Have a 05 justa cooper . I'm wanting to know anyone has had any luck out of the upper strut tower plates like m7 or vip ? And will they fix or pull the tower back down in place ? I would consider the under tower plates but I'm going to be doing lowering springs and I don't want to lose any drop .
Any help would be great. Thanks

 

I have craven std's....
Got them on before any mushrooming began (first owner)....
The basic procedure (if the metal is not torn) is to BASH the towers flat...a block of wood, and a hammer is usually the method refered too....then put defenders on top (or camber plates) to stiffen and strengthen the area....choice of std brand/product is dependent on what your goals are....need more camber, a strut brace (some work with a bar, some don't, etc)....

 

Yes, you must flatten out the strut towers before putting "defenders" on. First of all you will probably not be able to install the defenders with mushrooming but even if you do, you will risk breaking the upper strut mount bolts is you crank them down hard enough to flatten out the towers.

 

The worthy ones? Cravens & VIPs.

 

An under-tower force distribution plate is the best way to prevent this from happening again. Note that it will add ~1/4" to the ride height, but that lowering springs tend to get pretty darned low - and tend to provide some "rake" (front lower than rear), so that may be a welcome real-world improvement when it comes to getting up a driveway or straddling a sewie-hole. Levelling the ride height also improves caster (minor, but can be noticeable). If you still want the "rake", add a small rubber donut shim under the rear upper rubber mount - you'll have to make this one yourself.

 

The Cravens do the job very well, proven in our pothole-filled roads, w/o lifting.