Up date on this thread folks,

 

Well fitted the Poly bush top mounts and kept the VRS top plates and 3 days of running and i have to say no issue. The drive is a little better for me because i benefit from the extra shock travel from raising the coilovers to compensate for the 10mm reduced height of the poly bush and something i really needed for my low stance.

No squeaking so far (although did grease them well)

I like the overall feel of the front end with the poly bushes in and i think completes my set up well of complete poly bushed front end and LCR subframe set up with upper /lower braces.

 

few pics 

 

new bush

 

 

I managed to lower coilover down in inner wing with enough gap to remove old Top mount and bearing and refit poly top mount bearing with strut still attached to hub(made life easy) and did not even need spring compressors(shows how low mine is..lol)

 

 

 

 

 

Although i have been driving ok like it bugged me to see the std top plate sitting proud(anyone who knows me knows how fussy i am..lol)

 

Here is the std top plate sitting high

 

 

So today I picked up some VW polo top plates

 

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In actual fact what i also discovered is 2 issues with the polo top mount cup plate

 

1. It is smaller diameter to the Skoda OEM one. Which could lead to the cup being pulled through turret and some examples seen on over forums

2. It is actually too smaller depth to reach the inner nut. And thus folks could actually attempt to tighten the cup down too much and this will cause bending and probably the cause of item 1 happening.

 

So what I ended up doing is the following and seen on a few other forums

 

Cut STD skoda plate to act as a larger washer to turrent

 

 

 

 

 

Fit the original Skoda rubber seal over both plates

 

 

Then I packed out the gap between strut top mount and bracket with a few washers to build up the height to make the polo bracket touch the washers and sit on turret at the same point as best as can. This allowed for a uniformed tightening and made sure polo bracket could not bend downwards and also ensure the bearing works as normal

 

 

 

weather this messing about is all worth it compared to real results for the poly bush is debatable but made me feel better 

 

I like the results 

Just get some silver project top mounts under. A ton and fully adjustable camber and castor ;-)

OO they look nice. Another thing I don't really need.

Good job Bowders better than my pathetic effort! So what did you use to grease them?

Good job Bowders better than my pathetic effort! So what did you use to grease them?

 

I used copper grease buddy. 

 

So far so good.....

Time for a thread resurrect...had an awful day with the car...

 

Decided to fit some audi 80/90 top bushings as they are widely used on Golfs and are meant to fit much better than polo mounts etc. I did this as my standard (new) bushings were f***ed after less than a month on the new suspension. As it is my top plates sit as high as some of the photos here...pretty much entirely proud of the tower allowing you to see the top of the bushing. Maybe not an issue but when I lowered the lower arms back down I noticed the top hats moved ALL The way down and rested on the top of the strut tower....To me this can't be right surely?!! If you were to decompress the suspension suddenly could the plates not damage the top of the tower resulting in failure eventually? The car doesn't seem to be making any funny noises apart from some nasty drain hole covers which, I'm still not happy about this though! I must say the bushes fit really well inside the tower when you have weight on the wheels and having the bearing fitted already seems to make fitting easier.

 

So...to top off a wonderful day of DIY I tried to tighten up the FARB bushes and I think the drivers side captive nut has stripped, its not moving but the bolt is tightening indefinitely. Very unhappy bunny here right now! Anyone know of a way to fix this?   

Time for a thread resurrect...had an awful day with the car...

 

Decided to fit some audi 80/90 top bushings as they are widely used on Golfs and are meant to fit much better than polo mounts etc. I did this as my standard (new) bushings were f***ed after less than a month on the new suspension. As it is my top plates sit as high as some of the photos here...pretty much entirely proud of the tower allowing you to see the top of the bushing. Maybe not an issue but when I lowered the lower arms back down I noticed the top hats moved ALL The way down and rested on the top of the strut tower....To me this can't be right surely?!! If you were to decompress the suspension suddenly could the plates not damage the top of the tower resulting in failure eventually? The car doesn't seem to be making any funny noises apart from some nasty drain hole covers which, I'm still not happy about this though! I must say the bushes fit really well inside the tower when you have weight on the wheels and having the bearing fitted already seems to make fitting easier.

