[Widgmaster]

I have adjustable KYB-AGX struts and Tein lowering springs .. I order strut bellows and bump stops but they do not fit.. The set I have are from Monroe and they say they fit form 00 to 05 but i can not get the bump stop past the little black collar near the top of the strut . I did a search here and found information but with no definite answer .
Is there any one with this same set up .. can you point me to the correct bellow and bump...
2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Suspension Strut Bellows | TheWrenchMonkey Canada

 

[Sisyphus58]

Maybe a silly question, but why did you buy the bellow set from Monroe instead of the set from KYB, since you have KYB struts, right?

 

[Widgmaster]

That is not a silly question... and to answer all I can say is "A fool and his money are easily parted " I ordered these bellows from Rockauto . If I had checked further into the details of the product I would have seen they do not fit my Eclipse or the KYB struts... At MitsubishiParts.com the bump stop is discontinued . The KYB bellows they offer at Rockauto.com is the same part number for both front and rear. The shaft on the front strut is twice the size of the rear so I can`t see how these would work . MitsubishiParts.com show the bump stops (which have been discontinued ) have different numbers and this is what is confusing me. I now have about $150 tied up in strut bellows that are useless to me. This is the reason I call out to my fellow 3G`ers

 

[Sisyphus58]

Maybe the black collar is removable?
I have preloaded Monroe quick-struts waiting to be put on my car and I looked at them closely. It appears that black collar would need to come off in order to slide the bump stop down the shaft. That collar sits flush against the mount when fully assembled, which makes sense, so either that collar is removable somehow or you have to really stretch the bump stop over it, using a lube that wont harm the rubber. I looked at some sites and the bellows/bump stop kit for the KYB Agx does appear to be the same for front and rear. I dont think the bellow diameter is an issue, though, but the bump stop hole diameter would be if the strut upper shaft diameter is different between the front and rear. However, since the bump stop is rubber, it shouldnt be that difficult to just drill/enlarge the hole to fit the larger diameter shaft.

 

[Widgmaster]

Thank you for your response but I do not believe the black collar is removable .. The assembly of the rear strut has a cup that sit over the bump stop and the hole in it is only big enough to bring it down to that black collar so I assume the bump stop must go past this mark... I have been working on this problem for a year now with no luck. .. There is nothing wrong with the struts in the car now but I am trying to lower it a bit to get rid of the gap between the tire and fender. Right now it looks like a 4x4..

 

[Sisyphus58]

IMHO, if you cant return the ones you bought, then you might as well modify them to make them work. Drilling the holes out on the bump stops will not affect their performance or purpose. In fact, it is better that they be loose on the upper shaft as long as you secure the bottom of the boot to the strut with a clamp. It is more important to not let the lower section of the shaft to become exposed. And the structure of the boot will keep the bump stop high enough on the shaft without having to secure it at the top (you want the top to remain free, otherwise it may tear if the strut expands too much). The bump stop isnt even needed until the very rare occasion where the strut bottoms out, like when you're playing Dirty Harry and going air-borne on the hilly streets of San Francisco. LOL

I may very well regret going with Monroe Quick-Struts on my 05 Spyder GT, but the installation is so much easier. And yeah, that 4x4 look is a little annoying, but I could always replace the springs to lower it no more than 1.5 - 2.0 inches without getting too involved with camber kits and worrying about wearing out my new axles. My priority right now is getting it repainted and routine maintenance. And when the mileage on this engine (only 90k) gets high enough, I'll think about getting real courageous and try my very first engine swap, assuming the frame withstands these northeastern winters.

 

[Widgmaster]

Every thing you said makes perfect sense... I did see a guy on You Tube that put a zip tie at the bottom of the boot . and when he installed this the bump stop looked loose so it traveled easy on the shaft . This was done on a completely different vehicle but I assume it would work the same on any car... Also i saw a video where the guy explains where to cut the original bump stop to work with lowering springs. He said if you lower it 1 1/2 " the you need to cut that same amount from the bump stop.. Again I did`t pay much attention because it was not on a Mitsubishi .. and I can`t remember if he installed the top or bottom of that bump stop... I guess what I am saying is I did not want to cut / assemble / install any thing until I saw it done on a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT. Money don`t come easy so I did not want to mess any thing up and have to replace what I already purchased... I will be prepared with caster / camber kits just in case they are needed when I go for a wheel alignment..
You have been very helpful to me ( only one that responded to my post ) with pertinent information ...Thank you
Best of luck with the paint job and maintenance.. Again ............Thank You

 

[Sisyphus58]

I wasn't even thinking about shortening the bump stop to accommodate for lowering springs, but that would make sense too. Obviously you would cut off the top of the bump stop, not the bottom bc you need that lip to fit snug on the bellow. I noticed that the length of the bellows is different from brand to brand, so that might make a difference in how much you cut off the bump stop. I doubt its an exact science, and again, its highly unlikely the strut will ever compress that much where the length of the bump stop will matter significantly. Keep in mind that cutting the bump stop will affect its cushioning strength, right? And it being too short might let the shaft compress possibly too much and blow your strut. So it probably shouldn't be shortened more than half its original length. I don't think the KYBs are designed for lowering springs, but obviously others here on Club3G have done it and have had good results, though I'd bet their struts wear out faster. But since money is a concern for you, buying good quality coilovers is not an option.
Anyway, watch out for those speed bumps after you lower it!!! There are actually quite a few in my town, including at the school where I work, not to mention the ruts in the dirt roads I often travel on to my fishing spots...so lowering mine is kinda impractical.

