Has anyone sectioned their front struts too give more front suspension travel?

I am thinking of making this modification, and using the Rabbit or MR2 struts, but I haven't found any thing on springs used. I have considered coil overs, but i want the car to look stock(I will remove the perches with a lathe and a steadyrest, figure out the proper ride height, and weld them back on.)

I searched out forums and didn't find anything and through Google found only two or three blurbs.

The modification makes sence, and absolutely reclaims suspension travel.

Will

What sort of use are you considering?

The only modification I'm aware of is in Rally use and increases the ride height and travel.

MOM

The roads here in Savannah(Ok, my driveway) bottomed out the front suspension on my '73 (lowered 1.5 with nissan comp springs) too often, and that was being careful!

The city won't do anythig about the potthole at the union of my driveway and the street, and when I have filed it in, they have fined me for cleanup! I filled a long shallow pothole with gravel, I do not have access to the hot peletized asphault they do. I will also sort it out on Roebling Road on occasion!

I may just have to take a sledge to the area and get them to make some serious repairs.

Will

Why don't you drop a big metal plate over it.

Might be cheaper than any mods...

Seriously, I gather you need to increase the actual travel on the shock insert.

I don't think that can be done, perhaps shortening the length of strut by 1.5 inches is what your asking. It can be done, I haven't done it.

Bilstein do conversions, modifications on struts used for rally purposes.

www.bilstein.com.au [from mem]. however most rally struts are increased in length, so they may not be able to help.

The struts on the 240 had coilovers installed with springs from a RX7, suitable for track/bitumen use only. I've managed to destroy them in dirt work.

With the correct equipement it should be fairly straight forward, perhaps an engineering workshop could assist.

MOM

The city won't allow ay modifications to the roadway without more red tape and inspections than there is rust on #27! The real problem is an Oak tree root. But here in Savannah, the City ownes all Oak trees. Only the city or its licensed representative may alter, prune, or remove an oaktree. The root is pushing up the street end of the last slab of my driveway-which is also a piece of sidewalk that the city also ownes...

There is more, but it is too much like "road is wet durring rain"!

Actually what I am after is to have the ride height be at the middle of the shock travel.. When you lower a car what you have done is also to reduce the allowable downward travel of the shock by the amount of lowering.

I have all of the tools to do this, but not the experience to know what the deflection of the springs will be.

Will

Could you reduce the length of the shocker rod by 1.5 inches?

Of course, I have assumed you have inserts in place and not still the original shock!

Shortening the shock could accomplish the same thing, but it would also void its warranty. Also i plan on using Illuminas, and I would not want to complicate matters by having to address shortening the adjustment setup. There is no warranty on a30 odd year old strut housing...

WIll

Sounds like you've answered your own question...

If you are reluctant to shorten the shocks then you have no option other than cutting the aformentioned 1.5 inch from the strut.

Personally, I would not reccomend it, however you have the machinery and knowledge, so why not?

My reason for not, is that the geometry is incorrect as the shock would already be in compression by 1.5 inches, you may need to use a softer spring.

Will, would it be possible for you to use a "cheap" shock as a testbed for the shortened rod. Not knowing the warrenty that is usually given on shocks, I would query the warrenty after use in a modified strut anyhow...

Interesting discussion...

MOM

There is doccumented use of Toyota MR2 shocks and Volkswagon Rabbit shocks in the modified struts. I know they work, and my real quandry is on the ride height.

I will make a set of the 240Z Tokico springs work despite the strut modification.

I am considering using a moveable perch, and a trimmable sleeve over the strut to locate it to find the best ride height.

Will

snip...

I am considering using a moveable perch, and a trimmable sleeve over the strut to locate it to find the best ride height.

Will

Yep, that would be the way to go...Keep a list of ride heights vs strut length if you can.

MOM

when this comes into the time to do it, I will write up a technical article with all of the specifics needed by a newbie to reproduce my results.

Will

Will,

I think it's do-able. To increase the suspension travel shorten the strut housing by 1.5" and all you would need is a shock that is 1.5" shorter than the stock Z strut. Maybe find a suitable strut first, measure the difference and cut the strut housing accordingly. It shouldn't affect the ride height at all. If you wanted to raise the ride height then you would have to either change springs or raise the perch.

Let us know which strut you use.

Ed