Spring/shock setup to strut conversion?

[soab]

Very excited! Should be getting my strut rods by Saturday at the latest!!!

Any body have any advice on maintenance or things to check while its apart?

[soab]

So very excite! I started my silver car for the first time in a long time.. so progress should start movin along with that!

And a buddy with a lathe is shortening my strut rod for my 9000 struts so Silver car should be moving soon and black car should be coming down to earth!
(thanks to this article and a fellow saaber who did the same on a 9-3)

My question though is while I have the strut all apart is valving something I can change by getting a new valve and putting it on the end? I am trying to get a better understanding of how shocks work but nobody seemed to answer here

So I guess I will ask here, is anyone intimately familiar with the inside of a double tube shock?

Namely this one :P


Really terribly picture, I will be taking good ones when I get the shortened rod back as comparo shots (doing one at a time)

But there is a (valve?) at the end of the tube on the top to the left of the picture (not pictured) and a similar thin on the bottom end of the strut rod.
Very similar to what you see here


My main questions are are these bottom valves modifiable/upgradeable? What should I look for to see if the valves are damaged? and what is the purpose of the bushing in the middle(ish) of the stut rod on the left side of the picture of my strut rod?

Thanks again for all the help guys!
Alex

[DDM]

The springrates change (well, not the actual rates, but the practical rates do) because the spring moves close/further from the pivot point. It's probably not the best idea to switch to this, but it seems you already decided against it.

[soab]

Kinda but at the same time not really, afco 5.5 in springs fit great onto the stock perches, and doesn't have to be flat on both sides because the bottom perch pivots some but that allows me to use a bunch of old used crcle track springs which can be had for like 18 bucks a piece, and if I am ever feeling spiffy I can get adjustable spring cups that I can adjust from the engine bay. To go lower than anyone else I'd have to probably modify the strut tower or cut one of the springs even more (which I might toy with with my spare stock springs)

Thanks again for all the support though guys! As always I need to get the car running before I really do anything haha

But for my 9k I am just about there with adjustable coils, just gotta find MK1 Bilstein HD's cheap somewhere and rent an engine honer! So if any of y'all have the scoop on those I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!
Alex

[Jesus Christ]

Well like I said I have given up on the coilover idea for the 900, as there is no distinct price or handling advantage, but what do you mean the rates would not be the same?

For example, my e36 has a separate spring and shock setup out back. If I were to use the same spring rate on a true coilover, it would be insanely stiff out back due to the change in design.

Sucks you gotta abandon ship, hope you get it sorted.

[soab]

Well like I said I have given up on the coilover idea for the 900, as there is no distinct price or handling advantage, but what do you mean the rates would not be the same?

[Jesus Christ]

I know that this isn't allways a good idea. On the back of E30's you could also do this, but the topmounts and tower don't seem to be able to cope with this when you're running pretty high springrates. I don't know about you particular car though.

was coming in here to post this.

you have to reinforce the strut tower or you will crack them.

your spring rates will also be 100% different.

[DDM]

I know that this isn't allways a good idea. On the back of E30's you could also do this, but the topmounts and tower don't seem to be able to cope with this when you're running pretty high springrates. I don't know about you particular car though.

[Anonymoose]

If the other side is higher it'll come down on this^ side a bit when you put the same springs on both sides. Looking good!

[soab]

So yeah.. these just aren't going to work for lowering.. I went to put them in the other day and I woulda had to compress the spring to get it in and I was too lazy knowing they wern't going to lower it.. so I hoped on ebay and went the proven method of springs since I already have beast shocks. So like 17 bucks later!


YAYY!!! These are almost the same height as my like 2 1/2 coil cut springs, just a tad lower

5.5x8.25 afco springs @ 500lb rate

Before


After


Glad I did too because at this point I realize that this puts the lower subframe like maybe an inch and a half from the ground.. lol So when I get another matching spring well see how this goes!

[IronJoe]

Looking good SOAB! Can't wait to see how it looks on the car.

[soab]

So after a long wait top hats are finally in and they are oh so sexy!! Looking at this setup Im bout 90% sure this wont even lower the car and I almost 100% sure it wont slam it. If the shock mounts can hold the stress it will be a great option for saabers to have adjustable 1 piece suspension, but I just dont feasibly see going low on this car without serious modification.. so I guess its time to hit up my budy with a welder! Deff gonna atleast try and mount these up and drive on em when I get a throw out bearing and put the clutch back in though!

Enough talk





mmmmmmmm

[soab]

I dont understand what you mean by shorten the rod? And I am doing sommething VERY similar to what the AE86 guys do.. but its lookin more and more like If I really wanna go low then raising the spring tower an inch or 2 would be a better solution than coilovers.. but well see!

[smokenyall]

then shorten the rod enough to were you dont need a bump stop and the shock wont bottom out an you can slam it even more.

[soab]

The issue I am afraid of is I dont know if there is a short enough shock for what im goin for, with my bilsteins ima have like 3-4" rod on flly slammed, but about 1" travel since the top hats are bout 2.8"s long..