I'm replacing front struts on my SS (FE5 suspension). The upper strut hat (aka: upper spring seat, GM #22716379) has a tab on it. Assuming the strut is installed in the car, looking down from the top when standing next to the wheel, what orientation does the tab point to when installed (e.g., 12 o'clock, 9 o'clock, etc.)?

For those scoffers who might come back and say "why didn't you look before you took it apart?"...The spring busted so the orientation got messed up before I ever touched it and I believe the previous owner worked on the other side of the car, so I don't think the opposing side is correct either.

 

I went out to look. It's not visible from the top. Someone probably knows. Sorry.

 

You are correct that it's not visible from the top. You have to peek from the bottom and unless its on a lift, you might have difficulty seeing. I just mentioned "from top" in my post so a commentator was clear about its clocking when they replied. Thanks for checking though!

 

Sorry X2.
I had mine apart when putting in the Pedders springs. Honestly don't recall. Almost 10 years and 1 heart attack later, my memory ain't what it used to be.

 

That tab points towards the body , opposite the bracket for the steering knuckle bracket. It should line up with the top end of the coil spring.

 

Sorry to hear about your medical struggles. No worries about the strut hat. But thanks for at least browsing through and tuning in!

12 o'clock by my orientation. Whew, this is great to hear! I had to get them installed so that's how I assembled the struts yesterday, not yet having this feedback. Several search hits on Google indicated it might (but not 100% sure) be 12 o'clock (i.e., opposite steering knuckle bracket). So I took a guess that it might be 12 o'clock. In fact, the slant of the strut hat appeared to be aligned the best when I put it at 12 o'clock as well.

 

And for those in the rust belt, replace the upper spring plates


This plate is shiny and new, the tab that we’re talking about pointing to the left of the photo.

This is the crusty 9 year old piece , the rust scale caused rubbing and crunching while turning and binding the plastic bearing

 

Wow, that's bad!! I'm in Ohio and mine were not real bad. If I own the car long enough to do struts again, I will need to replace them though, at that time. I'm sure they'll be pretty bad.

 

I think I’ll add that to our part number list.

 

Opposite of the steering knuckle bracket... Doesn't seem like 12 o'clock. We're talking about the bracket that is welded to the strut, right? So they would point towards the engine?