Strut spacers/Lower front/Ackerman improvement

[ddewhurst]

1st gen RX-7 Strut spacers

When you folks procured Strut spacers & followed the SELLERS instructions to the LETER what issues surfaced ? Did the bolts that were provided fit per the sellers instructions ? Were you required to re-drill the holes larger than the sellers instructions ? Did you grind the holes larger between the holes so that the provided bolts would fit ?

If you measured the strut & or steering arm hole center distance what was the dimension ?

If you measured the strut spacer hole center distance what was the dimension ?

Thank you
David

[ddewhurst]

What's up 1st gen folks ? The CAT got your tongue ?

My 1985 1st gen RX-7 strut, spare strut & steering arm center distance is 3.160 inches.

The parts house strut spacer measures 3.125 inches.

This folks when you follow the written instructions will give you an .035 interference fit. & he says I am the only customer who ever complained.

Are we having Fun
David

[Festus E. Simkins]

Don't know what brand you are using but the G-force turn-in spacers I got went on just like the instructions said they would. I had the strut surfaces machined like Susko says you should. I had to use 1 more washer than he said could be used on one top socket head bolt on each strut. You really don't know exactly how much the machine shop mills off. However, you don't want any of the bolts to bottom out.

I took everything off the car and trial fit it before I installed the struts back on the car. Made sure there were no interference problems. The only problem (?) I had was one of my brake cooling ducts interferred with one of the top socket head bolts. Judisus use of a ball peen hammer took care of that problem.

A great side benefit of the installation is now I can get a socket on the backing plate bolts without having to remove the lower strut bolts.

The struts I am using are the ones from Mazda Comp. My car is a 1979 but the sturts are 1983. When I built the car back in '96 I decided not to mess with getting the stock stuts modified. Hell, the cost of the welding was almost the same as the new struts cost. (The rip you off on welding around here.) Anyway, I figured that I would start with all new struts.

Drive well.

[ddewhurst]

Festus, let me say that the parts house where I procured the strut spacers is not in Florida. it's not in Kansas & it's not in California. Beleive me I had a machine shop modify the struts per the written instructions to the nats a$$. Might I add that the instructions are written very well.

The parts house guy said "we'll work with you" out of one side of his mouth & out of the other side of his mouth he said "you are the only customr that ever complained". You know where it went from there. (in the sewer)
He said the strut spacer hole center to each other is 3.125 inches & I said that does me a lot of good because my parts all measure 3.160 inches. That my friend is .035 interference (his instructions spec to drill the existing holes to 1/2 inch diameter for 1/2 inch diameter bolts) & when a parts house or anyone else sells something that is at fault they have some customer damage to get control of. This parts house guy has a out of control calvalier attitude. An attitude as in me the great Mazda 1st gen suspension parts pedler would make a mistake. Ya dam right he made a mistake & if he had any manhood he would at least admitt he made a mistake. My bet is that since our phone conversation on Monday he has measured an 85 RX-7 strut & found the strut to measure 3.160 inches.

Thanks for the drive well. I will as the conversion from Spec-7 to ITA/7 is partial complete & the weekend of June 5th & 6th at the Farm.

I have forgot where you race. Do you do Memphis ?

Still having Fun
David

Dave, I didnt machine anything, of course I put the spacers that my local laser cutter made me on a 81 strut assy. say, you wouldnt using GSL SE struts?

[ddewhurst]

Daryl, I was not using GSL SE struts.....

1. I am using GS struts.

2. I am using GS struts.

3. I am using GS struts.

4. I am using GS struts.

5. I am using GS struts.

6. I am using GS struts.

7. I am using GS struts.

I thought saying it 7 times had a nice ring to it.

Upon my first call to the parts house guy & discussing the interference (before I measure the parts) he said "just put some die marker inside the hole & grind a bit."

The parts house guy telling an engineer who designed special automated equipmet for his entire career to grind it out a bit didn't set well.

That's when the measuring started.

What would you think about a class action against this parts house guy. My only reason would be to force the parts house guy to admitt he is in error & that I'm not the only customer who procured his $hit that didn't fit a 1985 RX-7. Would that be

Have Fun
David


[This message has been edited by ddewhurst (edited May 28, 2004).]

