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FB Front Coilovers....

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Old Jun 9, 2006 | 10:26 PM
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FB Front Coilovers....

Hello everyone... I am FRANTICALLY hunting two coilovers for the front of my car... When I was in the accident I bent one of my strut tubes and modiflying a new one is going to be next to impossible...

I saw the ones from G-FORCE...however I am a college student and I would have to re-finance the bicycle to buy those! Whew....$500...


Anyone have a used set up they would sell to a desperate soul who is trying to go racing next weekend!
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Old Jun 10, 2006 | 07:53 AM
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I haven't checked, but I assume that you have posted to the forums at www.improvedtouring.com?

-bill
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Old Jun 10, 2006 | 08:06 AM
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Check with iscracing.net they might have a lower cost solution for you.
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Old Jun 11, 2006 | 04:41 PM
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check the nopi site. The have coilovers pritty cheap.
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Old Jun 11, 2006 | 05:59 PM
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You can do it for cheap. Here's what I did initially: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/336427/6

I've done one of my other RX-7's with a Miata kit from Ebay. I'll have to find the link to someone who's already done this. (It's a car domain site of a 1st genner - I think Brian was his name) Do a search for "miata coil over" on ebay to find the kit (seller is 99centnoreserve or something like that). You get sleeves, springs, caps, etc. You'll have to furnish your own perch. I measured the springs and found the "fronts" to be 400# and the "rears" to be 325#. I used the "rear" springs for the front of my car.
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Old Jun 12, 2006 | 01:53 PM
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Here's Brian's site with a good write up: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2105457/6

Last edited by slowautoxr; Jun 12, 2006 at 01:59 PM.
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Old Jun 12, 2006 | 07:04 PM
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best deal i found and use myself.

www.racersareme.com
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Old Jun 13, 2006 | 11:05 PM
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Originally Posted by slowautoxr
You can do it for cheap. Here's what I did initially: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/336427/6

I've done one of my other RX-7's with a Miata kit from Ebay. I'll have to find the link to someone who's already done this. (It's a car domain site of a 1st genner - I think Brian was his name) Do a search for "miata coil over" on ebay to find the kit (seller is 99centnoreserve or something like that). You get sleeves, springs, caps, etc. You'll have to furnish your own perch. I measured the springs and found the "fronts" to be 400# and the "rears" to be 325#. I used the "rear" springs for the front of my car.

Aside from the bottom perch you had to make to have a flat surface, was anything else needed? Did the top parts fit ok? Also, did you weld the ring on the bottom on or is it just sit the coilover perch on the flat ring?
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Old Jun 14, 2006 | 05:15 PM
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I cut the bottom perches off just above the welds. This left me something thicker to weld to (my welding skills ain't that great) and it makes a good postion for the sleeves as well. The sleeves themselves are also a bit bigger that the strut housing. You can use the included O-rings to make up the difference. I went to Lowe's and bought some PVC connector pipe and had it machined to fit instead. I used the stock top strut mounts as well as the stock upper spring mount. I had previously machined the top of my struts for another application and reused them on this particular car. So what that means is that the coil over hat is up against the upper spring seat. Not elegant for sure but I was pressed for time when I did this. I've put a rallyx on the car as well as probably 1000 miles since then with no issues.

With the lower spring mounts turned all the way down, the car is too low and WILL bottom out your struts. With it all the way up, it's too high for the street but not as high as I'd like for rallyx.
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Old Jun 14, 2006 | 07:56 PM
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Get a stock strut, buy a $199 Ground control kit....

Marcus
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Old Jun 14, 2006 | 09:29 PM
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Originally Posted by NasaPro7
Get a stock strut, buy a $199 Ground control kit....

Marcus
Does that $199 kit come with perches and springs for both front struts?
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Old Jun 14, 2006 | 10:01 PM
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I make my own spring hats out of 3/16" plate and a 3/4" washer roughly 2" in diameter.

Drill a 17mm hole in the plate, cut out with a torch to a roughly circular shape 3 1/2" in diameter. Making an octagon by cutting the corners off of a 3 1/2" square would work too, if you prefer sawing - this is where you get to hone your Sawzall skills if you don't have a bandsaw.

That alone is plenty to handle a spring, I could barely get a plate to deflect with a 20 ton press. For thermonuclear overkill, and a means to locate the spring positively, you weld the washer to the bottom of the plate. The 3/4" diameter fits nicely around the strut shaft proper, and you use a strut shaft as a locating device to center it. Easiest way is to lay the plate over a vise, set the washer on top, then drop a strut shaft into the holes, and clamp the jaws. Zap zap with your welder and done.

Yes, I'm cheap.

Lower perches and threaded tubes can be had from AFCO for relatively low expense.
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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 02:47 AM
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i have a set of strut tubes with the lower purches already welded on if you are in dire need i might be willing to let them go...i also have some shocks to go with them. PM me if you are interested.

good luck getting what you need either way
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Old Jun 18, 2006 | 10:32 PM
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Originally Posted by legokcen
Does that $199 kit come with perches and springs for both front struts?
Perches, yes, I don't remember if it come with springs or not. I bought my pro7 suspension kit at the same time.


Marcus
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