Chas

It's almost like being on Question time with the amount of questions I am throwing over at the moment. Sometimes from me overlooking certain aspects!

Basically my RST is running Leda coilovers all round. For the rears it initially ran a homemade looking sleeve at the top with a generic top spring cup for the spring top hats. It still retained the Ford metal cups and the rubber doughnut mounts. When I bought the car it was creak free but it handled horrifically due to the leaking shock and positive camber on the rear!

It is now running negative camber albeit not much with the Eibach adjuster bolts present in the top shock absorber mounting. I took the opportunity to put some stonechip in the turrets. Since I refitted the dampers the handling has improved massively but the Rear O/S damper has started to creak. I managed to temporarily stop this by flipping the doughnut mount around at the top but then it started to creak again shortly after, albeit a little less.

I bought a bargainous pair of shot Gaz rear coilovers with the Gaz top hats. With these top hats the creak from the OSR has become even worse! I was about to buy new rubber top mounts for the rear, until I learned that Ford no longer make these with it appearing that almost no one else does!

I am now quietly hoping that the Floflex items may stop my creaking.

My questions to you are this.

1) Have others of you had the same issue as me before with the coilovers?
2) Have any of you used the Floflex rear top mount bushes in a coilover application? If so what has been your experience of them?

nigel b

never had creaking on mine and it was like it for over 10yrs

bassboy

I cant help here Chas but will be keeping an eye on this thread as I am looking for a set of rear coilovers for mine...let me know if you have a set for sale

slammedorion

I run Gaz coilovers with the Gaz top hats and Floflex top mount doughnut bushes...
Much better than the 25 year old Ford top mount bushes, there a c!nt to fit...
I did have some modified top hats but one of the holes was drilled a nats c!ck to big so was never tried out, I took it into work to get another pair machined up and they got lost... So have since just left the standard Gaz top hats in...

Chas

Well, I managed to stop the creaking, for now!

I yet again stripped out the rear and carefully looked just what could cause the creaking. Eventually it was found to be the top damper bush. After removing it, cleaning the area and the bush and lubing it up with silicone grease it seems to have cured it. However they have begun to perish so I reckon that Floflex replacements (as variable as their reputation is!) will be the only option...

On another note bar a mishap at a trackday it's been lovely to drive for a change.