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MikeJinCO
Joined: 08 Jun 2010 Posts: 1228 Location: Maysville, Colorado
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 11:10 pm Post subject: Interesting Rear Coiliver Installation Problem |
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This is a bit long and requires quite a bit of explanation.
I've been dealing with this quite unsuccessfully for a while now, when I get disgusted I just go on to something else.
The problem. I got a GAZ Gold suspension for the 924. It is a lowered ride height(up to 60mm) so the shocks are shorter(struts about 5"). These are designed so that the ride height is set with the stock torsion bar and the coil provides just extra spring load.
When I set up the TB carrier assuming that it would require re-indexing I adjusted the TB's for a 2" reduction in ride height to get me somewhere in the ball park. I modified the TB and end cap so that they can be re-indexed without removing the TB carrier.
So the problem now is that when I try to jack up the spring plate to hook up the shock I pick up the car before I can get the lower shock bolt in place. This is of course compounded by the end of the shocks spherical bearing/ solid bushing setup that has to slid into place in perfect alignment .
Since I'm by myself and don't have 4 friends around to to sit in the trunk for an hour or two to hold the car down as I jack it up, has anyone figured out a way to make a rig to pull the spring plate up so that the lower damper bolt can be put into place? Since I assume I'll have to do this again it needs to be a repeatable process.
This morning I'm thinking of using extended upper shock bolts that I can slip part way out to fasten a wire cable/turnbuckle arrangement connected to the spring plate.
Suggestions? _________________ Mike
'67 MG Midget Dp
'71 Ocelot Dsr Kawasaki 1000(under rebuild) |
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morghen
Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 8884 Location: Romania
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 12:24 am Post subject: |
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I have the exact same setup on my red 924.
I used two jacks, one to lift the car and one to lift the suspension arm(compress the torsion bar) _________________ https://www.the924.com |
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924RACR
Joined: 29 Jul 2001 Posts: 8815 Location: Royal Oak, MI, USA
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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I seem to recall the suggestion of using a coil spring compressor to do the job.
All the more reason to go to stiffer t-bars... _________________ Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype |
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MikeJinCO
Joined: 08 Jun 2010 Posts: 1228 Location: Maysville, Colorado
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Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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I hate those "well duh" moments, I have been picking up one corner rather than putting a jack under the tranny and lowering 1/2 the car onto the TB. The damper adjusters are inside the lower trailing arm pocket and a little difficult to reach with one finger. The solution to that would be to plasma cut holes in the pocket but I'd worry about warping of the pocket as some reinforcing would probably be necessary.
The problem is that with the car stripped, no doors/rear deck/ motor it is very light. I had to stick an old block in it to hold the front end down after I put the rear suspension back on. The advantage on going to the GAZ that I saw was that it was a system built to work on the car rather than the budget/spec'ed Koni /coilover system that really needs the shocks revalved and about 1/2 the price of equivalent Ground Control stuff. I would attribute my problems in putting it back together to lack of experience with some of this stuff and also no input from others so I get too focused.
It is interesting that I had them select the spring rates as there appears to be more experience with these cars in GB vs the USA and they selected very similar spring rates to Holbert's original of 400/280. Also very similar to the 944 cars although I should end up quite a bit lighter in weight. _________________ Mike
'67 MG Midget Dp
'71 Ocelot Dsr Kawasaki 1000(under rebuild) |
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