Audi 4000 Rally Mod - need your advice

[Vittorio Bares]

> 2.	Do I need to fab a new spring retaining plate, or can I match it
> directly to the hard mount?

The spring plate is held to the strut top shaft by the funky castle nut.

  It does not touch the car body.  Remember that the strut assembly has 
to be able to "move" in two dimensions where it meets the strut tower.

[VB] Agreed, the idea is to eliminate the castle nut and the rubber top
mount. Use the nut that originally clamps the top hat to the strut mount
to clamp the new hard mount to the spring plate. Then bolt the hard
mount from the bottom to the new strut tower plate. You probably need a
picture, but my concern is if the spring plate can take the abuse if
matched directly to the hard mount. I may need a new design on the
spring plate.

> 3.	I'm thinking that getting the hole centered in the same way as
> stock, and the height of the top spring retaining plate are the most
> important aspects in order not to alter the geometry in any way.

Sounds about right.  You will want the strut top to be at exactly the 
same height as stock (that will place the spring plate correctly, with a

stock size strut).  Then you do an alignment and hope you got the plate 
close enough to the right place to allow it to be adjusted to the right 
place.

Sounds like an odd job, though - isn't the "next step up" from the basic

strut setup to install coilovers?

[VB] Yup, there are now 2 companies that make them for the 4k - 2B and
034. 2B uses Koni and O34 uses KW. They are relatively expensive and do
not take care of the top-mount issue and have relatively small diameter
shafts. Thanks to another poster, there is a semi-hard mount alternative
out there  (http://www.vintageaudiperformance.com/)

[VB] I think my real dilemma is whether to drop $2k-$3k on custom
coilovers into a $6k car...or, come up with something creative such that
I can carry spares without having to sell one of my kids ;)

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/