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| How to make rear coil-overs using factory struts, with pics. (Page 43/49) |
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FieroGT42
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JUN 17, 08:10 PM
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1. What ID sleeves fit best on KYB struts without thinning the walls? I've seen 2.07, 2.1 and 2.17" ID sleeves but I don't want to guess on something that's holding up most of the car's weight.
2. What is currently the cheapest source for them without wasting $ on the conical hats and other stuff that we don't need?
Thanks.
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nitroheadz28
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JUN 17, 09:44 PM
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I would say ebay. It takes some shopping, but you can find them cheap. I got my A1 racing sleeves/rings/tophats (which I didn't use of course) for $30 shipped- very lightly used.
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scott0999
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JUN 18, 01:22 PM
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after doing this conversion I would like to say, for stock fiero rims I recommend 10" springs if you want it to look dropped
you can do it with 12" springs if you dont mind tightening the adjuster a bit, putting more preload on the springs
I have 12" springs right now with the adjuster tightened enough to take up the slack on the spring, plus just a couple turns. theres still a good bit of wheel gap though
its still lower than stock, but not as much as I was hoping for[This message has been edited by scott0999 (edited 06-18-2011).]
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redraif
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JUN 19, 04:00 AM
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I checked out the link. I have sleeves showing up, but it does not mention the ID of the sleeve for verification, nor does it mention if the sleeve comes with the adjuster? Any clarification you can offer on what comes with this sleeve. I have KYBs in the rear.
| quote | Originally posted by Joseph Upson:
I just spent the last 5 hours installing my coilovers. The front Eibachs went on earlier without much of a problem. I had a unique situation that is important to know. I have an 86 model and installed my new wheels and tires a couple of days ago, 18x8 and 18x9s, 38 mm offset. I have the Coleman racing sleeve kit with the upper cone seats as seen in the example on page 2, and QA1 12" 275 lb rate. I installed the cone seat beneath the stock strut mount. I adjusted the spring seats up to 3.25 inches from the bottom and sat it down. The rear lift must have been about 4 inches.
I lowered the perch a few inches and still had too much lift, that's when I discovered the spring and seats were making contact with the tire and wheel. In the picture below it's hard to see it clearly but if you look at the bottom of the sleeve you'll see that it is not resting properly at the bottom of the strut.
I removed the cone and that has nearly solved the problem by allowing the spring seat to rest a lot higher up, but when adjusting for the lower height to match the front ride height, the perch is now close to the tire again so a 1/8" thick spacer may be needed for the wheel to get the additional inch or so necessary to level it off, or purchasing 10" springs instead.
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1984 indy manual stock with new Kybs in the rear.
After reading through this thread I was nearly sold on the 7in adjusters, QA1 12 inch springs @ 300lbs. I was going to fully remove the stock perch and have the sleeve sit all the way down. Now I'm worried... I wanted to do the coil over conversion to allow for wider rims in the rear. I have a free pair of 265/35 r18 tires off my spouses mustang I wanted to use on the rear. I'm still shopping for rims to make it all work. That tire size means rims at 18x8.5 minimum, but preferred 18x9 inch. Now I'm worried I might experience this issue, as rims don't offer as much offset selection with our lug pattern. I don't need my lower spring seat/adjuster hitting my tires. The plan is to lower the car so the fender sits about an inch above the tire. Would it be better to use a 10 inch spring to get the lower ride height I want, but avoid the seat/tire contact? Or would it be better to have the sleeve rest on the stock perch welds to hold it up higher. Then what spring length would i need to get only 1 inch fender gap?
Thanks to you all. Great info in this thread. I figure its better to ask before I collect parts and have to re-buy a shorter spring.
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mattwa
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JUN 19, 05:22 PM
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Made my coil-over's today. 7in adjusters, QA1 12" 300lb springs, and Monroe struts. The top plate is just there to hold it all together for now, built them for an 88 cradle swap.
