R/T Suspension Mounts

[jhwalker]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

The bulletin indicates that the design was changed after SPF #1670. Has anyone seen the symptoms describe in the bulletin in a post 1670 car? It sounds like the bolt is the primary concern on the later cars.

I'm not technical, but after seeing the quality of the upgrade and the relatively modest cost, I went ahead and installed it on SPF #2117.

But I also installed a fuel cell, a better drive shaft retaining system, and am installing a passenger side roll bar. Part of the fun of having this kind of car, for me, is making the little mods. And I do like to use the car on track days.
JamesW

[SunDude]

Sorry to bring back this old post, but rather than start a new one on the same topic...

As a new SPF owner, the problem with the rear shock tower mounts was only just brought to my attention yesterday (thanks Blas). I had my car up on a hoist yesterday and noticed that the stock brackets are not 90 degrees to the frame as they should be, which suggests that I should probably change them for the Cobra Valley units.

My questions are:

• Is Superformance LLC (Lance Stander) treating this as a "goodwill warranty" repair and fixing it at his expense? Or compensating owners for their costs?
• If so, do you think he would do likewise for his Canadian customers, now that the Superformance Canada operation has gone belly up?
• At around what point are the original brackets failing? My car (#1336) is seven years old and has about 9500 miles on it. What symptoms should I look for, besides a catastrophic failure of the part?

Thanks.

[Got the Bug]

As far as I know, there has been no goodwill reimbursement for the cost of the upgrade ($249.). I don't think it's possible to determine the mileage that a failure might occur, since driving habits (i.e. some people track their cars) and road conditions vary.

They did upgrade the mount at chassis 1670, but many are still upgrading to be sure.

Originally Posted by SunDude

Sorry to bring back this old post, but rather than start a new one on the same topic...

As a new SPF owner, the problem with the rear shock tower mounts was only just brought to my attention yesterday (thanks Blas). I had my car up on a hoist yesterday and noticed that the stock brackets are not 90 degrees to the frame as they should be, which suggests that I should probably change them for the Cobra Valley units.

My questions are:

• Is Superformance LLC (Lance Stander) treating this as a "goodwill warranty" repair and fixing it at his expense? Or compensating owners for their costs?
• If so, do you think he would do likewise for his Canadian customers, now that the Superformance Canada operation has gone belly up?
• At around what point are the original brackets failing? My car (#1336) is seven years old and has about 9500 miles on it. What symptoms should I look for, besides a catastrophic failure of the part?

Thanks.

[RodgerH]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

They did upgrade the mount at chassis 1670, but many are still upgrading to be sure.

As did I on #2592. My factory mounts showed no signs of moving or bending, but I liked Randy's stronger design.

Besides, aren't we always looking for something new to buy for our toy?

Rodger

[kayakjack]

Originally Posted by SunDude

Sorry to bring back this old post, but rather than start a new one on the same topic...

I had my car up on a hoist yesterday and noticed that the stock brackets are not 90 degrees to the frame as they should be, which suggests that I should probably change them for the Cobra Valley units.

[*]At around what point are the original brackets failing? My car (#1336) is seven years old and has about 9500 miles on it. What symptoms should I look for, besides a catastrophic failure of the part?[/list]Thanks.

If that bracket is not positioned properly as you stated, please purchase and install the uprated brackets right now. In fact everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to install this upgrade. My car showed no symtoms of fatigue, however after considering the consequences of failure I did the upgrade. You invested a lot in your car. This is a no brainer.

We are fortunate to have this super high quality upgrade available.

Jack

[Blas]

Remember to also check your shock bushings for signs of crushing. Especially on the older AVO shocks (yellow). Confirm that the steel hoop that surrounds the shock bushing "is not" and "has not" rubbed against the lower rear control arm. Inspect the hoop for cracks, etc. I believe Energy Suspensions makes an acceptable replacement Poly bushing for the shock. The Bilsteins are designed different.

[zzmac]

I'm a backyard mechanic and I installed these mounts myself. It was very straight forward.

I would recommend this to all SPF owners. It's a small price for the peace of mind it brings.

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by kayakjack

If that bracket is not positioned properly as you stated, please purchase and install the uprated brackets right now. In fact everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to install this upgrade. My car showed no symtoms of fatigue, however after considering the consequences of failure I did the upgrade. You invested a lot in your car. This is a no brainer.

We are fortunate to have this super high quality upgrade available.

Jack

I agree with you Jack. You are definitely on borrowed time if you've got a chassis that is pre-1670 and haven't done the upgrade. After inspecting the part several times, I have seen no problems/symptoms after 6000 miles on 2613. That being said, I am planning on doing the upgrade at the end of the driving season.

I've brought this up before and will bring it up again. If the basic design is still deficient on the latest cars being sold (Now pushing 3000), then SPF should either re-design the part or provide an upgrade kit for each car sold.

[SunDude]

Thanks guys.

The brackets on my car do not show signs of distortion/twisting, but are just canted slightly upward from 90 degrees suggesting that the problem is only just beginning to form. Nonetheless I think I will order the replacement brackets and have them installed as soon as I'm able. Better safe than sorry.

I agree with Doug that, since this is basically a design flaw, Superformance LLC should provide owners with some type of upgrade kit or compensation as a goodwill gesture. I realize this would cost a lot; however, it might be a small price to pay to maintain their product's excellent reputation and value in the marketplace.

[kayakjack]

Originally Posted by SunDude

Thanks guys.

The brackets on my car do not show signs of distortion/twisting, but are just canted slightly upward from 90 degrees suggesting that the problem is only just beginning to form. Nonetheless I think I will order the replacement brackets and have them installed as soon as I'm able. Better safe than sorry.

I agree with Doug that, since this is basically a design flaw, Superformance LLC should provide owners with some type of upgrade kit or compensation as a goodwill gesture. I realize this would cost a lot; however, it might be a small price to pay to maintain their product's excellent reputation and value in the marketplace.

Superformance has a technical bulletin about this issue. If your brackets are OK, it basically says you can replace the bolts with proper bolts and you are done. Cheap and easy. No big deal. Since that seems to be your situation, go for it if you like.

The brackets which you can purchase are truly magnificent works of art. They are a great, reasonably priced upgrade to your car should you choose to go with them.

Jack

[Blas]

I don't think it's really fair to call it a design flaw...
With close to 3000 cars built, the problem has been seen on very very few cars. Failures could probably be tied also to how the car was driven by all its owners, maintenance, tire selection (like drag radials) and driving style habits...Better to consider it money well spent on a overall safety viewpoint and an important maintenance item to periodically check, like many items on all mfr's cars…or just an upgrade...