Custom Adjustable Front Coilovers for All Years (fabrication required)

Exciting! I see that bracket you made up for mounting to the control arm so how did the top get mounted?

This would be a great problem to solve with FEA analysis. IBx1: you have some fancy CAD packages at your school. How about Matt sending you a spare control arm?

AA wrote:

This would be a great problem to solve with FEA analysis. IBx1: you have some fancy CAD packages at your school. How about Matt sending you a spare control arm?

Hah, I don't have one. If he's interested enough in messing with one I could probably pick one up.

Codith - I answered your question on my previous post, I saw you had posted your question when I was typing so I added it to that post.

Sir Psycho Sexy wrote:

I'm just concerned that the control arms weren't designed to hold the entire weight of the rear of that car at that point. Of course it sits fine, but what happens when you hit a big bump? There's not really a whole lot that it's holding on to at the bottom. Just my 2 cents.

Keep in mind that if the ride height ends up being the same, the amount of 'lift' created by the spring is no more than the amount of lift created by the airbags when you have stuff in the trunk. So you aren't holding the weight of the entire car any more than the air shocks do.

Very nice! You make me want to spend money on the 95 again.

Karma wrote:

Very nice! You make me want to spend money on the 95 again.

I've got an extra pair of the Konis if you want them.... I'd be willing to let them go for a decent price.

Woo!


Got a noob question about the sleeves for anyone out there who can answer.  Which way is up?  One end has a square inside shoulder, the other end is a bevel. (Images below)





I have two thoughts, the bevel would jam the circlip against the shock, but would the stress of the car weight cause twisting/stress/issues?  The square shoulder being down against the shock circlip currently makes the most sense to me.  The only thing I could find that would say one way or the other was this site:
http://www.miataturbo.net/suspension-brakes-drivetrain-49/better-bilstein-ebay-coilover-thread-78451/page11/
(post #217)

I ask because I notice in Matt's pics, his initial test assembly has them with the square inside shoulder down, but the installed pics are the other way with the bevel against the circlip. (Note the square inside edge has the outside end beveled, and the end with no outside bevel has the inside chamfer.)

I have mine flipped from what you have in the picture so that lip thingy is pointing up instead of down like you have it. Before I sent your shocks out, I moved the circlips to where they are on mine. I never noticed that one side was different than the other. I would imagine that the flat side would probably sit on the circlips better though. I've beat the piss out of these as they are now and they're just as solid as the day we put them on, so do what you want with that info.

Pic for example:

Yeah, that's what I noticed. Your outer bevel is up, so that means you have the inner bevel down and against the circlip. So far I've opted to have the opposite so that the inner bevel is not against the circlip and the square shoulder is against it. Unless I hear otherwise I think I'll go with that.

We'll see what Robo says since this setup is pretty much exactly the same as his.

so....

you guys take your stock coils out, right? can you remove stuff that holds the stock coil in place?

wondering how much potential weight savings coil overs may bring to the rig.

Stock coils come out. The only thing holding them in place is the isolators which come right off. Not much weight is saved, if at all.

Removing the ELC compressor saves 10lbs. No idea what the stock coils weigh.

Any updates Karma?

Front coilover setup might happen this weekend. Hard to say really.

No updates from me. Car is still in a snowbank.

My car is so low stock that I cant even go over an expansion joint without scraping...anyone elses like this? Shocks are only 10k old too..

How much you weigh, bro?

haha only 155. The corners are all tight and have great rebound...but I even have problems going into angled driveways unless i'm creeping in. I discovered before that I bought the car with drilled/slotted rotors...I wonder if its possible the springs are replaced too? Sorry not trying to threadjack

i'd like to see pics of how your riv is sitting.

Just an update since there were a few concerns. Brackets are holding up wonderfully. The tabs bent in a little from tightening down the mounting bolts but that was to be expected and they're still holding strong and tight. Control arms are fine, no cracks or bends or anything and the same goes for the top mounts. Ride is firm and handling is good. I get a rattle when they're on the stiffest setting, can't tell if it's coming from something loose under the rear seat, the mounts, or the coilovers themselves since I haven't really investigated it.

matt270avian wrote:

karma wrote:

I'm jumping on this bandwagon now with a twist. Calling out those couple that got it to happen.
I was hoping for some help making choices about springs and suchity-such.
Robo mentioned to me about running 8" springs instead of 10". I'm maybe overthinking a little - what about running a 10" with a lower rate and then it just ends of compressing more.. if that makes any sense?