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FieroGT42
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JUN 20, 11:29 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by scott0999:
after doing this conversion I would like to say, for stock fiero rims I recommend 10" springs if you want it to look dropped
you can do it with 12" springs if you dont mind tightening the adjuster a bit, putting more preload on the springs
I have 12" springs right now with the adjuster tightened enough to take up the slack on the spring, plus just a couple turns. theres still a good bit of wheel gap though
its still lower than stock, but not as much as I was hoping for
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1-2 turns preload is what I've always heard is correct anyway (well, for even height. 4-corner wheel weighing is correct for track/handling)
Do you have any pictures of the drop with them adjusted like this? I'm really curious because I thought 12" springs were what everyone preferred. Oh, and what spring rate are you using with that kind of drop?[This message has been edited by FieroGT42 (edited 06-20-2011).]
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scott0999
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JUN 21, 03:12 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by FieroGT42:
1-2 turns preload is what I've always heard is correct anyway (well, for even height. 4-corner wheel weighing is correct for track/handling)
Do you have any pictures of the drop with them adjusted like this? I'm really curious because I thought 12" springs were what everyone preferred. Oh, and what spring rate are you using with that kind of drop?
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QA1 12" springs, 300# spring rate
please excuse the paint, thats the last thing I'm doing on the car
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redraif
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JUN 28, 01:00 PM
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Still trying to gather info for my coil over conversion.... and rim swap... I have been using Joe Torma's wheel offset diagram as my bible for possible fitments on my 84. On his diagram.... I understand where the spring perch is marked and have based my potential offset choices on this... However the coil-over conversion will add additional clearance in the rear. Can anyone give any figures as to the amount of inside clearance that is gained after the conversion?
I'm having a heck of a time finding wheels that will offer a decent staggered offset. I'm still concerned as to my previous post... seeing someone else have their rear 18x9s hit the coil-over's perch... See I have a free pair of 18inch tires 265/35. Best choice for the tire is a 9inch wheel. But I'm worried about how they will fit even with the coil-over conversion.
Its not like I can just do the conversion and see what happens... My sleeve length choice and spring length choice might also affect what will fit. Either way could spell a costly mistake. The spouse is barely allowing me to make this investment at its current "no mistakes" price. Though I still think the wheels are going to break the budget. I want white, but its hard to get them in decent widths, esp anything staggered. So now it might be another finish and powder coat them... ugh! So you can see why I want to make the right choice from the get go.
Help please!
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FieroGT42
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JUL 06, 02:34 PM
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Stock WS6 springs on my '86 GT (Code NYM, stiffest of 4 possible) have O.D. of 7-7/8 for a radius of 3.9375. I'd imagine they're all the same...?
Standard 2-5/8 coil springs have O.D. of 3-5/8, radius of 1.8125.
2-1/2" I.D. springs will have O.D. of about 3-1/2, radius of 1.750.
Most coil over nuts/adjusters are about 3-1/2" O.D. as well.
2-1/2" springs give you 3.9375 - 1.8125 = 2 1/8" more room on each side from the shock centerline. 2-5/8" springs will give you about 2".
This is assuming there are no geometry changes with your install. If clearance is an issue, you should look upper spring locators like WCF uses with their kit to make sure nothing shifts.
Scott0999, I'm not sure why you had trouble lowering their rear with 12" springs unless they're resting on the stock perches...? Stock springs were 12" and removing the perches gives you about 4-3/8" drop. Coilover kits raise you up from there.
Also, most eBay coilover kits (even for Integras) do NOT fit over KYBs even if you sand the paint off and heat them to 400-425 (Al loses temper at 425-450 after 10 to 20 min, and they WILL stay hot for that long if you don't quench them). Maybe if they were honed or on a different brand of struts?
I got a deal on some sleeves & rings from Speedway. They were in the garage sale section without the cone, clip and other stuff so that saves a few bucks. They clear KYB's with at about 1/16" gap. Plenty of room.
Finally, just FYI: KYB previously marketed their shocks/struts as GR-2 in the U.S. and Excel elsewhere. They have discontinued the GR-2 name and silver color. Everything is black Excel now, but KYB says they are the exact same product.[This message has been edited by FieroGT42 (edited 07-06-2011).]
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FinnishFireball
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AUG 20, 02:18 AM
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Is this part of the stock shock removable?
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