 

[Widgmaster]

Here is the whole story .. Tein lowering springs drop the car 1 1/2 " The original tire is 215 / 50 / 17 = 25.5 " tire ....... If I run 215 / 65 / 17 = 28.0 " tire that will raise the body back up 1 1/4 "
The difference is only 2 1/5" in tire height which would equate to 1 1/4 " either side of the rim to raise the car back up again ..and with difference in tire height and the lowering spring I should be able to get rid of that ugly 4x4 look. There may be a chance the tires could rub on the inside so I may need to use a wheel spacer to bring it out again.. Now there may be a chance the tires will rub on the outside so I may need to roll the fender well lip... Are we having fun yet ... I will be taking picture , maybe even a video.. of each step in my process so I can add it to the site . I want to have all my ducks in a row so I don't make a dame fool of myself...Parts / procedures / step by step... that`s my goal with known results . Did I mention a may upgrade my ECM to an 02 so I can ...oh .. never mind..
Thank you for all your assistance ..

 

[Sisyphus58]

It sounds like you've put a lot of thought and time into how you want it to look. I'm thinking it might be easier and cheaper to just mod the fenders, esp the fronts, to close up the extra space...maybe research some flare kits, or better yet, fabricate custom ones. With what they're able to do with 3D printing these days, anything is possible.
Btw, going with a higher tire ratio(65) might be a possibility with your abx struts/ springs, but not with stock. The stock front springs actually overhang the top of my front tires, so a taller ratio tire would rub without using a spacer. I think that's why guys typically go with bigger rims and lower ratio tires instead, not to mention the affect on the speedo and mileage, which I personally dont care about, but some tire shops do, even to the point of refusing to mount anything outside of oem specs.
As for myself, the best mod I've done was not performance related, but rather along the lines of comfort and aesthetics, and that was replacing my cloth seats with leather ones with lumbar support. My constantly aching back can now better handle the rather mediocre stock suspension.
Which reminds me, are your beige/red seats from the factory or custom? They look good in regards to contrast!!! And I noticed you have dual exhaust...is the second one just a dummy or is it an aftermarket?
Anyway, def post up some pics/vids when you make up your mind how to approach all this. I'm semi-retired and have more time and interest in car things lately....and I'm not worried about looking like a damn fool!!! LOL

 

[Widgmaster]

One thing I have learned in life is to have patients ... you know...measure twice --cut once .. I did try with a body kit and ended up with a bunch of crap that sit`s on my balcony . I was only able to use the front bumper lip .. The side skirts need to much body work to be used and the same with the rear bumper lip.. There are no clips on either so how the heck do you mount them. I am not a body man and it`s to expensive to have this done. The kit itself was not that much money but to have it shipped to me from Cali was nearly $600.
I am a retired upholsterer of 45 years. I re-upholstered the seats myself . They are Tan Plush velour with swede inserts . I also installed a new top .
Yes.. my car will have a simulated dual exhaust .. The picture you see in my profile is a mock up of what needs to be done. I have already cut the bumper for the second muffler and it will be installed when the car comes out of storage... The muffler shop recommended the Dynomax turbo thrush mufflers . It will be a working muffler to simulate a dual exhaust system. I will get a video of the before and after sounds.. I want a throaty sound with a bit of low drown .. not that fart can the kid`s are using nor do I want it to sound like my sewing machine .
All in all I am going for the look of the vehicle ... don`t care for performance ... I just want it to look good. My bud said I should be able to pick up the chicks when it`s all done.. I said " I`m about to turn 70 years old.. yea .. I could throw her walker in the trunk and off we go .

 

[Widgmaster]

I was finally able to assemble a front and rear strut using the Monroe bump stops . after watching a number of youtube videos on this subject and with help from @Sisyphus58 .

 

[Sisyphus58]

Nice job... but dont sue me if anything goes wrong. LOL

btw, I thought those were agx but I dont see any adjusting dials on them???

 

[Widgmaster]

There are two type of AGX ... one has the dial you mention and the other has a slot in the top with numbers 1 to 4. 1 being soft and 4 being firm ... This is adjusted with a short screwdriver supplied ..All of the struts where set at 2 and I left it there
I got good news from my storage unit.. I can get my car on Thursday...
First I will get my exhaust done and the tackle the struts ...
Now that I know the assembly procedure I will take some pics of the steps to completion .

 

[Widgmaster]

Just thought I would mention I intend on lengthening the strut boots. I will cut the top part that holds the bump stop and then split it down the middle.. I can then slid it into the spring unit and it should snap back into shape and wrap around the other one. With the accordion type shape it should stay in place . I would like to have the whole shaft covered..

 

[Sisyphus58]

Once the struts are installed, they will compress (break in) over a coupla days and you might find that one boot will cover enough. I dont think splitting a boot is a good idea, and definitely wouldnt do it on the bottom section of the shaft. I suppose it might help above the bump stop a bit, but now you're talking zip ties to hold it together and its probably overkill anyway. Maybe wait till you see how much the car settles before getting crazy? Or keep playing and come up with a patent design that will make you millions!!!
Good luck.

 

[Widgmaster]

Very good point.. I will wait to see what they look like..