Check this out - for already done procedure~ you dont need the top threaded
at all.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/printthread.php?s=62244d65bf4f6b120af1565661b19347&threadid=337896&perpage=20
Joel
"N8N" <njnagel@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:1182021726.418427.42680@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Jun 15, 6:49 pm, N8N <njna...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Follow up to original post below... please note that this is
>> crossposted to alt.autos.****sche.944
>>
>> Cliff's notes/background: I purchased a used (read: junk) pair of
>> each flavor of strut off eBay for the express purpose of mocking up my
>> proposed mod. If it works out, I'll probably have the late style
>> strut housings powdercoated, and install a pair of Bilstein cartridge
>> inserts. And I'll be all proud of myself and stuff. The followup is
>> a copy of a post to a thread on the pelican parts forums. I'll post
>> lots of pics on my web site if this actually works, with a lawyer
>> proof disclaimer of course if anyone is suicidally insane enough to
>> try this on their own vehicle, or worse yet, perform this mod for a
>> paying customer.
>>
>>
>>
>> Nate Nagel wrote:
>> > Hopefully some machinist will read this who also has enough knowledge
>> > of
>> > cars that this post will make sense.
>>
>> > I own a 1988 ****sche 944. The front struts are unitized; that is,
the
>> > caps that hold the inserts into the housing are crimped on. I can
only
>> > replace them as a complete unit. They're made by Sachs/Boge, which
is
>> > not a big plus in my book.
>>
>> > Earlier cars used a threaded cap at the top of the strut tube to hold
>> > the insert in. Those struts are rebuildable by unscrewing the cap
and
>> > simply replacing the insert. Bilstein makes inserts for these
struts,
>> > and new Bilstein inserts are significantly cheaper than the new
>> > Sachs/Boge assemblies. (win/win, better dampers *and* cheaper too!)
>>
>> > From what I've been told, the two assemblies are not directly
>> > interchangeable due to differences in the way they mount to the
>> > steering
>> > knuckle (there were some suspension geometry changes between the '86
>> > and
>> > '87 model years, when the non-rebuildable struts were introduced.)
>>
>> > So here's why I'm posting to this newsgroup and not an automotive
group
>> > - I have a pair of '87-88 style struts that are shot. I paid $20 to
>> > have them ****pped to me so I could play with them (so if I screw them
>> > up, I'm out the cost of a semi-expensive dinner.) I have my
suspicions
>> > that if I grind the crimped caps off of them that I will find that
they
>> > are otherwise identical to the earlier struts in terms of the tube
and
>> > insert. If that is the case, would it be possible to simply have a
>> > machinist cut threads in the top of the strut housing tubes? I'm not
>> > sure what the implications are of trying to turn something this big
and
>> > unbalanced in a lathe, is that a problem?
>>
>> > If you can tell me that this *should* work, I'm going to try to find
a
>> > set of junk early struts as well, and will gleefully start cutting
>> > stuff
>> > up :)
>>
>> > thanks,
>>
>> > nate
>>
>> Well, I just got my early struts a few minutes ago... it looks like
>> they would bolt right on to my car EXCEPT that the lower mounting hole
>> is about 1/4" or so off from the later ones. Just enough that I
>> wouldn't feel comfortable opening it up/welding a washer on - it would
>> be awful close to the edge of the bracket.
>>
>> At a glance, the only other major difference I can see is the strut
>> bearings (obviously) and the brake line bracket (welded on at a
>> different angle.) The tubes appear to be similar in diameter so I'm
>> still keeping my fingers crossed.
>>
>> One of the late struts appears to have been in a fire - fuel line
>> maybe? - spring is sagged and bump stop is melted but the other
>> appears to have been recently rebuilt (bump stop and little plastic
>> cup are intact, and I swear there's cosmoline around the cap threads)
>> so I have high hopes that I will be able to unscrew the cap and
>> extract the cartridge for a trial fit in a late style housing.
>>
>> I'm going to try to work on this tomorrow as I am leaving for a
>> Studebaker meet in South Bend, IN on Tuesday; if I can get all my
>> questions answered I might be able to leave my pieces parts with a
>> machinist friend that lives in Fort Wayne.
>>
>> Note to self - make sure camera is in car when going over to friend's
>> garage to destroy these @[EMAIL PROTECTED]
late struts!
>>
>> Stay tuned...
>>
>> nate
>>
>> -warming up the angle grinder and other implements of destruction -
>> woo hoo!-
>>
>> -this is what happens when you let a cheap ass Studebaker owner work
>> on a ****sche-
>
> Bad news... doesn't work. To make a long story short, the strut
> assemblies are at a glance identical, but upon closer examination are
> subtly different in almost every dimension. I had to try, however,
> because I just hate getting a "good" idea and not following up on it.
>
> - the tubes of the struts are slightly different in diameter. The
> 87-88 ones are about 1/8" larger in diameter than the earlier ones.
>
> - the bolt pattern is different, the holes in the early struts are
> slightly closer together.
>
> - the pocket that the steering knuckle fits into is slightly wider on
> the early struts.
>
> - the tubes are slightly longer on the late struts. (that alone
> wouldn't have been a problem; I could have just cut them shorter)
>
> So... it appears that for an 87-88 owner there are only two options.
>
> 1) buy original Sachs/Boge struts for about $240 apiece - I don't
> consider this to be an acceptable option because of the bad
> experiences I've had with Sachs/Boge products in the past.
>
> 2) Get the Koni inserts designed for the late struts - there was a how
> to with pics posted just a couple weeks ago on these.
>
> Option 2) makes me a little nervous as it seems that once you go down
> that road you're at the mercy of Koni for as long as you own your car;
> they're the only one that makes inserts for the late struts. But right
> now it looks like the only game in town.
>
> I'll post pics later tonight just to clarify the above, but I didn't
> get very far as as soon as I knocked the cap off the first Sachs
> strut, I could see that I was done.
>
> I had such high hopes for this idea too...
>
> nate
>
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