the p/n on that mount... Maybe we have the same deal here!

[PeterS]

neo:
the spring should NOT be jumping around...something is rotten in Denmark...err Sweden. :-)
The spring should be contained by the lower spring seat on the strut and the upper removeable one. Is it possible that the struts were not properly assembled?

[NEO]

Henka: I bought these myself at the Audi retailer Arver så it's original parts. But the ones that were mounted earlier were the blue ones and up "in the towers" it's painted blue, as you can see. The colour there ain't rubbed of from the top mounts themself since the colour on them are on the "inside" not the outer rubber that touches the body of the car...

PeterS: Of course the spring should not be jumping around. That's what whole this thread is about. Maybe i was a bit unclear though... I do not mean that the spring is doing somekind of Can Can dance at it's location. What I mean is that when the car is up in the air and the wheels hanging in the free and one steers towards one or another direction the spring and the whole assembly dosn't come along as smooth as it should. It comes along with resitance and makes small jumps in the spring plates wich ofcourse is followed with some noise. There is absolutley no problems what so ever to steer the car once it's on the ground or so. But since they will say the same thing next year at the annual check up I was a bit curious if anybody else had the same problem. So my thought was that the rubber around the topmount is geting a to good grip around the upper spring plate and that this should be what's making it a bit harsh...

I think i might have missed to inform you guys that the car is equiped with yellow koni's and blue H&R-springs.

[slow2]

Henka: I bought these myself at the Audi retailer Arver så it's original parts. But the ones that were mounted earlier were the blue ones and up "in the towers" it's painted blue, as you can see. The colour there ain't rubbed of from the top mounts themself since the colour on them are on the "inside" not the outer rubber that touches the body of the car...

PeterS: Of course the spring should not be jumping around. That's what whole this thread is about. Maybe i was a bit unclear though... I do not mean that the spring is doing somekind of Can Can dance at it's location. What I mean is that when the car is up in the air and the wheels hanging in the free and one steers towards one or another direction the spring and the whole assembly dosn't come along as smooth as it should. It comes along with resitance and makes small jumps in the spring plates wich ofcourse is followed with some noise. There is absolutley no problems what so ever to steer the car once it's on the ground or so. But since they will say the same thing next year at the annual check up I was a bit curious if anybody else had the same problem. So my thought was that the rubber around the topmount is geting a to good grip around the upper spring plate and that this should be what's making it a bit harsh...

I think i might have missed to inform you guys that the car is equiped with yellow koni's and blue H&R-springs.

Neo,i thought this was normal, in the past i have own 2coupes 83+88,1coupe Q 88,1 UR 86 and S2, all have had the same issue as above.when the car is up in the air and the wheels hanging in the free and one steers towards one or another direction the spring and the whole assembly are hanging on the top mount cap which has no bearings so causing the steering to have a dry draging effect

[Henka]

Yeah ok, I thought you had some top mounts on that didn't pass MOT and that you hadn't bought new ones yet. My mistake. Disregard my previous reply, man...