 

So...to top off a wonderful day of DIY I tried to tighten up the FARB bushes and I think the drivers side captive nut has stripped, its not moving but the bolt is tightening indefinitely. Very unhappy bunny here right now! Anyone know of a way to fix this?   

 

bad day it sounds dude.

 

Ref the bushes, i think that if you have lowered car down i would expect the bush to now sit firmly in the strut tower. So regardless of where the top hats are you should have permanent pressure from shock and spring pushing the bush against the tower.

 

However if your top hat is not sitting right down on the tower, this means you have some travel and so if you go down a pot hole for example the strut could drop to the travel the top hat gives. This is the reason i changed and modified the VRS top hats with a combination of VRS and Polo ones and now have no gap what so ever. I have seen quite a few VRS with gaps in Top hat and as it is not huge these folks don't experience any knocking so if the gap is not bad i would not worry too much . Mine was huge with the poly mount and VRS top hat so i had to fix it, as the pics show.

 

Ref the FARB bolt. That is a pain, can you not try to remove it again and see if the bolt thread is knackered or it is the actual sub frame thread gone in which case either a re tap and larger bolt or a helicoil job is needed. 

Yeah I was thinking of copying what you had done tbh bowders. Looks like the best solution. If only for the piece of mind!

 

If I'm lucky its the bolt thread...looks like a right bugger to get a tap into I must admit but good to know I can do it. Thanks.

Yeah I was thinking of copying what you had done tbh bowders. Looks like the best solution. If only for the piece of mind!

 

If I'm lucky its the bolt thread...looks like a right bugger to get a tap into I must admit but good to know I can do it. Thanks.

 

Yeah maybe best option

 

I also used some washers between the inner nut and the top hat  so the Top would not be bent downwards when tightened up. I wanted the top hat to just touch the washers before the turret so to keep good tightness between bush and top hat but not have any gap. 

 

something like this

 

 

 

Waiting for a couple of spacers tubes to right length to come along or a slightly more dished Top Hat. Somewhere between VRS and Polo would be great.

Time for a thread resurrect...had an awful day with the car...

Decided to fit some audi 80/90 top bushings as they are widely used on Golfs and are meant to fit much better than polo mounts etc. I did this as my standard (new) bushings were f***ed after less than a month on the new suspension. As it is my top plates sit as high as some of the photos here...pretty much entirely proud of the tower allowing you to see the top of the bushing. Maybe not an issue but when I lowered the lower arms back down I noticed the top hats moved ALL The way down and rested on the top of the strut tower....To me this can't be right surely?!! If you were to decompress the suspension suddenly could the plates not damage the top of the tower resulting in failure eventually? The car doesn't seem to be making any funny noises apart from some nasty drain hole covers which, I'm still not happy about this though! I must say the bushes fit really well inside the tower when you have weight on the wheels and having the bearing fitted already seems to make fitting easier.

So...to top off a wonderful day of DIY I tried to tighten up the FARB bushes and I think the drivers side captive nut has stripped, its not moving but the bolt is tightening indefinitely. Very unhappy bunny here right now! Anyone know of a way to fix this?

Just wondering in what way a Audi 80/90 top mount will fit better than a polo one? I ended up fitting the polo mounts to mine and they are fine. I used a bit of grease on turret and mount as they went in as they looked like they could go in uneven but once in they are fine. Give me 15mm lowering as well. The standard octy plate isn't the best thing to use for reasons you've found. I ended up doing the same as bowders modified octy plate ( scrap yard) with Polo plate on top. I also used 1 washer for maybe a 5mm gap when onthe ground.

