The short version: I want to install a ~1/4” spacer between the front upper shock mounts & underside of the inner fenders. I’d prefer something lighter than steel, and easy to fabricobble with a drill press & dremel. Aluminum could work, but would any plastics be lighter/cheaper/easier to work, while still being strong enough?
Why? Because my front suspension is maxed out at ~4” clearance to the pinch welds and I’d like to get a little more ride height.
An old poly bushing? Something you may have laying around. Slice and dice it.
HDPE is a pretty common material for strut spacers, sheets of it are cheap, and I'm told it's easy to work with.
The ones I installed in a customer's 1000mi old WRX were clear plastic.
I have used hockey pucks as spring spacers before.
In short, don't overthink it.
Hmm... I was planning on making something wide enough that both mounting bolts would bolt through it & thus the load would be distributed through the same area of the inner fender as it would stock. Does that sound like overkill?
What suspension are you using that you end up so low?
Edit: Looked in your build thread and I don't see why it would be that low with 6" springs. My SpecMiata was set at 5.25" to the pinch seam and would easily go higher . Are your shock bodies shorter than stock?
In the picture in the build thread are the shocks fully extended? You should be able to turn up the perches unless you're already at full extension, then use the stock top hats and you should gain some height.
Cutting board plastic
In reply to DeadSkunk :
Yes, the front & rear shocks are fully extended now. In retrospect I should have got 2-pairs of 1” ISC upper mounts instead of a pair of 1” & pair of 1.5”. I’d considered swapping them front to rear, but I don’t want to lower the rear 1/2” either.
If I can space the front mounts down 1/4”, then lower the rear 1/4”, that’ll put me at 4-1/4” ride height front & rear, which should be ok.
In reply to Patrick :
I’ve heard people talk about IKEA cutting boards, but I’ve never been anywhere near one of their stores. I suppose Walmart might stock something like that though?
Patrick said:Cutting board plastic
Yep. It’s more expensive per unit that way, but far more convenient to run to Walmart or Target instead of a local plastic shop and have them sell you one square foot.
In reply to Pete Gossett :
Yeah looks like $7.97 and you can have one tonight if you’re just chomping at getting it done
In reply to Patrick :
I’m not eager, but maybe after Cars & Coffee tomorrow morning.
You should be able to get cutting boards at the dollar store.
In reply to Suprf1y :
Our local dollar store is the ghetto, like the store it’s self. It’s a rough place. I picked the one Pat found this morning, so I’ll work on them this week & hopefully install them when the car is in the air for the exhaust.
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