Feeler for group buy: Coil over suspension?

[ForcedFirebird]

Getting ready to do a fully custom suspension for a GA, and even though I haven't been here in forever (or any forum for that matter), figured I would stop in and see if any others are interested? The kit I am working on will be using Koni double adjustable dampers with adjustable pre-load and ride height, but is fairly expensive (dampers are $400 each to give an idea).

Could/would be willing to make a few options if anyone else is interested. Could do single or non-adjustable dampers, ride height only etc...

Just putting the feelers out.

How's everyone been nowadays?

[mfuller]

Hey John.....good to see you're still around.

[ForcedFirebird]

Originally Posted by mfuller

Hey John.....good to see you're still around.

Word! Yeah, still around. Made a career of working on cars, ended up in the road racing world. Between the 4 kids, weekends at the track and all, hardly post much anymore. Peek in and read here and there, but don't generally sign in. There's 100 new pages on the "post a pic of your car" thread haha.

Haven't even updates the FB or Insta pages in forever.

You would like this project. I will be gutting some stock struts to pirate the housings (maybe even just to use the knuckle mounts), using Koni 8611 inserts with a 48mmx1.5 gland nut, sleeves etc. Still undecided how I am going to go about making the ride height and pre-load independent yet. This way the inserts are easily replaceable.

Don't want this to the the typical "put these threaded sleeves over your strut tube" kind of deal. I have done countless e30 coil over kits, but there's really no quality sets that have pre-load adjustment, unless you want to give up your first born . They are also difficult since the insert tubes are welded to the knuckles, but here's a custom set I did for a 325iX (AWD e30)...



Here's the rust buckets, after media blasting I had to work with, and yes the spring perches had completely rusted off!



Those were actually sectioned and re-welded, bought a tap for the ID of 2" tubing to make the job simpler.

[mfuller]

It sounds like something similar to what Truechoice Motorsports had built for me years ago, with one HUGE difference - the ones I had were 8611 double-adjustable inserts with threaded sleeves on the strut bodies, which basically meant changes in vehicle ride height could only be accomplished by adjusting the spring preload, which is obviously the wrong way to do it. To do it correctly, you'd need the entire strut body to be threaded and then fabricate a lower mount to thread onto the strut body and bolt to the suspension knuckle.

[ForcedFirebird]

Using the same 8611-xxxx, which are double adjustable. Yes, you are correct, ride height being independent of pre-load means having a way to move the knuckle mount on the tube/body, or pre-load is dictated by the car resting on the springs.

IE, when jacking up a car, the wheel *should" go up with the car before the spring is loose on the damper. Otherwise, you get an uncontrollable bounce that makes general/street driving funky. If you already have a strut system with 0 pre-load, and easy way to remedy this is to add limiter straps/chains, but it' not the same as having independent height/pre-load as far as ease of total control.

Another way to remedy this is to add flat coil helper springs. They keep a pre-determined pre-load, which MAY be the way these end up, but prefer the prior idea of adjustable knuckle/body system.

Keep in mind, if you add helper springs, you increase spring rate and ride height while adding pre-load.

[sleepyalero]

Very sweet idea. Im (sadly) doubtful anyone here will fork over the money. Most of us dont own N-bodies anymore, kicked them to the side, or simply dont want to dump hundreds of dollars into them anymore.

60v6 may be the only place getting people who want some. May get one or two here, but its been so dead i just dont see it.

[young gun]

Down the road I'll possibly want a custom set in which I know I can goto you John, but right now its not feasible for me.

[_HeC_]

I might be interested, what would the cheapest setup cost compared to all the bells and whistles?

[ForcedFirebird]

Originally Posted by _HeC_

I might be interested, what would the cheapest setup cost compared to all the bells and whistles?

Just height adjustment on stock shocks?

[vtloki]

I'm looking for a solution to just put a seat of quality rear Koni's on my sunfire (swapping the grand am rear on it first) and planning on just using the canucks springs. But this thread has my interest peeked.