Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 11:13:36 -0500
Linnhoff, Eric wrote:
> Well, I found out a few prices to have some shock/strut work done to my
> Konis and my jaw hit the floor.
> WOW!!! What a racket!!
Yup, having the threads cut right into the body is very steep.
> Anyway, Koni or Truchoice will sell me the threaded sleeve and all related
> hardware to convert my SA Konis into coil-over units plus the Eibach ERS
> springs of course. I'd need to remove/grind off the current spring perch
> and then install the new sleeve. They both said that as long as I don't
> lower the car more than 2" (perfect for my plans) that I shouldn't need to
> worry about bottoming out the struts and needing to get the shock bodies
> shortened, which will save me a ton of bucks.
> How feasible would it be for me to be able to do this conversion myself?? I
> have more than just basic mechanical abilities as long as just hand tools
> are required. I have no welder but I do have access to several, if they're
> needed.
> I'd like to go the coil-over route for the ease of tuning using commonly
> available 2.5" ID springs. From what Truchoice told me I'd need to start
> with 7" springs in about the 350#F and 275#R range. (I'm thinking a tad bit
> stiffer in the rear is called for to get the car to rotate.)
> HELP!!!
If I remember right, the Neon has springs around the struts on all four
corners. If this is right you have it easy.
Give Ground Control a call. It was about $100 per corner for the sleaves,
collars, upper perches, and springs of your choice, and you can slep them in
in about an hour.
If you are lowering less than 2 inches like you said, you should not even
have to chop off the old spring perches. On my old 83 Celica, I just slipped
the threaded sleave right around the strut tube and let it rest on the stock
perch. Done!! With the 7 inch long springs it sits lower than stock with it
adjusted over halfway up the sleave. Dialed down it goes to over 2.5 inches
below stock, but the strut does start to run out of travel. I also put in
their camber plates at the same time, but the setup came with upper pearches
to use stock upper mounts with the coil overs.
The setup comes with Eibach ERS springs of your choice of rate and free
length. If you need a few different ones, it is about $40 or so for another
pair of springs.
I had to do a bit of custom work on my old rear drive car, but I am sure they
have done a Neon so it should be all off the shelf. I dealt with Tony at G.C.
and he really knew his stuff and was very helpful in getting the right parts.
They can also recomend the shortened strut inserts for seriously lowering
your car, but then you get into chopping the stock perch off of the strut.
Runing the spring down lower on the tube will allow a longer spring that can
give better travel and less chance of hitting coil bind, BUT if it runs down
past the tire, you will have to run much greater offset to get them to clear.
On my car, the tire is only 3/8 inch off of the strut tube now, and the
spring has to be at least 3/4 of an inch all the way around. The stock perch
also acts as a splash gaurd in the wheel well, and when you go coil over, you
may not be able to fit the nice boots around the strut rods. It gets real
tight in there with 2.5 inch springs.
Gary M.
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