Top mounts and strut renewal

[Pedalsthompson1.]

Hello Chaps
Anyone have experience with these items they can share please for my refurb..
With my 3.2 Supersport on axle stands and front struts hanging limp there is up to 10mm of vertical free play at what appears to be where the top mount joins the inner wing.
Is this to be expected on an old car that has not been run for many years, ,,,or because car off the ground ?
Can top mounts rot ?
Is the strut cartridge replacement considered a pretty straight forward job ?
I also find the roll bar diameter is a few mm thinner where the rubber mounts will clamp to it , sound normal ?
Cheers

 

[911hillclimber]

My experience is from my 1973T but the suspension is all much the same.

There should be no free play vertically so trying to raise/lower the strut as you have it there should be no movement. Any play could well be the insert.
Changing the insert is easy but beware of rusty bolts etc.

Top mounts are rubber so rarely rot or split, but these cars are getting old now. Replacement parts readily available from Type911/Design911.

Bit of a fight to fit new ones, poly bushes very easy by comparison.

Best replace those roll bar bushes too...do you really mean a few mm or just noticably?

I and others simply replace the rubber bushes all round except the main A arms 'while you are in there'.

 

[Pedalsthompson1.]

Hi
Thanks for info.
I now realise the movement I detected was simply the initial " slightly dampened " movement of the strut insert (given they were hanging limp) so now reckon thats okay, ,,does that sound about right ?
The anti roll bar diameter is nearly 2mm smaller where the rubber bush has been clamped around.
Guess new bushes will also clamp around okay but assume thinner bar at that critical point could result in a little bit more roll ??
Its a road car not for track use but original basic performance is my aim.

Yes doing all bushes while in and around there

Out of interest /just in case...is the nut right at the base of the strut challenging to undo ?
Cheers

 

[911hillclimber]

I think you mean the 60mm ish castellated ring nut holing the bottom ball joint to the A arm.
yes, that will be very very tight and probably rusted too!
You can buy new ones quite cheaply, so people and me cut them open and then freely unscrew them with w drift and a good size hammer…
there is a tool to do them up tight, but expensive.
Many use the drift and hammer to tighten the new ring and use a new locking star washer to secure.
I would replace the roll bar bushes with poly plastic parts but the ber should be a sort of tight fit in the bush.