Well I haven't seen a polo mount in person but I read far too many stories of them pulling through, deforming etc on golf forums. I got the impression people had moved away from them and now use the audi 80/90 mount as its better. TBH, apart from the barrel nut I think its a better design, the bearing is pair of the bushing which makes fitting very very easy. The bushing itself feels much firmer than the octy bushing and I'm sure the car felt a bit harsher over bumps. Again I can't compare to the polo bushing...

 

time for pictures!

 

Tried to show you how it sits within the tower without disassembling stuff.

 

 

And how high the top cap sits. Similar to how others have had it.

 

Going to go down the modified top plate route. Thanks guys. 

Do you have a part number? I'm getting different ones. I looked into these a while ago but couldn't find enough info about fitting to golfs/octavias. Did you use your original inner but?

Nut!!

inner but lol.

 

ebay links-

 

top mounts - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221192819980?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

inner nut (you need 2) - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251371017442?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

GSF sell both parts if they are more convenient for you. Part number (from ebay link) is 8A0412323D C407 for the top mount. I noticed when tapped the inner nut tight with a flathead screw driver it was chewing into the nut slightly, you can get the proper tool for a tenner online as well so maybe worth it...or just make your own or be careful!

 

I'll post an update in a week or so with regards to how the bushes are going. Hopefully they don't start to die like my standard ones did. 

Edited 23 November, 201312 yr by yesiamtom

Well I haven't seen a polo mount in person but I read far too many stories of them pulling through, deforming etc on golf forums. I got the impression people had moved away from them and now use the audi 80/90 mount as its better. TBH, apart from the barrel nut I think its a better design, the bearing is pair of the bushing which makes fitting very very easy. The bushing itself feels much firmer than the octy bushing and I'm sure the car felt a bit harsher over bumps. Again I can't compare to the polo bushing...

time for pictures!

Tried to show you how it sits within the tower without disassembling stuff.

And how high the top cap sits. Similar to how others have had it.

Going to go down the modified top plate route. Thanks guys.

Don't be confused dude I have not fitted polo tops mounts but poly bush VW mounts. The polo mounts are known issues. The issue in question is the top hat, which you will still get with fitting the audi mounts. Currently there is no variant that fits perfect. So the mod I did is needed unless you leave that gap as it is which was out the question for me. If anyone finds a alternative top hat to the vrs and polo modded one we are onto a winner.

Sent from my Samsung S3

Yeah the polo bush response was for Meaty  

 

I really need to change insurers...I can't even be bothered to phone them up and see what it would cost to put polybushes on. They'd probably tell me to Foxtrot Oscar!

So, with the Audi mounts do you get a drop?

yup, I think its quoted as around 10 compared to standard which I think is about right. 

 

Are you not happy with your current polo mounts ?

I'm happy with them buddy they've been fine. However, like yourself I've read about them coming through the turrets and its always in the back of my mind. The reason for the questions is just if I have any problems in the future with the polo mounts. Regarding the polo ones, I can see why some have had some issues with them because when I first put them in they went in uneven. It was only when I put some grease on them they went in fine.

I'm happy with them buddy they've been fine. However, like yourself I've read about them coming through the turrets and its always in the back of my mind. The reason for the questions is just if I have any problems in the future with the polo mounts. Regarding the polo ones, I can see why some have had some issues with them because when I first put them in they went in uneven. It was only when I put some grease on them they went in fine.

I think the issues are when not seated correctly as they can sit at a angle and the weight of the car on them will make them pop through turret.

You should be fine buddy if you have them seated ok.

Sent from my Samsung S3

Yeah, I will definitely update to let you guys know how they bed in. I've done a bit more reading and may refit them with a small spacer under the bearing. 

the audi ones fail far too quickly, and the polo ones when fitted correctly are just fine.

the pull through is the incorrect fitting or cheap part purchasing gumby's that are in capable of doing things properly

I used the proper vag polo top mount and after a few weeks they look fine. I'm confident!.

I have the powerflex topmounts they fit bang on theres a very small gap between the strut tower and the top cap.