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DIY Coil - Overs #1432730
12/06/2013 11:55
12/06/2013 11:55

I
I8AV8
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I was looking into buying a set of coil overs, but the cost and associated freight and import fees meant that the whole idea went out of the window very quickly.

I need to save up for a Helix clutch, so if anybody has one that is lying around PM me smile

I am converting the existing struts to a coil-over setup.

I am using Hyper Coil springs, AVO Gas Strut inserts and Allstar coil over conversion kit.

Will update in a couple of days.

Some pics of the manual labour involved (30 minutes, two cutting disks and one sanding disk):
click to enlarge click to enlarge click to enlarge click to enlarge click to enlarge

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1432735
12/06/2013 12:05
12/06/2013 12:05

N
nismo
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looking good so far .

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1432736
12/06/2013 12:15
12/06/2013 12:15
Joined: Dec 2005
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Jimbo Offline
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This looks like a project! How are you going to mount the spring at the top of the strut?

What spring rate did you go for and how did you select the damper insert?

Lots of questions smile

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1432737
12/06/2013 12:17
12/06/2013 12:17
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 820
Trowbridge,Wiltshire
jon13 Offline
Enjoying the ride
jon13  Offline
Enjoying the ride

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 820
Trowbridge,Wiltshire

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: Jimbo] #1432752
12/06/2013 14:09
12/06/2013 14:09

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Hi there,

Hopefully this will answer most of your questions.

click to enlarge click to enlarge click to enlarge

This is an upside down coil over design.

The following parts have to manufactured (max 2 hours on a simple lathe.)

2 x Conical nuts that threads onto strut insert stud and then sits on top of top spring perch holding it in place.
2 x Vesconite guide bushes to locate the strut insert.
2 x Locating weld on threaded bushes that sits just above the strut casing flanges
2 x Aluminium tube spacers that threads onto the weld on bushes. The coil over tubes are them welded onto these. This part is over engineered and you can take a much simpler approach


Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: jon13] #1432753
12/06/2013 14:10
12/06/2013 14:10

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Thanks Jon13, I am going to buy form them, busy saving up

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1432774
12/06/2013 17:21
12/06/2013 17:21
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,707
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Jimbo Offline
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I see, looks really good, what spring rate did you go for? If i remember correctly you're manufacturing your own top mounts to compensate for the offset angle of the damper, should work really well smile The standard coupe top mounts don't work with coilovers.

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: Jimbo] #1432785
12/06/2013 18:51
12/06/2013 18:51

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I8AV8
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Front 525#, Rear 425#

Yes, they go with my DIY camber plates

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1432786
12/06/2013 18:52
12/06/2013 18:52

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I8AV8
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Oh, GAZ and AVO makes inserts depending your spring rates

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1432787
12/06/2013 18:53
12/06/2013 18:53

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I8AV8
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Oh, GAZ and AVO makes inserts depending your spring rates

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1433004
13/06/2013 20:03
13/06/2013 20:03
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 555
Bulgaria
Ferrarist Offline
Enjoying the ride
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Bulgaria
My trackday 156 is with 4 DIY coilovers, no problems for 2 years, however must be made with extra caution cause i've seen few bad examples.....
click to enlarge
click to enlarge click to enlarge

Last edited by Ferrarist; 13/06/2013 20:03.

20VT - Alfa 156 2.0 - Alfa 156 Mid-Engined RWD - Locost 20VT

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: Ferrarist] #1454020
19/10/2013 12:08
19/10/2013 12:08

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I8AV8
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The DIY coil overs are finished and I am happy with the end result.

click to enlarge

I am waiting for some feedback from GAZ regarding the inserts and depending on price I will either go with them or the AVO's I have available. The AVO's have started leaking and servicing them is a bliksem if you are based in ZA.

Adjust-ability is between 50 and 70mm for ride height, but will confirm the exact numbers later once they are on the car.

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1454031
19/10/2013 14:48
19/10/2013 14:48
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 12,644
Watford
MarioCirillo Offline
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Watford
You have done a fantastic job they look great! very very nice paint finish!


Proud Owner of Rosso Speed LE041
Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1454041
19/10/2013 15:54
19/10/2013 15:54

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Thanks, the strut bodies are powder coated and the rest of the components are anodised.

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1454106
19/10/2013 20:59
19/10/2013 20:59

N
nismo
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top job thumb interested to so how they ride and feel .

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1489883
23/05/2014 16:28
23/05/2014 16:28

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I8AV8
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Hi there,

I had some spare time to spend on the 20VT and I finished fitting the coil overs and 6 pot Wilwood Calipers to double check clearances.

click to enlarge

The fitment is perfect and I will be doing some final touches before I am finalising this part of the project.

Questions are welcome...., but keep in mind I still have to test drive these, but they should perform well taking into account that the complete coil-over is adjustable.

I have started on a second version which will allow for ride height adjustment on the bracket and not just on the coil-over body and they will incorporate an upside down design.


Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1490985
29/05/2014 11:18
29/05/2014 11:18

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burnbike
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well done mate

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1491156
30/05/2014 16:47
30/05/2014 16:47
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 12,644
Watford
MarioCirillo Offline
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 12,644
Watford
Calliper Envy! Very Nice


Proud Owner of Rosso Speed LE041
Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1494405
17/06/2014 12:50
17/06/2014 12:50

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Gasket
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My DIY semi-coilovers:

click to enlarge

Lets take one Coupe style top mount and chop it a bit:

click to enlarge

There you see the parts:

click to enlarge

Lets chop the Bravo style spring seat and weld it back together a bit differently with an extra piece of exhaust pipe:

click to enlarge

And add a collar for the bearing

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

And assemble:

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Someone might wonder why the big spring. The small inner spring is a 100 kg/cm and the outer one is Weitec lowering spring for a BravX 1,6. The stiff one keeps the car from rolling and the other one keeps the inside wheel on the track in a corner. Sure this could be done with a helper spring, but why not this way and spend a bit more money on gas.


And you are about two seconds a lap faster compared to the previous setup with a semi-stiff single spring.

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1494511
18/06/2014 00:15
18/06/2014 00:15
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 555
Bulgaria
Ferrarist Offline
Enjoying the ride
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 555
Bulgaria
Really doubt that this will work as it should, there is things like spring frequency, shock absorber must be taken into equation if it can work with this kind of springS and so on....
However if you're happy there is no problem.....


20VT - Alfa 156 2.0 - Alfa 156 Mid-Engined RWD - Locost 20VT

Re: DIY Coil - Overs [Re: ] #1494521
18/06/2014 06:33
18/06/2014 06:33

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The nose is heavy enough to compress the outer spring so much that normally it sits on the inner spring, so there aren't abrupt changes in spring force when entering a corner. Definately a lot better than a stiff roll bar in the front.

The two springs have very different natural frequencys and as far as I understand that is a good thing. Its the same why using two valve springs is better than one really stiff one. How does this setup differ from a coilover setup with a helper spring? Could be even better since the helper spring doesn't have to be clashed so the spring force is a lot more linear.

The shock could be better. Its a -60 mm Weitec, so its better than original but could be stiffer. Not that much of an issue at a rather smooth race track. The car is not an everyday driver, its just for track days. Suspension is way too stiff for the street.

Why I did this was purely because of cost. A decent coil-over suspension would have cost well over a thousand and this cost me almost nothing. More money to spend on gas :)And as I said, two seconds of a flying lap, so it can't be all wrong..


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