[jfdelacruz]

My mechanic screwed up replacing the front struts and did not make markings on the original spring pads and the spring seats. I'm talking about the 54620 part on the photo below (linked from partsouq).


The lower ones are pretty obvious because of the grooves, but the upper spring pads and spring seats have no obvious marking on where/how to align and position the spring.


Because of this, issue I now have a 20mm difference in ride height between the front left and front right, plus my steering wheel is crooked and the car pulls so far to the right.


So, how does one make sure the correct alignment of this upper spring pad (encircled in red on the photo)? Stealing a photo from agent's post. Hope he doesnt mind




listen music emoticons

[jfdelacruz]

Hey guys, nothing?


I really need some help here... no way to get the original as a reference for me. My car is Korean built, if that's worth any information.


I've checked Hyundai's Global Serviceway and paid for access for the service manuals and there is nothing on there that says anything about the spring pads...


Just need a refernce or a photo of a left front strut and right front strut upper spring pad (how the spring sits on yours)

[Greyhound]

Is this any good to you. HOW TO: i30 FD front strut removal

I do not have a FD so cannot help you except search.

[jfdelacruz]

Thanks mate. I've seen that and used as reference as well... I've probably been scouring the internet, i30ownersclub and Kia Cee'd forums just looking for this reference.


Most of the videos out there that have this information is for the TMA or Czech built units which have a flat upper spring pad.


The Korean built units have an angled spring pad which can cause issues like mine.

[PGN I30]

The bottom fixed mount angles slightly upwards, you just place the top mount at the same angle.

[BrendanP]

Doesn't the upper rubber spring seat have a pocket that the end of the spring seats in? With the spring compressors on, it can distort the spring so it doesn't sit as squarely as it does when the top nut is fitted and the spring compressors removed. The spring can then adopt it's natural shape.

[jfdelacruz]

The bottom fixed mount angles slightly upwards, you just place the top mount at the same angle.

I also watched this maybe 20x already just trying to see if I can get some sort of alignment off of what he was doing. But I am looking for a more "precise" way of aligning the upper spring seat.

You see how it's angled and flat at the top (where the top mount goes), this means that whenever the entire strut turns (when you turn the steering wheel), the upper spring seat tries to ensure the entire strut/wheel assembly rotates in such a way that it preserves the camber, thereby keeping the wheel as flat as possible to the ground.

In the euro model with just a flat, non-angled upper spring seat, the entire strut "cambers" while you turn it and it causes the entire strut/wheel assembly to be tilted while turned (causing less contact patch to the ground)

[jfdelacruz]

Doesn't the upper rubber spring seat have a pocket that the end of the spring seats in? With the spring compressors on, it can distort the spring so it doesn't sit as squarely as it does when the top nut is fitted and the spring compressors removed. The spring can then adopt it's natural shape.

Maybe I just dont know what I'm looking at but I definitely have looked at it for a good hour trying to figure it out to no avail. I did not see a pocket or a marking. on the bottom spring perch, there is definitely a specific indentation where the spring would go. But for the top, I just couldnt figure it out...

Perhaps it will be best if I take it all apart and then show you guys?

[BrendanP]

I had a look on www.partsouq.com using my car VIN number which is Czech-built. Find the part number for the spring seat, then search for images of it. On new ones, the rubber seat looks flat, but on used ones you can see an impression of where the end coil has been sitting. It may not matter which way round it goes because the top mounting of the strut rotates around the spring anyway.

[jfdelacruz]

Just to update the thread and hopefully this helps someone in the future. I took apart the strut once again as I was able to retrieve the strut pad (old one) from the mechanic. Thankfully he had it lying around his shop. The old strut pad had an impression from the spring top and I used that to make a marking on the new strut pad and also made a marking on the spring seat.

You'll see that the spring seat (metal) is flat at the top and angled on the bottom. If you dont get the spring position correct, your camber and ride height will be off. This entire thing affects how the car sits (ask me how i know).

The spring pad (rubber) is keyed and should only go one way into the spring seat. the spring seat, however is NOT keyed or marked in any way and just sits below the strut mount. Hope these pics help someone someday.




This is the spring seat





re-assembled entire assembly and marked the tops for proper orientation



Spring seat (top) and spring pad (bottom)



Angle of the spring seat