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Hey guys, has anyone successfully used 1g DSM top hats on their CSM struts? Reason I ask is because I no longer have the stock CSM ones and using the DSM ones are causing the spring to hit the inner fender. Now I know the stock hats and struts have to be aligned with eachother but I'm not sure if I'm having an alignment issue or the fact that the DSM ones simply won't work. thanks!

this is the only person I know of who has attempted it..cause dsm uses a 3 bolt tophat... http://www.4g61t.org/forum/viewtopic.ph ... at#p253684

you need to read thru that thread and modify it to suit your needs....

personally i would just find a set of csm ones at a junk yard.. i think the elantras use the 2 bolt also..but not positive.. or buy some universal pillow ball ones off ebay for like 100 bucks where u drill ur own hole like these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Cambe ... 2c&vxp=mtr

Steve

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Steve 89 colt 2.3 stroker stock top end. evo3@20 psi 13.489@99.30mph 3/10 2012
On drag radials.auto trans.launching @ 5 psi and no traction thru 2nd.

Sorry Steve I used the wrong terminology there, I meant the top spring retainer not top hat. That information was helpful though, and way too much of a hassle lol

If the hole in the lower spring perch and upper spring perches are lined up, then you don't have the spring bulging out into the fender area. I put it in backwards, twice now over the years. Then figured this out more recently and set it to memory. Mitsu's and others use the hole in the perches to line up on the outside of the spring assembly, meaning directly inline with the side that bolts into the knuckle.

Not sure if the DSM top hats are the same style as the CSM/Elantras or not, but you could run into an issue where the spring is not oriented into exactly the same spots in the perches, top/bottom. Then you could have noise.

Where did the front perches go?

I had both my DSM and CSM suspension dismantled at the same time. When I reassembled I couldn't remember which perches go with what car, and had to find out the hard way. I ended up scouring the garage and found the CSM perches (thank God!) Looks like I'll be doing another dismantling, hopefully this fixes all the front end noise I've been having!

On a side note, 1G DSM AWD springs ride amazing on CSM KYB GR2's. I'm going to try AWD struts and springs in the rear and CSM KYB's up front with DSM springs cut 1 coil. Right now it looks like it's in 4x4 mode.

It's not going to ride amazing anymore. There's no cheap/easy way to have a CSM that rides well and also sits at an appropriate (lowered) ride height.

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91 GSX - 511fwhp and 352 lb/ft 25psi 110 octane, 7.68 @ 95.9mph 1/8th 21psi 91 octane, 11.93 @ 112.9mph, 117.7mph best trap speed, 20psi 91 octane
98 Volvo S70 T5 - DD

http://www.facebook.com/captaintonus

It's just a weekend toy so ride quality isn't entirely important. What is important though is staying off the bump stops during hard cornering which probably won't happen with like 2" of travel and 150-175 rate springs.. Maybe I'll keep it 4x4...

Yes, travel is a major concern...and I think DSM struts are taller than CSM struts, which decreases travel even more, but adds some stiffness. I would leave it alone, frankly. One coil removed doesn't hurt that much. Two coils certainly hurts, a LOT

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91 GSX - 511fwhp and 352 lb/ft 25psi 110 octane, 7.68 @ 95.9mph 1/8th 21psi 91 octane, 11.93 @ 112.9mph, 117.7mph best trap speed, 20psi 91 octane
98 Volvo S70 T5 - DD

http://www.facebook.com/captaintonus

Very much agreed. I have never dealt with cut springs, but DSM front springs have very few coils to begin with. Cutting 1 coil would equate to the spring being 3" shorter. That's a big drop and would practically be on the bump stops without compression. A CSM KYB that compressed before stroke would definitely blow out.

Great video! I hadn't seen it before

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91 GSX - 511fwhp and 352 lb/ft 25psi 110 octane, 7.68 @ 95.9mph 1/8th 21psi 91 octane, 11.93 @ 112.9mph, 117.7mph best trap speed, 20psi 91 octane
98 Volvo S70 T5 - DD

http://www.facebook.com/captaintonus

I ran into this exact issue about a month ago. I did not have the original Colt upper spring perches and had to end up running DSM upper spring perches. You can ID between a DSM upper spring perch and Colt upper spring perch quite easily. The DSM has a raised portion where the end of the upper spring will rest. The Colt upper spring perch does not have this and is perfectly circular. It also uses a rubber insulator that the DSM upper spring perch does not have.

I swapped 1g AWD KYB AGX shocks all around. I went with stock AWD DSM springs in the rear and AWD DSM lowering springs up front. Car sits excellent and suspension is nice and tight.

In the video posted previously, pay close attention to matching up the alignment holes in the strut base and upper spring perch, and be sure this doesn't move when you tighten the assembly. I'm almost positive that if you have these lined up properly you can use either the DSM or Colt upper spring perch without issue. When I first installed the front struts on my Colt, I did not align these holes and upper spring and perch would hit the inner fender well. I ordered a few Colt upper spring perches before I realized I had not aligned these. In the end, I went with the Colt upper perches merely because I had ordered them.

Hope it all works out for you!

Thanks! I put in the AWD DSM struts and springs in the rear today for giggles and I love the stiffness. I figured for the fun of it I'll cut 1 coil off the stock front springs. I cut the bottom coil off and noticed the springs now barely touches the bottom perch let alone sit in it... Guys who are/have ran cut front springs, is this how they sit for you? I don't feel comfortable at all driving the car like that and will get lowering springs for the front.

H&R springs Germany. 35mm drop or
110kw rating, means ~149HP rated. So, I think they meant fine for GTi's and turbo cars.
They have hopefully got the correct harmonic in place to make the car sail over bumps without feeling "tilty" or easily upset by this situational change.
I believe that Coltixim was using these, but I would have to search his member thread again.
I would be buying these but I may have something else in the works ...
If that something else works out, I may have my suspension for sale.
B&G Colt/Mirage specific 1.6" drop with stock GR2's, brand new upper mount (front x1) and new bump stops all around. New rear struts, front a couple of years old now.
I just cleaned up the springs the past spring and repainted them in the front. They are a matching set however.
Go figure ...

Anywho, it would be great to see your setup workout either way.

P.S. Know anyone from the GTA with a Colt that could drive to Brampton? Relates to this suspension system setup I am looking to have done by HotBits. I cross posted on Club DSM also, as a few Colts still reside solely on that site. One is for sale right now in Toronto/area, and he used to frequent here.
PM me if you have any leads.

I seen the one for sale on the DSM site, other than that one, I don't know of any others besides ours.

I just finished up the suspension, and it's a great budget set up. the rear is only lower by a 1/4" and it feels very planted and controllable in the corners, roll is minimal while still being comfortable.
I ended up taking out 1 1/4 coils off the front and trimming the front bumpstops half an inch. It was easier to use the CSM top spring perches to line up the alignment holes.
I was nervous about the spring not sitting properly, being cut and all, so I drilled a small hole in the bottom perch and placed a metal tie wrap to hold the spring properly in place until everything was put together and spring compressors removed. Worked very well and have no worries about the spring moving around.