For all of you running coilovers on your cars, I'm just looking at mounting systems for both the front and the rear, top and bottom, any pics or designs based upon the original spaceframe would be appreciated. Also if you can tell me what length shock you are using, eye to eye.

I have a dummy setup on mine but I'm not happy with it.

Thanks

Andy

Have you looked at the front coilover kits available from specialists like MiniSport. They already include the lower mounting systems.

Resurrection of an old thread I know but I'm sort of after the same info. WIth my new spaceframe I'm probably going to be even lighter than a standard Coupe and I'm using a lighter engine and box (Nissan Micra CG13) so I'm going coilovers to give easier selection of spring rates.

I've seen a couple of people running coilovers on the front with beefed up versions of the standard shock mounts. What are people's feelings on this? Are the shock pins strong enough to carry the spring as well as the sock in front of the arm with the Coupe being so light in the front end?

I'd rather move to something like the Mini coilover conversion kits where the coilover is moved over the top arm but.... the upper mount becomes a bit of an issue as the Mini kits are all designed to raise the upper mount and move it outwards from the inner wing to clear the subframe. I suspect we might be running out of room for a similar setup. It also bothers me that the angle of the shocks an springs isn't ideal with these setups and might get us into falling rate territory (or am I worrying about nothing because it won't be very much and I'm looking at it as a road car).

Same question at therear really although I think there is more leeway to replicate the "standard" Mini conversion kit upper mounting position.

I have wondered about cutting the convex part of the subframe that would interfere with the coilover moving towards the upright position and turning it around so that it's convex and almost forms a turret around the spring - am I missing a fundamental engineering reason not to do this?

Pictures of setups that people are using would be nice.

I have also thought about the coil-spring conversions that just replace the rubber cone but I'm still bothered that they would be too stiff for the car and they are still unique enoughthat there isn't a huge range of spring rates to choose from. Again real life experiences might be useful if there are people using them.

Iain

Have a look at my build log, I have them on my Coupe, the ride is really nice now, still a little ridged over large bumps (then again my Coupe is all solid mounts i.e. no rubber bushings, and no worse than a mini on rubber cones), I had to play around with spring settings and shock heights but seems good now, I fabricated up shock mounts for both top and bottom, front/rear, I also added additonal bracing to the rear top shock mount. I originally thought I may have issues with rising/falling rates but then look at a Mcpherson strut, they are not angled and are in some very high performance vehicles. Some may argue but i have no complaints in changing mine to coilovers.

Thanks for that - are your lower shock mounts pretty much mirror images of each other front to back? I notice that the rears put the shocks behind the arms whilst the fronts are in front.

Any chance of some detail pictures showing the construction or a diagram.

Iain

Yeah lower shock mounts are exactly the same front to rear, the only difference is what you have spotted already with the shock at the rear being behind the arm, this was to keep it parralel with the top mount,

These are probably the 2 best photos I have at the moment,





If you need more I'll be in the garage tomorrow

Iain,
Have peek through this thread the-jones-coupe-t581-15.html

Tim

Thanks Tim - yet more ideas for me to contemplate wilst wielding the metal glue gun. Are the uprated lower shock blts holding up in use then? and are the rear tracking arms Rossabits versions?

Iain

Iain,

I take it that your refering to mine? If so yes the lower shock mounts are holding up fine, they should do as they are super high tensile bolts, they are also bolted/mounted to the original shock mount + baljoint and have been upsized to 1/2" eyes, as for the tracking arms, no they are my own design as the Rossabits ones would not suit my brake conversion, I have a CAD design for them if you want more info

Andy

I have coils springs that replace the rubber cones in the subframe of my track car. They re a huge improvement.
There are 3 spring rates to choose from
I have "fast road" in the front and "race" in the back.
I really like them and they seem to suit the car well, much better than the rubber cones. The only drawback is that if you jack the car up and allow the suspension to "dangle" then the top of the spring comes out of the location on the sub frame and it can be a bit awkward to relocate as you release the jack.

David

Iain,
The rear tracking arms on the Jones coupe are Rossabits items.