[Festus E. Simkins]

Dave,

Yea, I do Memphis. I'll be spectating this weekend. Though I had the car ready to go but found a LARGE crack in the exhaust manifold and two large holes in the exhaust pipes right next to the fuel cell. I guess 1650 degrees F will do that. Didn't have time to get it fixed correctly.

If you haven't gotten Jim Susko's book on the 1st gen RX-7 I would recommend you consider it. It is well worth the $75 price tag. While I haven't developed my car as far as he describes I sneaking up on it a little at a time. His prices seem competitive and so far everything fits the way he says it should. No major hassels at all.

I'm a lot like you. Although not an enginer I sure as heck don't like having to modify and jury rig stuff that is suppose to be a bolt on fit. You know sometimes you are just wrong and need to admit it and move on to fix the problem. Unfortunately, some people/businesses have a real problem with that and just want blame someone else. Hell, you may have been the only guy that has ever had a problem with their product but you are having a problem and they should want to help you figure it out and fix it. It would help them keep a customer and hopefully prevent you from warning everyone you know about what a "jerk" they are being.

I tend to listen to my friends about bad experiences they have had with businesses and avoid doing business them.

Drive well.

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by Festus E. Simkins:
Dave,

If you haven't gotten Jim Susko's book on the 1st gen RX-7 I would recommend you consider it. It is well worth the $75 price tag. While I haven't developed my car as far as he describes I sneaking up on it a little at a time. His prices seem competitive and so far everything fits the way he says it should. No major hassels at all.
Drive well.

Well, now this gets interesting...

Either I am confused...really confused, or Mr Simkins missed reading between the lines....

BTW, I have not experienced the same issue.



------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[ddewhurst]

Festus, I bought the book Jim authored in 1997 or so.

Jake, I like Festus a bunch (never met him face to face altho I may need to tow on down to Memphis this summer/fall & meet him.)& you are correct he didn't read between the lines. Festus, read between the lines will ya.....

If anyone is curious who the parts house is if you throw out a parts house name I will tell you who it IS NOT.

Have Fun
David

[Dave Damouth]

Dang, you're an angry old cuss!

I have an 84, same as yours. I'll measure some stuff and get back to you. But I've never had a problem with mine, or with the vendor. Did you measure center to center before or after you enlarged the holes?

Info only: The GSL-SE strut housing is the same as the 12a strut housings. No chance of a mixup there. But as with any 20 year old car, any number of things could be wrong.

Are the spacers you have the new style billet ones or the older style welded ones? Mine are welded.

[ddewhurst]

Dave, yep I can be an angry old cuss when a parts house guy talks out of both sides of his mouth with ZERO thoughts of meeting his customers expectations. My expectations are simple no matter where I procure parts. Rcae parts or other parts. If many of the people reading this think it's sour grapes they ought to answer the question of how they would feel if they bought a new part to repair the wash machine with two holes & the friken holes didn't align with the wash machine. The friken hole centers HAD BETTER be the same in the parts I purchase as the car I told the parts house guy they will be assembled to. If there were 16 holes & a couple didn't fit correct it's no big deal. But when there are 2 (two) holes I would have thought it's kind of simple to have the correct hole centers. I measured before all the holes were opened up to the recomended 1/2 inch size per the parts house written instructions. Hey, parts from two different cars. It must be me the customer who is wrong. It couldn't be the parts pedler.

Oh, I have the new style.

Have ya raced yet this year ?

Have Fun
David

[ddewhurst]

I have a confession to ya all. Mr. Damouth has suggested that I take a refresher course in measuring. My measurement of 3.160 inches is not correct. I remeasured & the dimension is 3.149 inches. That would be only .024 interferenc & the nucking parts still don't fit together.

The truths of David

[This message has been edited by ddewhurst (edited June 02, 2004).]

[Festus E. Simkins]

Duh!

I feel like the guy who jumped off a 20 story building and as he passed each floor someone heard him say..."So far, So good."

or

The guy who took off all his clothes and jumped into a cactus patch. When asked why he did it he responded... "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

Drive well.