DIY coilover

[4agze]

I see a lot of people here want to have a good suspension but cuz, of low budget they just stick with lowering springs and a o.k shocks. I made this so people will have a option having a quality coilover in half the price. I did this to civic EG, EK, corolla AE92, AE86 and nissan 240sx but im sure you can do this to most of the cars.

Note: Make sure buy quality coilover sleeves pls. no thin aluminum sleeves we did this on an ebay sleeves and after 3 days my friend looked at the sleeves and found a big crack.
Note: This DIY are for short stroke struts if you want to use a longer stroke shocks you can but you’ll need to adjust your cuts.
Steel w/ a retainer nut (glad nut) will be easier, here is what I have
Sleeve w/ a top hat (no that gold top is not the retainer nut)



You can also use one without the stopper like this





Tools: Vice, angle grinder, hammer, pipe cutter or anything that can cut metal on a straight line, pipe wrench or any wrench that can loosen the retainer nut and (if you don’t know how to tack weld you can take it to a fab shop or machine shop that can do a good tack welding.

[4agze]

Step one: you'll need to take your struts out



Step 2: Take the top hat and spring off



Step 3: Use the pipe wrench to loosen the retainer nut that holds the shock

[4agze]

Step 4: Removing the metal perch using a angle grinder, do it slowly going around the strut tubing, keeping as close to the weld as possible and if you don’t get all the metal perch out its ok you can grind that later.



You should end up something like this (pic has a shock still in the casing)

[4agze]

Step 5: 2 ways on doing this, if your sleeves don’t have a stopper at the end, you’ll need to cut the weld from the perch. Mark a 4cm upper & lower of the weld, cut using the pipe cutter both

[4agze]

Take the weld off, put it in a trash you won’t need it any more



Weld them both back together, you’ll end up something like this

[4agze]

The other way, if you have sleeves like what I have you can just grind off the welded area using a angle grinder cut a 4cm on top using the pipe cutter and you’re good to the next step, you’ll end up something like this.

[4agze]

Step 6: test fit make sure the sleeves go in without force



Step 7: If you can’t weld good take it to a pro, this is a serious part of the DIY project

Here is my weld I did in my friends shop, it’s not clean but my friend (who is a pro at this) say it’s ok it will hold.



This is how pros do it, I know it’s a big difference I’ve been practicing but damn his is way better I suck

[4agze]

Step 8: clean it, paint it whatever color you want, put your preferred short stroke struts, strut retainer, springs that came with sleeves, top hat and your top plates or if you have a adjustable camber plates like what I have, RCA if your car needs one like me… tighten the top before you install it on your car… repeat on all 3 and your ready to rock and roll.
Here is what I did



I’m using a TRD coilover springs rated at 10kg front/8kg rear springs , my struts are KYB Super Special gymkhana 3 way adjustable. Its for circuit use only so if this coilover is for daily use or street car you may want to get something softer or you’ll lose your teeth.

[4agze]

Total cost on my coilover $845.00 remember my struts are for racing so its expensive
For people who want proof that this coilover are not good for drifting or track racing, I did same set up for my brothers AE86 and here is the video
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnAxRfEOxtM&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Compiled videos of events I attended last year 2007.[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrnIwEKtPJ0&feature=fvw"]YouTube- Drift Buffet 08/18/07[/ame]

[GoThicbLuE]

Sarap gawin nito sa Pinas madali lang to baka wala pa 10K gastos mo dito pati na spring. Pede pa fabricate ka sa local machine shop ng sleeve and retaining nut and top tapos bili ka ng neuspeed or tein s tech pede na coilover. Good post OP