80 Brat strut options / jump seats

[vwBrat]

Those may work, but the bottom mount is slightly different on the first generation Brats.  I wish I had one to try when I had them out and see if they are close enough.

[mikaleda]

Nope if the bottom is differant then you have the other style subaru used, so McPherson struts won't work.

[vwBrat]

It is a McPherson strut, but the brackets welded onto the lower part of the tube are different.  I am not sure what other design they used. 

[mikaleda]

The other design looked a lot alike but, they were differant, the ball joint for one, McPherson struts have the same style ball joints as the legacy, the pinch type. Of your ball joint is differant than the legacys or is a bolt on type you've got the older style I can't remember what their called, if you put up a pic of the ball joint, I can tell you with %100 accuracy weather it's McPherson or not, I'm thinking their not.

[bonvo]

if your stock struts are the originals they should be oil filled and rebuildable you can even adjust the dapening by using different shock oil go to a offorad shop and you can get shock oil in different weights that way you keep your stokers with height adjustment if you have it and have a basicly new strut 

[vwBrat]

First gen Brats (at least mine) have the bolt on ball joints but still use a MacPherson Strut.  It looks identical to the photo posted of the second gen style strut except for the brake line mounts, and possibly the bolt that holds it in place with the steering knuckle.

 

If they are rebuildable, that's awesome but unfortunately mine was worn all the way through the inner tube when I got it.  It already had aftermarket cartridges in it.

 

Macpherson Strut definition:

MacPherson struts consist of a wishbone or a substantial compression
link stabilized by a secondary link which provides a bottom mounting
point for the hub or axle
of the wheel. This lower arm system provides both lateral and
longitudinal location of the wheel. The upper part of the hub is rigidly
fixed to the inner part of the strut proper, the outer part of which
extends upwards directly to a mounting in the body shell of the vehicle.

[mikaleda]

its still not the same, if you have a bolt on ball joint then the struts pictured will not work, They are differant. I've never heard them called a McPherson strut before but, I looked it up I'm my shop Manuel and said the same thing as you quoted.

To be clear though, the style struts pictured above will not work with your brat, you need to order the other style struts. I did some searching and found info on the first gen brats they do not use the same style struts as the second gen brats. The struts In the picture are the second gen brat style.