Coilovers / adjustable platforms..

[BIGGYIN]

Originally Posted by BryFlyinBy

For extra points can anyone tell me the length of a standard insert - and if anyone has found an alternative shorter insert from something else that I can gain some extra travel with??
Thanks
Bry

What car,do you own?

[BryFlyinBy]

Sorry Biggyin I was in the garage, thanks for coming back, the car is a 1981 Audi Coupe GT5S - B2 platform so has the fixed Hub/strut combo.
Cheers
Bry

[doninphi]

Hey up mate, I've not made any progress but will.

I've got a spare strut with the damper still in it (oil jobby) which I'm gonna remove. I'll then measure the inside of the tube to get a figure.

Once I've got that and the cash to buy some I'm gonna call Koni direct and ask them... Tell them the length and tell them the drop etc...

Tho tbh I worry that shorter dampers are the least of our worries as I think mine are sat on the bump stops, so a shorter damper internally will do f'all if the damper tube/outer body itself is too long and almost touching the top mount!

I've heard of people cutting down the outer damper holder to shorten it, then fitting a damper, however this would have to be a professional job as I certainly don't have access to a tap that big to re-thread the tube once it's shortened!!

I hope that helps a bit, I'll try to get the damper measured tonight.

[BryFlyinBy]

Morning mate - that's a great point I hadn't thought of yet! I hadn't considered the suspension travel being the limiting factor!
What set up have you got on the back, Uprated dampers and shrtened springs?? if so do you have adequate travel at the back?? and just probs at the the front - or probs all round??

As I was thinking of using maybe golf dampers at the back too if they are shorter....

Being honest Ive got lilltle experiance beyond swapping OEM gear for off the shelf stuff but I'm determined to get this right

[doninphi]

Mine is a 50mm rear drop and 70mm front supposedly, however at the back it has uprated shocks with platforms that move in 10mm increments (not coilover but a different style)

I've dropped that to it's lowest now (which maybe more than 50mm if the adjustable shock now sits lower than a stock one) and it looks like this:


Rear travel is absolutely fine, and the tyre hits the arch before the shock bottoms out.

I know it's stuck at the front on the 70mm drop (if it's even let the spring go as far as it would like to!) as when you push on the wing the only thing that moves is the tyre! Remarkably the ride isnt as bad as you'd think, but MOT is soon and that worries me!

[doninphi]

According to Koni online, they make dampers for our model:

80 Sedan (81) 4-cyl. excl. GTE

STR.T front - 8650-1010
Sport front - 86-2066Sport

They are here:
http://www.koni.com/54.html

http://www.koni.com/index.php?id=370&L=0

It looks to me like the STR.T is non adjustable damping (as I would have thought it would mention it) and the Sport is adjustable. It also mentions:
"SPORT Short" shocks offer the same exceptional road-holding as the sport shocks, but are especially designed for cars that are fitted with lowering springs which are shorter than the original springs.

UK distributor via there site is:
Camberley Auto Factors Ltd.
Mr. Trevor Leigh
Unit 1, Hawley Trading Estate, Hawley Lane
GU14 8EH Hampshire, Farnborough
United Kingdom
Phone +44 1252 517272
Fax +44 1252 522470

www.camberleyautofactors.com
ppd(at)camberleyautofactors.com


Going to email them now... there maybe light at the end of the damper tunnel, and I'll get under my car to see if it is infact sat on the bump stops... if it is, once MOT is hopefully passed in a week or two I'll chop the damn bump stops off and see how much lower it sits and how it drives!!

IF it drives fine and I am happy with the ride height, I'll maybe sell my set with adjustable platforms on...

[doninphi]

From the Camberly site, I've been taken to their official KONI UK site, and they have a list of dealers:

http://www.koni.uk.com/home/index.ph...113&Itemid=158

I'm going to contact Corten Miller as I know them and see what they say!

Fingers crossed.

[doninphi]

Ok so Koni sport shorts are inserts and should only be a MAX drop of 50mm Corten Miller advise me.

His opinion was to talk to an Audi specialist, of which there are non really!

Price is £300 for the pair delivered from them, they must be better than stock shocks but may not be the solution! Hmmm one expensive punt!

He basically said to go 70mm or more he thinks air ride is the only way. And at cheapest K-Sport have a sister company which may do them at the best price.

More digging required, but if you are only going 50mm the Konis are a sure fire option!

[BryFlyinBy]

Well done mate, thats great info.
I have been doing the same thing with Spax and Gmax.
I went a bit farther with gmax, seeing as all we need from them is the damper for road driving.
Their shorter damper is uprated and supplied with their 60mm kit, and priced at 37.99 pus delivery a corner.
I'm not sure of their quality probably not as good as Koni hence the differance in price - the way I'm looking at it is I'm not going to be doing much track time, so hopefully these would be adequate.
Again they havent given me a length of the damper insert - only that its shorter
Also they make the coilover conversion a bit more affordable I found out the springs are roughly £22 and the coilover sleeves about £35 this makes a front corner about £100 with carriage (roughly)

I think were making some progress

If..no no - When we get this right, if you need me to weld up your struts let me know
Bry

[doninphi]

Wow gMax is cheap! Ill go with that then! 60mm seems more like what mine is/will be...

Details of whom and where from??