there are a few posts on the 411/412 forum about using the SB strut bearings along with a particular type of bushing/bearing from a mid-nineties Mazda 626/MX6... the idea is that by adding a bearing surface for the coil that is independent of the primary bearing (which is rigidly paired with the shaft of the damper) you eliminate any wind-up in the coil when turning; a situation that gives rubbery, imprecise steering feel. this Mazda part is basically a thrust-bearing comprised of nothing but two layers of a special kind of plastic that rotate against eachother:
its a brilliant solution thats so cheap and effective...they're only $10 each! the only thing you need to do to fit them is have the upper spring plate's center hole enlarged to accept the inner "lips" of the bearing. this also allows the main strut bearing (the one captured inside the mount itself) to contact the shoulder of the damper shaft directly, instead of being suspended above it by several centimeters. its an altogether more rigid and precise arrangement...very exciting.
i also decided to replace the entire mount instead of just the bearings inside it...that way i have a spare set for mock-up, etc. they were $50 each, but yesterday cip1.com put them on sale for $35 with free shipping... couldnt pass that up. thats actually cheaper than buying just the bearing guts and re-using my mounting plate.
i should be ready to remove the struts on the car by tomorrow. ive noticed a couple wierd things about them while researching all this... when i measure the total, extended length of the assembled struts between the spring seats, its roughly 11". the odd thing is that the stock springs, when removed from the struts measure about 18"... thats a whopping 7" of preload, way too high. so i'm really curious to find out just whats going on in there...i've never had them apart and the only thing i can think of is that a previous owner may have cut them to try to lower it, but its always sat nose-high anyway.
