Last Chance To Stop Me: Going Coilovers?

[Zed Head]

You might jack the car up and see how far the wheel drops.  The wheel will drop to the bottom of the shock's travel.  If the shock is topped out the wheel won't drop much at all, just any compression of the insulator.

 

I think that's right...

[oranngetang]

I'm away working, but the wheels do drop a fair bit, enough that the spring can fully extend and can wiggle around. There should be a little room available for some lift on those inserts.

I appreciate the help fellas.

[oranngetang]

So... I'm still trying to deal with GC about this. Getting some good communication right now, though it's been what, 9 months now?

 

I agree that the struts were sectioned too short, but they keep coming back with kind of a 'you got what's on the invoice' argument. Sure, the springs are the springs that were suppose to ship, but it doesn't say anywhere where the tubes were to be cut, on the invoice, etc...

 

The good news is, with the second set of wheels and tires, the knuckles and calipers have loads of room and the tires fit nicely inside the fenders. The car is still very low, hits every speed bump and can't drive into Canadian Tire, but it's drivable....

 

A disappointing experience. When I assembled the kit I put the camber plates up top, as they provided no cut out template or instructions but the hardware actually came with a small underplate, so it's not just washers and bolt heads supporting the car... The solution at the time was to send me some strut bars, so I could move the plates under the towers as they're suppose to be, and give the tops of the cut towers a clean finished look with the stress bar plates. I would also gain 3/8-1/2" ride height which would be great.

 

It's been, since last August trying to get these in the mail... The last response basically said, yes we have had them for a long time and yes we're distributing them, but not to you...

 

Will see how things pan out. If they pull through and send me some, great, if not, well... You know where not to shop I guess.

[Chickenman]

Taller springs are your answer. I don't see where your spring height is length is listed, but assuming 10" free length just buy some 12" springs and adjust the collars down. You can also get spacers for putting under the spring seats.

 

These are standard 2.5" ID coil over springs correct? I'd juts go to a Circle Track supplier such as http://pitstopusa.com/ and make a selection from their HUGE inventory of springs. Pitstop USA carries all popular brands including Eibach, Hypercoil, Swift, Afco and others. And they're probably going to be a lot cheaper than buying from GC.

 

Here is their link to Coil Over springs:

 

http://pitstopusa.com/c-131948-chassis-suspension-springs-coil-over-springs.html

 

You can shop by size or by brand. Pitstop USA offers 2.5" ID coil over springs in 9", 10" 12", 14" and 16" free lengths. You should be able to find something that fits.

 

Edit: I've personally used Hypercoils for years and they are excellent. Readily available as well, in about any rate and length.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Chickenman

[oranngetang]

You're probably right. There seems like there is enough strut stroke in reserve to actually just run a longer spring, and I may infact buy some longer ones, but it's kind of the principle of the situation right now. If you order a stock ride height suspension system that can be lowered 2 inches from a company that does a custom build with your existing bodies, and they blame you for ordering the 10" springs when it was their suggestion, something is wrong. They also only offered 8" and 10" options when I ordered. Stock - ish height and lowered height respectively as I was explained. I can't see an 8" spring working in ANY situation on these struts.

12" in the rear would work, I'd keep the 10" up front.

Eibach and Hypercoil are the same price, would you still go Hypercoil if doing it again?

What spring rates are you running? Off the top of my head I think this car is 225/250.

[oranngetang]

I mean, how can you can you day this car isn't lowered substantially

[Patcon]

Lowered to me would mean the rockers are closer to the ground versus the stock 6 inches or so. A larger wheel will fill the wheel arch even if the chassis is no closer to the ground.

[oranngetang]

A larger tire will.

-edit- actually to not come off as a total douche, I'm only saying that because it came up in the wheels thread earlier. I'm running pretty close to stock diameter, not enough to really notice the difference. 17s might throw that illusion around, but they're 40 profiles, not 50s or 60s for a reason.

Edited May 26, 2015 by oranngetang

[oranngetang]

I'm in final talks with the suspension guys, to see about sorting something out for this car. 

 

Just to lay it out in black and white, this is where the rear perch ring is currently positioned. It's above the top thread or two, which is above where it should be.

This is how low the car sits with the perch ring in that position

This is full droop

This is full static load, without a driver or fuel. A difference of about 1 11/16".

I can only think of two feasible options.

 

1. Use a taller spring. GC offers two spring lengths, 8" and 10". I have a 10" spring, front and rear. I could buy a 12" spring, but as is, I'm only getting 1 11/16" inches of extension out of this suspension as is. How much is necessary to maintain? Raising the car by using a longer spring will also lower the amount of extension by the same amount.

 

2. Use a strut spacer. I can have a local steel shop laser cut up to a 1" steel plate, which I could shape the same as the camber plates and place under the strut towers to move the suspension downward.

 

GC hasn't said more than there is an easy fix, but hasn't disclosed it. This response came months after they suggested I move the camber plates below the strut towers and use their strut-brace as an alternative to a 'finisher' for engine bay aesthetics. I've been told on several occasions since last Autumn that the strut braces are in production, yet I've also been told that they're not for sale. I was kind of expecting a free set to be honest. Even then, I think I'd need to have some thicker plates machined to gain some height.

 

I'm 9 or 10 months into this email string between them and I and feel no closer to any sort of resolution. I'm hoping they pull through with some strut braces and I can take care of some thicker support spacers. Afterall, it was THEIR suggestion. 

 

Any thoughts? Specifically how much strut extension should be maintained? OR, can you think of any possible situation where you would purposely put the threaded collar so low on the strut, and offer an 8" spring to boot? By measurement you could sit the car on the frame rails if you cared to. I feel it's been cut too low, they say it's what I ordered.

Edited June 10, 2015 by oranngetang

[Zed Head]

Ideally, your struts have been cut to give the desired ratio of compression travel, to extension travel.  That's the main goal of the strut sectioning.  John Coffey posted some numbers a little while ago, somewhere.  Can't remember it but I'd guess it's like a 2:1 ratio.  So if you have 6" total, you'd look for 4" compression, 2" extension.

 

On the springs, I've looked at spring extenders myself.  They're basically spring perch elevators.  Molded plastic pieces designed to fit the spring shape and sit in the perch to lift the spring.  I found some but they were more than I wanted to spend.  I'll probably fabricate some, eventually, just to get another 1/2 inch.  They are out there though.

[oranngetang]

Excellent info. So for a fairly stiff 250 lb spring, likely that extension number would drop well below 2". Perhaps a spring extension would work then. That said, would there be any advantage/disadvantage of running those instead of a 12" spring with the perch threaded 1.5" down?

[cbuczesk]

What about using a longer threaded collar?

 

Chuck