Coilover Conversion Questions

[andycook]

What exactly is involved in converting my SC over to coilovers? Both front and rear.
Can ride height then be adjusted using the coilover sleeves or will the geometry of the rear control arms limit the height?

[Jeff Alton]

It all depends how far you want to take it an how much you want to spend...... First, why do you want coilovers? You can get plenty stiff torsion bars so unless you need big spring rates, it may be best to stay with the torsion bars. Adjustablilty, Something like a factory spring plate, WEVO one, or a Sway away one all have adjustment in them.

Now back to your question. You need new struts (rsr style) that should come with all the required bits an pieces. Try www.theracersgroup.com or www.smartracingproducts.com for prices. In the rear you will need new shocks (rsr style) and they should also come with all the bits and pieces, see above links. Take it a little farther and really open your wallet and spring for ERP 935 style front a arms and crossmember and 935 style rear spring plates.

Put all of this stuff in and you have a very adjustable suspension. Ride height is a snap by using the threaded perches on the shocks and struts. Toe adjusted seperately from camber on the rear. Up front you can change track, castor, camber with the adjustable a-arms. You can also still adjust castor and camber at the strut top as well.

I have custom valved bilstien struts/shocks with SRP hardware and got the 935 style front and rear stuff from TRG. I am very happy with all of it. It is lighter weight than the factory stuff as well.

All that said, it is a big bunch of change for upgrades that may or may not be better than staying with torsion bars.

Hope this helps a little.

Cheers

[andycook]

Thanks for the input Jeff. I am going to check out those sites and see what I am looking at. Probably scare me, but just think of the bling factor!

Has anyone ever modified factory struts to accept a coilover conversion kit?

[Jack Olsen]

Outside of dedicated track use where you need higher spring rates, there's very little gain with coils, which entail either 1) great expense to reinforce the chassis, or 2) gradual damage to your tub.

I recently went back to torsion bars in the front of my car. Now I can run wider tires there.

[randywebb]

It seems that coilovers make sense under two conditions:

1. When extreme stiffness is required
2. when multiple tracks are run with very different conditions, and fast setup changes are required

[Jeff Alton]

One other thing you get is the ability to improve the front/and rear geometry. The front inside pick up point is raised 20mm with the 935 style stuff. In the rear, if you use raised inner pick up points, you can use the raised front outer spring plate mount as well. Obviously doing this in the rear requires considerably more expense to purchase and weld in the raised inner trailing arm mounts.

Spend your money where you want it. Some update/backdate bodywork at considerable expense for no performance advantage, some dump money into questionable engine mods, some go overkill on their suspensions, some even upgrade stereos...... you get my point!

Coil springs are cheap if you want to change the rates someday which is also nice.

Like I said in my first post, they certainly not required but I am very happy with my set up. My car does see a fair amount of track time but I do use it on the street as well.

Cheers

[Vonzipper]

Originally posted by catca
My car does see a fair amount of track time but I do use it on the street as well.

Cheers

I think we need pictures, sounds like a nice ride

[Jeff Alton]

It is apart right now, but I can take some pics tonite and post them if you like. If you search my name you should find some. I am putting in the SRP smooth steering upgrade and another set of revalved bilstien struts tonite.......

Cheers,

[markwemple]

What about going the route of a 964 conversion instead of a rsr set-up? Is that possible?