lowering shock top hats

[fastivaB6TG25MR]

my festy is pretty low in the front and ive had a problem with the shocks bottoming out over every little bump. i could have lifted it but i like the way it looked so i just dealt with it... my buddy was having the same problem in his civic and he just installed new top hats and problem solved... so today in my boredom i made some and they work awesome...

started with a stock shock top:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj146/aintnobitch/Fastiva/new%20top%20hats/0206150931.jpg

used a propane torch on the metal to separate it from the rubber making an inner and an outer cup...

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj146/aintnobitch/Fastiva/new%20top%20hats/0206150944.jpg

took a hole saw and cut a hole in some 3/16 strap i had.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj146/aintnobitch/Fastiva/new%20top%20hats/0206150954.jpg

welded the plate to the outer cup making sure it stayed square and the hole was centered. put a spacer in between the plate and the inner cup to make sure there was still clearance to allow the spring top to rotate freely inside of it. welded it all together and installed it

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj146/aintnobitch/Fastiva/new%20top%20hats/0206182621.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj146/aintnobitch/Fastiva/new%20top%20hats/0206182634.jpg

still low and now it doesnt bottom out!!!!

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj146/aintnobitch/Fastiva/new%20top%20hats/0206183519.jpg

[Ford Fester]

Very nice work....nice write up too.

[ejp2fast]

i wish i was as bored as you!

[fastivaB6TG25MR]

get laid off... youll find tons of time...just not enough money to do anything... and it only took a few hours

[takeone51]

whats holding the rubber bushing in? i dont understand the step between fab and finish that you dident take a pic of..

[fastivaB6TG25MR]

there is no rubber bushing i welded the plate to the big cup and welded the little cup into the hole that was in the plate.

[takeone51]

oh snap, i see now.. any diff in ride harshness?

[perucho]

Very nice. Looks like you gained about an inch in travel without raising the car.

[fastivaB6TG25MR]

rides way better cause im not bottoming out.

good guess its about 1 1/4 inches of travel


you can use these to lower a car on stock springs and shocks.

[takeone51]

my car is bottoming out as well, im going to try this trick of yours..

[fastivaB6TG25MR]

its really common in hondas they have been doing top hat extenders forever

[festyfreak39]

they sell this stuff for a miata on flyinmiata.net, im almost certian they will work on a festiva, at least on the front.

making a set from scratch is super easy to.

[festyfreak39]

prob making some from scrap and making them longer might help even more

[crazyrog17]

Doesn't the weight of the car rest on that? Don't know how comfortable I'd feel knowing my welding skills are all that's keeping a pothole on the freeway from throwing me out the windshield.

Otherwise, good tip, good mod.

[getnpsi]

Top DIY mod for Feb!

I do question the safety driving on really bad roads tho.