How To: Coilovers and strut tube modification (with pictures!)

[GoKart]

except for the M3, right? Does the IX have a bolt on spindle as well?

Does the M3 have different struts?

[Massive Lee]

Does the M3 have different struts?

www.realoem.com is your best friend

[4ce30]

i don't smoke. got corrado G60 (9"shaft) since VR6 koni's are complete strut housing. what other corrado is there??? seems to me GC changes the shaft of the corrado shock 8641 1198sport vs GC's 1198spgc

whoops, you need the G60 corrado front shocks...G60 was VW's supercharged 16v 4 banger..
-Brandon

[etxxz]

^^ yes that is what i got = no good as in not a good choice. too long of a shaft, shock casing not exactly the same size as e30 strut casing (~little loose ~ not as tight as e30 shocks), chances of bottoming out high, chances of spring going elsewhere when your front lifts on track street you name, just a terrible desicion. do you have them?

i bought GC's shocks, like my post says, they are probably modified corrado shocks as they are the same casing, same pt number on them and everything, just different shaft.

[Burning2nd]

weld

MIG is actually a newer technology than TIG. MIG is faster and cheaper, but it isn't as pretty looking. Both TIG and MIG can welding steel, aluminum, stainless, and magnesium. TIG can also weld dissimilar metals.

as a professional welder fabricator... i just wanna make a few comments

(this has be eating at me for a few days)

first off... unless you know what your doing, when it comes to welding anything. what ever the process might be if you do know fully your puting your self in danger.

the guy who did the first pic's nice job.. why didnt you bevel that tube for that first weld.

mspiegle, your tig weld has undercut and underfill and maybe some porosity (could just be the pic) .... this is the one i would trust if i had 2

die6 and rocla thats what im talking about... just do it nice or do it twice.


and for welding... you can weld just about any metel with any process.

aluminum welding with a mid setup (GMAW) requires auminum wire and a power source thats a/c... not to mention a bunch of other things... which is why Tig welding (GTAW) is used more for aluminum, tig power source are 9 times outta ten d/c a/c so all that needs to be switched is your tungstin.

stick (SMAW) and fluxcore (FCAW) are more for out side and genrally used on dirty rusted structual steel..... anyway

any monkey can squeeze a trigger and make bird shit... but to make a weld that looks good and will not fail (will not fail) is the key....


i would not suggest you weld your suspention, why build a bad ass car.. and have it rideing on good faith.

[mspiegle]

I didn't know anyone was actually posting to this thread. I only have 2 things to say:

1) As I said in my original post, I can put my tube in a hydraulic press and the tube metal will tear before my weld. I'd say that's a pretty decent weld especially considering that the majority of the forces will be acting on the tube in an optimal way.

2) If you're a professional welder, why do you think my MIG weld was done with a TIG?

as a professional welder fabricator... i just wanna make a few comments

(this has be eating at me for a few days)

first off... unless you know what your doing, when it comes to welding anything. what ever the process might be if you do know fully your puting your self in danger.

the guy who did the first pic's nice job.. why didnt you bevel that tube for that first weld.

mspiegle, your tig weld has undercut and underfill and maybe some porosity (could just be the pic) .... this is the one i would trust if i had 2

die6 and rocla thats what im talking about... just do it nice or do it twice.


and for welding... you can weld just about any metel with any process.

aluminum welding with a mid setup (GMAW) requires auminum wire and a power source thats a/c... not to mention a bunch of other things... which is why Tig welding (GTAW) is used more for aluminum, tig power source are 9 times outta ten d/c a/c so all that needs to be switched is your tungstin.

stick (SMAW) and fluxcore (FCAW) are more for out side and genrally used on dirty rusted structual steel..... anyway

any monkey can squeeze a trigger and make bird shit... but to make a weld that looks good and will not fail (will not fail) is the key....


i would not suggest you weld your suspention, why build a bad ass car.. and have it rideing on good faith.

[dark89e30]

+1 for lincoln 175!

-1 for burning2nd!

[NOMAD]

So where do I buy these universal threaded collars and perches/springs for cheap?
I'm going to start looking at the circle track sites.

[der affe]

that is where i found the parts when i built them for my jetta!

[Aptyp]

Alright, so g60 inserts have to be modified like by GC?

Or do they come out of the box ready to go, after OP modifications?

Also Audi 100 and A6 insert also fits, tight and is 4" shorter, but I am yet to spend more time practicing with it.
Also iX insert same scenario as Audi and Corrado. All are same width and same length.


I love Advance Auto.

[DSP74]

So reconfirm if you would, the IX insert is shorter than an IS insert and the same diameter.

I've read so much that the Corrado inserts are the ones we need and then I read in a search a guy saying they wouldn't work and that he had to send them back.

[etxxz]

no, don't get me wrong. they fit. the shaft is just overwhelmingly long (9"shaft + shock). get GC's call it a day (5" shaft vs stock 4ish-4.5"). its also the same part number but ending in *spgc. neither is a tight fit like the stock shock though build w/ caution.

[mikegar]

Nice but I think you have the adjuster nut on upside down:)
Here is my setup

Same stuff as the ireland and TcKline setup, just a different color adjuster nut.(ignore the scuffed paint, I had to cut the sleeves down to fit, and used the nut as a guide for the hack saw)

that bar attached to the strut housing is that a sway bar end link? what are the advantages of having the sway bar attached to the strut housing?

[diegom6]

^^

That's E30 M3 style!

[mikegar]

i know its e30 m3 style but is there an advantage to that?