Anyone tried a coilover sleeve conversion kit?

[saitrix]

AtlanticP,

Thanks for coming back with your reasoning. Though you arn't compressing the spring to lower the car, just adjusting the spring perch height. Same amount of preload is on at all times, plus putting spring load on does not increase the spring rate on linear springs. Fortunately for me too is my shocks have been ran at the ride height I am looking at so I don't have to worry about it being out of range. I don't need new dampers as I already know 300lbs front and 220lbs rear is well matched for the valving, this is the whole point of me changing my spring rates so it matches the damper better. For some reason they sold the Bilstein with far too low spring rate, which just meant it went onto bumpstops all the time.


Clarkey,
I recognised that name, had a look on a few mx5 forums and thats what the americans seem to love using. Looks like it must be all fine then on the mx5, just need to make sure the sleeve will work correctly with my factory option Bilsteins.

Edit - Just thought, I will be able to do corner weights properly when I get my geometry sorted.

 

[Dogbreath]

if you Google 'coil-over' then you'll see the mixed results people have, most of which are not good unless you spend proper money on a set.

What you will see is the results of people buying coil over sets that come with spring rates more appropriate to a track than road use. Changing the height of the spring perch does not change spring rate in any way. EDIT: I think I see what you mean about preload...the spring will be compressed more when the strut is completely unloaded, but with the weight of the car on the strut the spring will compress by exactly the same amount.

The only thing changing the ride in this way does is to adjust the static position of the damper, and obviously if you run the damper too low or too high you will get bottoming or topping out which will give a very harsh ride.

 

[Fuzz]

Trying to compress the spring would end up just raising the car, What the hell race and rally cars have you been building Atlantic.

The spring will compress an amount until it can support the static weight of the car THIS DOES NOT CHANGE if you wind the collar down to lower the ride height.

SO indeed.. Crack on.!

 

[Lopéz]

Trying to compress the spring would end up just raising the car,

Indeed, Kate's Golf has coilovers and the higher you wind the platform, the more the spring compresses, and the higher the ride height becomes. If you want it in the weeds you have to drop the bottom platform and allow the spring to decompress slightly.

The ride on her (cheap) coilovers is a little bumpy but nowhere near the spine-crushing ride I had been led to expect. The good thing about adjustable platform coilovers is that the world is your lobster when it comes to springs, you can choose any spring for any application so "harsh" coilovers are easily fixed.

When I was back in Wales, plenty of folk were running the weld-on sleeve kits and results were always favourable.

 

[saitrix]

Cool good to hear Leon, yeah thats one of the advantages is the fact that I can easily change springs if I want to. Plus get the ride height perfect. Just unsure whether it will all fit so will need to do some research on that.

 

[AtlanticP]

Trying to compress the spring would end up just raising the car, What the hell race and rally cars have you been building Atlantic.

The spring will compress an amount until it can support the static weight of the car THIS DOES NOT CHANGE if you wind the collar down to lower the ride height.

SO indeed.. Crack on.!

The kind that involve typing a reply and getting it arse about face because you're still asleep after working lots crazy hours and taking medical exams almost daily.

/*I'll get my coat and leave - Needs more sleep