Front Top Mount Bearings

I am seeking some advice on top mount bearings on my 145.

I suspect that at least the left hand one is on its way out judging by the occasional creak & groan from that quarter.

Do worn top mount bearings have an impact on tracking/tyre wear? My right front tyre is coming close to needing replacing and I was wondering if I should be replacing the top mounts before getting a new tyre & tracking check.

Also on the replacement of top mounts, does anyone have any wise words? I have done it before on a Clio & Mk 1 Golf - are there likely to be any significant differences?

Thanks

Have a look here. The Fiat coupe ones are the same as on the Alfa 145.

Top mount renewa


The mounts are £51 each + Vat from alternative autos by the way.

HTH

Simon.

Hi Simon

Thanks for that information that will be great help when I do the job.

Rich

They can affect the tyre wear, but the lower arms give exactly the same symptoms in that area.

Thanks for your comment Smaky,

I had the lower arms, bushes, drop links etc done last year. It's really the slight creaking that makes me think that it is the top mounts.

The right tyre is wearing slightly unevenly (on inside) as well hence my question about the tyre wear.

Rich

Mmmm, uneven tyre wear does point more towards the lower arms as I said but the creaking would possibly be the top mount bearings, easy enough job though.

Possibly the the lower arm bushes have gone again, especially if only the bushes were changed and they weren't fited to the arms squarely.

I have a knackered one on my Fiat, and there is a clonk as you turn the steering wheel just either side of straight ahead.. If you put your hand on the top of the strut you can feel it knocking.

That could be a track rod end though.

Don't know if it's any help but found this supplier doing reasonably priced suspension kits who also do the top mounts for £36.92.

Dome Bearing Sets from FK Automotive, FK dome bearing sets

Also if you are getting uneven front tyre wear and can't find a faulty part then for about £30 Eibach make angled bolt kits which allow you to adjust the camber by a few degrees.

The latest internet price on - Suspension - Eibach - SPC Alignment Kits - Alfa Romeo -

Originally Posted by Smaky

Mmmm, uneven tyre wear does point more towards the lower arms as I said but the creaking would possibly be the top mount bearings, easy enough job though.

Possibly the the lower arm bushes have gone again, especially if only the bushes were changed and they weren't fited to the arms squarely.

Hmm......Smaky, my main suspicion is still the top mounts, the wishbones & bushes were done by our local Alfa independent (L&M) last Sept & they are pretty good at what they do. So what with the creaking etc I think I will tackle the top mounts next - once I have done the dratted heater matrix - never ending!!!!!!

As a matter of interest; what sort of mileage are people getting out of a set of front tyres? I know the 145s can be hard on tyres but I seem to be getting less than 10,000 miles - is that reasonable? I don't normally cane the car!!!

I took my car to bits today and the top mount is well and truelly stuffed.

The only problem I have now is that my spring compressors are not long enough to allow me to get the strut back together.

I simply cannot compress the spring enough to get the top mount back on.

Bren

Thanks for the info re the parts.

Originally Posted by symonh2000

I took my car to bits today and the top mount is well and truelly stuffed.

The only problem I have now is that my spring compressors are not long enough to allow me to get the strut back together.

I simply cannot compress the spring enough to get the top mount back on.

Never heard that one before. Have you tried them on only the center 2/3s of the spring whilst pulling the shaft out of the shock body?

Originally Posted by Smaky

Never heard that one before. Have you tried them on only the center 2/3s of the spring whilst pulling the shaft out of the shock body?

Yep, we have tried it all ways we can.

I either need some longer compressors or another set, so that I can use one pair on one half of the spring and 1 set on the other.

The springs are massive when uncompressed.

I have fixed it now, I managed to get another set of compressors. I uesd one set to compress the springs as far as I could, and then fitted the other 2 compressors in different parts of the spring.

It was dead easy, where as with 2 compressors it was impossible.

Hi all,
Sorry to resurrect this thread. I have replaced both top mount bearings but not the top mounts - I still have a creaking nearside front particularly at low speed, is this likely to be the top mounts themselves or do you think I should be looking elsewhere?

With regard to Smaky's earlier reply re the wishbones & bushings - They replaced the whole thing - wishbones as well as bushings. Also fitted new drop links & bushes at the same time.

As noted before the inside edges of the tyres, particularly the nearside front is wearing quickly & unevenly.

I will most likely be getting hold of the lot that Bren mentioned for the top mounts.

Any hints or suggestions on diagnosing this issue would be appreciated.
Thanks

I have the same clunking from my nearside. Recent wishbones and ARB drop link bushes make me pretty sure it is the top mount also. I will have a go at weekend. It looks like a pretty straight forward job looking through various threads and I have compressors at the ready.

One question though, do I need to hold the allen bolt on the piston whilst undoing the hex. If so how is this possible without a special hollow ratchet?

any help appreciated

Kelv

Originally Posted by kelv

I have the same clunking from my nearside. Recent wishbones and ARB drop link bushes make me pretty sure it is the top mount also. I will have a go at weekend. It looks like a pretty straight forward job looking through various threads and I have compressors at the ready.

One question though, do I need to hold the allen bolt on the piston whilst undoing the hex. If so how is this possible without a special hollow ratchet?

any help appreciated

Kelv

Undo the nut at the top before jacking up the car and removing the wheels. I used a socket, T bar and a 2 foot tube for extra leverage.
The nut came undone with no need to hold the central hex.

Thanks for the quick response Symon

On mine the nut and the thread both seems to undo, so I stopped because I didnt want to unscrew the damper from the shocker(?)

Kelv

When I took mine off to do the bearings I did just what Symon said (no pun intended!!).

To tighten them I used a long 19mm socket & strapped a hose clamp to it so that I could grip it with an adjustable wrench while holding the shock shaft with an allen key through the top of the socket. You could try this in reverse!

thanks for the tip I will try this tomorrow fingers crossed

I just tightened mine when the car was back on its wheels. That seemed to do the trick.
I also out some medium strenth loctite (603) on the threads of the nut.

Simon.

An update; I did the top mounts today - but still have a bit of a creak & I am beginning to suspect the rear suspension bushings - has anyone got any hints on a) diagnosis for faults with these and b) whether it is a jobs one should contemplate doing oneself (I see parts are available from Shop4parts).

Also a hint for those doing the front top mounts - when I got mine out I noticed a fair amount of rust on the underside of the turrets & gave these a good old wire brushing & clean up followed by a liberal coating of underbody sealant. So my recommendation is if you are doing this job have a good look underneath & take some remedial action or you might land up with the same problem ZuluFerret had.