Strut Mount Bearing Durability?

1629 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by TalonFyre, Aug 7, 2013

TalonFyre

Discussion Starter · Aug 7, 2013

So I had a major suspension overhaul about 2 months ago where I got new springs, dampers, MM CC plates, and other stuff installed. About a month later, I noticed that I had a memory steer problem and some slight clunking noise/feel near the driver side strut whenever I turned the steering wheel more than 180 degrees. Two weeks after that, the clunking and memory steer got much worse and I took it back to my mechanic to take a look.

It turns out one of his underlings forgot to place the plastic bearing (which I assume is the one that typically falls apart and spills hundreds of ball bearings everywhere) that comes off the stock strut mounts between the MM CC plate and the top of the upper spring perch. Fortunately, I kept my stock mounts and saw that the bearing was still intact and just had him reassemble the strut assembly properly. After that, steering was all smooth, no more memory steer and clunking.

But after having seen that flimsy-looking plastic bearing...should I be concerned about how well that thing will hold up, especially on a lowered car? Is that part prone to failure, even after replacing the stock strut mounts? I'm wondering if I should have went with Steeda's 2011+ HD mounts instead since I heard it doesn't re-use the stock strut bearing.

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csamsh

· #2 · Aug 7, 2013

Here are the ones you should have gone with:

Vorshlag Ford '05-'14 S197 Mustang Aluminum Camber/Caster Plates & Perches - Vorshlag LLC

They use monster spherical bearings and a secondary sealed two-row radial bearing for the spring, taking lots of force off the top mount spherical bearing and preserving its life.

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T.Wayne

· #3 · Aug 7, 2013

Yes

The Steeda offering is complete and built. As far as the durability of the factory bearing the MM plate with maybe the GT500 strut bearing in case the one you have now wears out or becomes problematic.
Saves a little money if it's just a daily driver. But I agree with your Steeda statement as far as over all and complete componet.

T Wayne

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T.Wayne

· #4 · Aug 7, 2013

$$$$

Did not know Vorshlag updated. Looks well made.

T Wayne

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TalonFyre

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 7, 2013

Well, I should also mention that my car is in fact a DD that sees HPDE maybe once a quarter.

The Vorshlag does look awesome, but it would probably add too much NVH for me.

Are the GT500 strut bearings sold separate from the strut mounts themselves?

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csamsh

· #6 · Aug 7, 2013

TalonFyre said:
Well, I should also mention that my car is in fact a DD that sees HPDE maybe once a quarter.

The Vorshlag does look awesome, but it would probably add too much NVH for me.

Are the GT500 strut bearings sold separate from the strut mounts themselves?

Nope, no (very little) NVH. That's the great thing about the two-bearing system- the spherical doesn't actually have to do a whole lot other than keep the strut shaft located. The big radial ball bearing takes all the load from the spring.

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csamsh

· #7 · Aug 7, 2013

From Jason @Vorhslag

"The advantages of a Vorshlag plate over just about anything else...

We use a two bearing system to isolate turning forces from articulating movements. This allows the spherical bearing to only see the tilting movements and lets it last a very, very long time before replacements. We have a customer in Houston with more than 125k miles on a set of spherical bearing that are still in good shape. Keeping the spherical in good condition keeps it from clunking and making noise. That noise is a sign the spherical is worn out or has had the lining damaged. We also use an oversized spherical bearing to give us even more capacity to resist damage.

Our plates are modular. If you already own Vorshlag plates you can order just the conversion parts you need to fit them to a different set of struts or springs. If you damage them, we will sell just the parts to repair the damage.

With the exception of the lower radial bearing, all the parts in our camber plates are US made, and most of them are made within 50 miles of our shop. This way we have a close relationship with our suppliers and can monitor quality and make necessary changes without having to wait on the next slow boat from China."

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Arnie Anderson

· #8 · Aug 7, 2013

Vorshlag cc plates

I can also sing the praises of Vorshlag cc plates being top quality and quiet, as I just installed them on my mustang last week. I am extremely pleased with the performance and no noise at all !

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TalonFyre

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 7, 2013

LOL After I mentioned NVH, I actually came to this realization last night too. The MM CC Plates doesn't have anything to accommodate for NVH either (I think the bearing is just Teflon-lined) and there wasn't any significant increase in NVH from stock.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitely consider the Vorshlag in the future. They're pricier than MM/Steeda but I guess you get what you pay for. For now, I'm leaning toward just letting it be and see if any problems develop. From what I'm hearing, it doesn't sound like an inevitability that the stock bearing will fail that quickly. But I guess I'll know for sure after 1 or 2 track days.

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