ok guys, this time I have a more serious problem.

I have a TR sedan and I have recently bought all new KYB struts and King Springs (lows). I went to get them installed by the mechanic down the road from me and when i picked my car up on friday afternoon, i was told by the mechanic that they were "miss matched". Meaning the springs were too low for the struts. The springs move around an incredible amount and actually hit the side of the well. This happens mostly when turning slowly.

I bought the Struts and Springs from Phillcom Rally and while speaking to Shawn about this problem, he has assured me that they were it is the correct matching gear. (the wrong springs were sent originally, so they were sent back and the right ones sold to me). Shawn has even offered to personally fix the problem for me as he is certain that it is all the correct gear.

The question i am asking is that "what do you guys 'n' girls think is the cause for this if it is supposedly the right matched gear?
Here are some pictues of it whilst jacked up:
LEFT HAND SIDE
35808
35811
RIGHT HAND SIDE
35809
35810

can you jiggle the springs by hand? even when you have the car jacked up?

if its happening when turning, ill put 5 bucks on the local mechanic didnt great up the top hat before he put it back on the strut top (as you might be aware the entire strut assemble rotates when then wheel is turned, and pivots/twists righ t at the top, just under the plate that you see bolted to the strut towers under the hood.

I got my car back from the local mechanic the same way. He said they needed to bed in but 30 minutes later, grinding, and banging and hitting the wheel well.

They never greased up the joint properly, so when i would turn the strut would turn, but the spring (which is held in place by grippy rubber top hat) would stay still and the spring would jump out of its seat, then suddenly unload back into it.

Easy way to tell, jack the car up so the wheel is at full extention, and try and move the spring around in its seat. if you can only just move it and i mean not side to side, but just make its stir in its seat, its fine, as never/rarely will you ever get your car in this unloaded position.

If you can quite easily swivel it/move it around in its seat, then its possible you have the wrong springs. The fact you only have Lows i highly doubt they are too small unless they are front the wrong car, but surely a mechanic and the suplier wouldnt both mess up at the same time. unlikely.

I would say that your mechanic did not align the top plate to the bottom. There are allignement holes, if these are not lined up you will have exactly your issue, the strut top is hitting the inner strut tower

thanks guys.
-lynel- : even when the car is jacked and wheel is off, the springs are very firm and look to be in their seats.

I sent some pictues off to Shawn of Phillcom Rally and he has said that the top plate looks to be on backwards as there is a considerably larger gap on one side.
i will be going back to the guy tomorrow and telling him he will do it properly and free of charge :rant:

Jeesh! This is what passes as mechanics these days? Pathetic! Hope you get sorted asap!

how hard is it to use a marker on the bolt? im not even in the trade but commonsense must prevail somewhere... sometime

One of those things i guess... prolly nodding off towards the end of the day

well i suppose this counts as an update sort of thing:

took the car down today and let him speak to Shawn himself to help with sorting the issue. We jacked the car and turned turned to wheels to find the whole strut assembly moving. Has been narrowed to a possible siezed bearing under the top hat. The mechanic is going to see if the bearings are siezed and if so, is going to "unsieze" them.

-lynel- : i had been thinking that until i found out that he had actually been bitten by a redback under the rear of my car.

In short; problem should hopefully be getting fixed very soon!

Rubbish, the top spring plate is supposed to move, if he saying it is not tell him to go back to his butchers shop. Top bearings do not just seize because they feel like it. If they have then he stuffed up when he installed it all

There are in both the top spring plate and the lower plate a 10mm hole, these HAVE TO LINE UP! if they do not then the top plate will hit the inside of the strut tower.

If the top bearing is seized, the whole spring will be trying to twist itself and when you let your hands of the wheel, especially when in the air, the wheel will spring back with force and the spring will almost be jumping out of the plates!

that was close, almost lost my 5bucks hahaha

they wont be seized, they will just be un-lubed... most mechanics wipe the goop off before they start playing around with them, and if they forget to put it on its almost a given this will happen.

well after all the bull.... stuff ...
i got the car back today. He pulled the top hats off and cleaned the bearings and adjusted them supposedly. still makes the noised but not so bad.
am going to source some newer top hats to be safe and take the car to Phillcom's workshop and get them to do it as they will have more knowledge.

BTW ... anyone know how to tell them difference between the top hats as apparently there are 2 (two) different types?
the guy i am sourcing them from atm has 2 but not sure on what one will be more suited for me