What's new
By:
TurboTransAm.com

Register today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Strut Tower Mount Color Coded?

Jan Larsson

Jan Larsson

Administrator
Staff member
Anyone with a stock low milage TTA that can look at their strut tower mounts (left and right side) to see if they have a splash of color on them.

I've seen a number of different ones (white, green, blue) and not sure if the TTA's had that color splash on them or not.

I've attached a photo and circled in red what I'm on about ... this photo is just from a seller on ebay and just an example.

Let me know and post pictures of yours if you do have this color mark / splash on there as it would be interesting to know and I'm sure it might be on the assembly line worksheets so they picked the right parts building these cars.
 

Attachments

  • StrutTower.jpg
    StrutTower.jpg
    38.3 KB · Views: 24
Mine is white on pass. side and red on the drivers side. Both have the dab of paint on the rear of the tower.
 
All my formulas and T/As have that. All are WS6 so they should all have the same rubber compound and paint codes i'd think.
 
I thought this would be the case.

Mike what color is your other strut tower mount?

Any others that can look at theirs and post pictures please.

I will look at how these were installed; I suspect the strut was mount to that piece and installed from the top as an assembly hence the color coding and if so should be on the assembly sheets as well so will look at that and post up any findings.
 
The V33 sheet (attached) says the strut mount is WHT (white) for the Right Hand mount and *2* for the Left Hand mount (whatever *2* means?).
 

Attachments

  • buildsheetv33.jpg
    buildsheetv33.jpg
    51 KB · Views: 8
And looking at the photos of when the last Camaro was built the struts are installed from underneath ... meaning strut mounts where installed separately so not sure why color coded as I've always thought they were the same for all 3rd Gen's ... maybe only to help with left and right hand mounts ending up in the right place?
 

Attachments

  • 55.jpg
    55.jpg
    56.5 KB · Views: 16
They have rubber in them, used a softer durometer of rubber for base cars and firmed it up on WS6/1LE stuff. Right left? Its GM, who knows!
I have 240,000 miles on one of my 89s and the paint marks are still there.
 
Last edited:
TTOP350 said:
They have rubber in them, used a softer durometer of rubber for base cars and firmed it up on WS6/1LE stuff. Right left? Its GM, who knows!
I have 240,000 miles on one of my 89s and the paint marks are still there.
Click to expand...


I thought about that initially however ride quality and suspension response would be struts / spring combo and not the rubber in the strut mount itself as that would only serve the purpose of dampening any road noise / vibration.

And as this is the top strut fixing point you don't want that to move at all in any direction as that would alter toe-in etc.

I'll look up the part numbers for the different years to see if they are different or not based on my theory ...
 
Jan Larsson said:
I thought about that initially however ride quality and suspension response would be struts / spring combo and not the rubber in the strut mount itself as that would only serve the purpose of dampening any road noise / vibration.

And as this is the top strut fixing point you don't want that to move at all in any direction as that would alter toe-in etc.

I'll look up the part numbers for the different years to see if they are different or not based on my theory ...
Click to expand...

So the GM Part & Illustration Guide shows 2 versions used for the 82-92 Firebird models.

82-86 and then 87-92

and they even list for the 89-92 that it's for "soft ride suspension (FE1), Ride & Handling suspension (FE2), Firm Ride & Handling suspension (F41)


The difference between the early and late style is the change of the 3 stud bracket that installs from underneath so the earlier style strut mount need the earlier style stud bracket to match.


So the color coding is a bit of a mystery ... right and left hand version clearly but wonder what else this would mean as I've seen white, red, yellow, blue so far ... maybe just early and late style then left / right ...
 
Here's what I have:

TTA and 89 Formy: Passenger side-white
Driver side-red

82 Base car (non WS6): passenger side-greenish yellow
driver side-blue

Unfortunately, cant check the MSE-its on the lift and would need to move cars outside to lower it down and that aint happening since its 26 degrees today!

Will try and remember to follow up-it is a WS6 car and an early model, so will be interesting to see.
 
Jan Larsson said:
So the GM Part & Illustration Guide shows 2 versions used for the 82-92 Firebird models.

82-86 and then 87-92

and they even list for the 89-92 that it's for "soft ride suspension (FE1), Ride & Handling suspension (FE2), Firm Ride & Handling suspension (F41)


The difference between the early and late style is the change of the 3 stud bracket that installs from underneath so the earlier style strut mount need the earlier style stud bracket to match.


So the color coding is a bit of a mystery ... right and left hand version clearly but wonder what else this would mean as I've seen white, red, yellow, blue so far ... maybe just early and late style then left / right ...
Click to expand...

That rubber should also help dictate how fast the strut/spring combo reacts. Since they list the 3 setups 4 89-92, I'd bet that's the difference.
I knew about the design change from the early cars. If you look at a aftermarket replacements they are designed to fit both setups.
 
TTOP350 said:
That rubber should also help dictate how fast the strut/spring combo reacts. Since they list the 3 setups 4 89-92, I'd bet that's the difference.
I knew about the design change from the early cars. If you look at a aftermarket replacements they are designed to fit both setups.
Click to expand...

Well the 3 setup for the later style strut mounts are all and the same part number so no there's not different mounts depending on ride quality so not sure why they do mention it for the later style ... for the earlier style they don't list that at all.

For the aftermarket ones my understanding is they are the later style only.
 
Knowing GM & Pontiac it might have been a day where there was only yellow cans of spray paint left or someone to lazy to go get more RED/GREY...
 
I'm gone play with some paint and see if I can replicate these on my mounts ... I stupidly had mine powder coated and replaced the bearings in them and never thought about the color coding on them at the time ...

Thanks for all responses and photos; much appreciated!
 
I got red paint on driver side and white paint on the pass. side. They are painted on strut tower facing windshield.
 
I welded braces in mine to remove the rubber flex, make it like a aftermarket setup but keep it stock looking an stealthy.
Bearings are now bolted in instead of riveted.
 
I just went out and checked mine. #822

Driver side facing windshield- Red
Passenger side facing windshield- White
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top