Xt130 Coilover Q's.

[B.L.Z.BUB]

So I have a pair of xt130 struts I'm going to convert to coilovers.

 

https://technotoytun...it-ae86-corolla

 

^That is the kit I am going to use.

Short stroke shocks I'm going to use:

 

I was going to use gland nut spacers but will probably shorten the strut tube instead so I have plenty of shock travel still.

 

2 Q's before I order the kit.

 

1: What would be the best daily driver spring rate, obviously I want better performance but I also will have to deal with it everyday.

 

2: What length should I order the springs at? Once the struts are shortened (about 60mm) ill have approx 200mm from upper hat to strut tube. I was thinking 300mm?

 

Anyone info appreciated! Would rather ask a few Q's before I order the wrong shit.

 

Cheers

 

Reed

[Jono.C]

Dude. That was the kit i was going to buy.. I stongly advise against it.. The HSD kit is only $100 more and so so much better.

 

It isn't weld on at all.. It sits on top of a little perch that's welded on.. This is what the guy from ajps had to say ;

 

"I don't often bag out the competitions products but...

 

There is a reason I stopped selling T3 stuff....

 

The threaded part in aluminum for a start.

The top hats are shit and require mods my kits come with to locate with a strut top.

They still slip on and are loose on the strut as they arent actually welded to anything. They sit on a perch you weld on. Can be removed by hand.

They have only one one ring/seat and this tightens with grub screws (!)

They only come with 8kg springs.

 

For a shop that 5x over engineers everything to the point you bend your chassis not the part I cannot understand this item."

 

http://www.ae86drivi...er-Kit-Thoughts

Edited May 13, 2012 by Jono.C

[B.L.Z.BUB]

Good info will check out Otomoto and AJPS

 

EDIT: Didnt realise the T3 ones used grub screws to lock the adjuster. Ghey.

 

Looks like Ill go for the HSD kit from Otomoto as they come with springs (6kg)

Edited May 13, 2012 by B.L.Z.BUB

[Jono.C]

Yeah i was going to buy the Otomoto kit.. I saw photo's of the sleeve itself and that was enough to put me off.. Looks like the $50 ebay kits..

 

My HSD kit from Otomoto cost $334 posted, Pretty sure that's express as well.. You can choose the spring weight, they're full weld on, 150mm? sleeve, they also have helper springs to keep them captive.

 

Was pretty stoked.. One thing with that kit though is you're supposed to drill the top hat hole yourself.. To me i didn't think it'd work with my camber plates so i added these to my T3 order..

 

https://technotoytuning.com/toyota/ae86/conical-upper-hats-coilovers-25-id-springs

[styler]

One new development is base adjustable coil overs off the shelf which

solves the biggest inherent coilover problem - height adjustment,

travel and spring captivity - the 3 impossibles.

 

Building coil overs is piss easy to do but an absolute bitch to get right.

Most diy coil overs are made incorrectly and don't work properly.

Eventually you will get there, I went through at least 2 sets of struts, 3 sets of inserts,

4 sets of springs and wore out a measuring tape but eventually got it in the end

to suit my application about a year later. Theres about 20 aspects to it and that's

why people winge and bitch about them not working all the time because they

didn't get it right and I don't blame them! Measure 10 times, order once...

Edited May 13, 2012 by styler

[styler]

Heres how to work out your spring rates I mentioned this a while ago:

 

Unsprung corner weight in kg / Spring rate in kg/mm = Droop in mm

Droop in mm / 25.4 = Droop in inch

Square root of Droop in inch = A

188 / A = B

B / 60 = C

C= Hz Frequency per second of spring

 

1.0 - 1.5 Hz = Passenger car

1.5 - 2.0 Hz = Sports car

2.0 - 2.5 Hz = Race car no downforce

2.5 - 3.0 Hz = Race car downforce

 

*Keep in mind that unsprung weight obviously is not including the suspension part of the cars weight

*Suspension angles eg of strut compound spring loading (eg 5%)

*Motion ratios ie leverage of the spring from where it is placed from the wheel compound spring loading (eg 5%)

*Generally quality dampers can handle a fair increase in spring rates but if much higher may have to get revalved to suit.

*Street and track are way different surfaces may have to compromise a rate to suit both

*You can preload a spring against the damper shaft as well (Havent quite got to this yet)

*Sway bars are a 3rd spring but obviously only operate when cornering (That's as far as I got on it)

Edited May 13, 2012 by styler

[ke70dave]

6kg was quite nice with KYB shocks.

 

if i did it again id go somewhere between 5 and 6.

 

as for length, i think mine were 250.

