Pro-Mount 6 month end review....one month late

[CvTech]

Ok, I kept telling myself to make time to write this up etc, but hey I'm busy, I do other things beyond Audi crap...anyway...here we go...PERSONAL ATTACK TEXT DELETED.

I assume that you have taken apart a strut assembly before, if not, just review my Pro-Mount Install and Review post in my sig. So after 6 months of hard street driving on a "Street" level VAP Pro-Mount on my 93 90 in the mean streets of Chicago, this is what I can say, they held up EXTREMELY well. Not only did they hold up, they lasted. On car that is lowered with stiff coil bound spring and Bilstein Sports pre-tube rubber hose wrapping and one loose Bilstein strut cap and broken seal, that says alot, trust me.

So on to the guts, I have lightly documented the removal process in this post and more focused on visual demostration.
On to the pictures:

This is the 6 month old passenger side Pro-Mount. Notice the use of the stock Audi cupped washer.


Stock Audi OEM cupped washer off exposing the Pro-Mount top:


Strut tower cleaned and damper provided from Mance placed as requested, I believe that every new set of Pro-Mounts leaves VAP with this now. Yes I used windex to clean...no I am not greek...


Strut replaced with new Pro-Mount ontop. Strut back into place and new VW cupped washer placed ontop being held down with new Uni-Torque nut as requested by the engineers at VAP:


6 month old abused Pro-Mounts, 14 year old abused OEM cupped washers on display being held by my poor 4kq and flattened cardboard box:


On the left, 6 month old test Pro-Mount, on the right brand spankin new VAP Pro-Mount gleaming ready to be installed:


...another angle


...yet another....


...and another, Mount Saver dropped.



Now just to compare why these rock, 6 month old Pro-Mount on left, on the right a few months old Azeem killed stock Boge mount:


...another shot...


...another...


...geez..another...shows how the UniTorque nut works verse the dreaded slotted diving nut.



So what Cv you ask!?! All I can say is that I have killed MANY a strut mounts in my time, infact I should have taken a picture of all the mounts I have on my trash shelf before I made the mexicans come and take it all away. I had alot....just trust me. Within 6 months these mounts did the job better than I expected...there I said it.

Oh and sorry for the delay guys, I have been more busy than I want but when I am millionaire and am importing enough RS2's to make even Tots jealous, you will be glad that I have worked my arse off as I am doing now.

OH and sorry for pictures but that is what happens when you put your camera in the hands of a girl, well actually more like this happens:

[UrbanAssaultAudi]

why the hell did I not a get a damper (3rd picture down) I friggin love the shat out of these mounts BTW. I got the street level as well, they make way more sense than the crusty stock mounts. I can't believe I didn't have any that were trashed when I removed them.

[VAP]

VW alloy cupped washers and give all Pro-Mount equipped Audi's with equal thickness Mount-Savers the same suspension rebound travel and gap between strut tower tops and underside of the alloy washers. Due to the B4 having 2mm thick strut tower plates added (see pic) for mounting the strut bar it uses the 2mm thinner bezel. All other earlier cars without strut tower caps installed use the 2mm thicker bezels. That kit is available and runs $55 including shipping to lower 48 states. Must specify if B4, earlier or earlier with welded Audi strut caps installed when ordering.

Pro-Mount Testers got these for free with their new Pro-Mounts at the end of the 6 month test period. Testing has it's privelages ;-)

Mance-Mount users also have the option of upgrading to Pro-Mounts with bezel kits if their spherical bearings ever need replaced at no charge. Of those that have done so nary a one regrets it! Pure track cars should stay with solid mounts. Dual purpose cars, even my own car prefer Pros over solids. Didnt cost me even .001 of a second off my lap times and they just ride better.

[Regenmeister]

How hard could it have been for them to do what you have achieved? Makes me wonder about the AG at times. Exemplarary engineering is what they brag about themselves.

[VAP]

and like a dog chasin' a car I'm not sure what we'd do with it if we caught it!?!

Originally I thought maybe they were good for the loads they were originally designed to support but the originals failed as quickly as the latest ones without additional support. In point of fact one of the newer ones (green designed specifically for the heavier 12V engine) fail as quickly in the old 4kQ as a B3 or B4.

I'd like to think it's because they wanted to sell parts but truth is I don't believe that's true.

I think somewhere early on some engineer made a mistake or some accountant said "make it cheaper." I can forgive the original design mistake if made and understand the concept of economics. What I can't understand or agree with is that they have purposefully chosen to ignore it and not dramatically improve on the original design in spite of several part number supercessions. Every superceeded part number has shown an increase in durometer hardness in the rubber. But nothing in the way of travel limiting or travel damping. And ultimately thats the Achilles heel of the original design and what kills em prematurely.

And of course the Chinese generic replacements, even those touting to be "Made in Germany" were doomed to be even worse by "monkey see/monkey do" manufacturing.

[Reggie]

Damn you could eat off of that

[CvTech]