[Jono.C]

Oh yeah. As far as that goes i'd go a 6kg.. Stiff but not excessivly stiff..

 

I ordered the 6kg for my car.. That may be too stiff i'll have to wait and see..

 

I saw it this way though.. 6kg in a ke70 is good, firm.. A ke70 would be THAT much heavier in the front over the wheels than a ke70.. same engine etc..

 

Plus, I want to run a good ride height with zero chance of my wheel touching my guard.. As parts are scarce..

 

Either way, If you choose 6kg and you don't like it, i'm sure it'd be not much trouble to sell the springs on ae86dc and get new ones made, or even swap with another member

[rian]

1: What would be the best daily driver spring rate, obviously I want better performance but I also will have to deal with it everyday.

 

I started with 8kg/mm 200mm springs with R31 skyline dampers in AE86 coilovers in my KE70. That setup was rubbish for a daily drive.

Then I swapped the R31 skyline dampers for KYB AGX SW20 rear dampers, and even on the softest setting they were still crazy still.

I now use 5kg/mm 200mm springs with the KYB AGX SW20 dampers, and I still think they are too stiff for everyday driving. I've got a pair of 4kg/mm springs to replace them.

 

However, in my track car I had 7kg/mm 200mm with Koni reds from and Audi and that was quite nice to drive on, stiff but not harsh like the AGXs. I'd like to get new Konis for it and run them with the 5kg/mm springs.

 

And whoever built the coilovers in my track car stuffed up, they cut ~65mm out of the strut and used a damper with ~330mm body length and 500mm extended length. The car is illegally low, can't go any higher and only has maybe 2" droop. It might work for an 8kg/mm drift setup but it's kind of annoying me not being able to get the car a bit higher, especially when the exhaust is only an inch off the ground...

 

Dude. That was the kit i was going to buy.. I stongly advise against it.. The HSD kit is only $100 more and so so much better.

 

It isn't weld on at all.. It sits on top of a little perch that's welded on.. This is what the guy from ajps had to say ;

 

"I don't often bag out the competitions products but...

 

There is a reason I stopped selling T3 stuff....

 

The threaded part in aluminum for a start.

The top hats are shit and require mods my kits come with to locate with a strut top.

They still slip on and are loose on the strut as they arent actually welded to anything. They sit on a perch you weld on. Can be removed by hand.

They have only one one ring/seat and this tightens with grub screws (!)

They only come with 8kg springs.

 

For a shop that 5x over engineers everything to the point you bend your chassis not the part I cannot understand this item."

 

http://www.ae86drivi...er-Kit-Thoughts

 

I agree that the aluminium sleeve is shit, it doesn't fit properly and rattles around on the strut. Though I have not had any problem with the top hats, the needle roller ones seem to work well. The spring seat does not tighten via grub screws, the spring seat is more of a clamp. When you tighten the bolt in the clamp it closes up the gap in the spring seat and pulls it tight against the threaded sleeve, kind of like a hose clamp.

And you can get any spring rate available in the Eibach catalogue with the coilover kit. I got 5kg/mm.

 

But still I agree that the kit is not that good, a weld on sleeve would be much better.

Edited May 13, 2012 by rian

[Grand Master of Awesome]

5kg springs will be good for daily driving with those shocks.

 

Base height is awesome but on a budget probably not a possibility. t3 kit gets the job done. How are you going to pull you coilover kit apart when you have camber tops bolted on

 

I had t3 ones and i couldn't pull the threaded section off by hand, load of shit. You can always use your imagination and add something to hold it in place if you feel the need.

 

If you were going to do it in true BLZBUB fashion you'd find a pair of clapped out old s13 coilovers, cut the thread off and make that suit ;)

[BlueKsev]

Alright

I bought the t3 ones, $100 less then pretty much everything else out there, the spring rate choice is yours, however they didnt have the length choice anymore.

I got..... hmm can't remember the pound of spring but it works out to be 7.2kg's. Perfect for daily drive around here in tassie, doesnt lift at all through corners but its still good to slow up for speed bumps haha. I was kind of worried when i saw the lower adjustable perch was aluminium, but feck, i've hit potholes etc and it hasn't budged!! And i don't expect it to.

Got adjustable kyb agx shocks as well, perfect adjustability for it, i have it set on 2 out of 4 levels of firmness

Edited May 13, 2012 by BlueKsev

[BlueKsev]

Got the cut and welded struts too, havent looked back. Got the perch welded where i wanted it so it can still go an inch lower - not happening haha, or wind it up so its legal

Edited May 13, 2012 by BlueKsev