Proper height for coil over

[MEANDEAN]

I have a KONI coil over part # 8212-117B. Im trying to get the correct installed height. I did the math using the baseline suspensions formula which ended up being a 14 inch installed height for a 16 full extention 13 inch compressed coil over. Is this correct. With only 3 inches of total travel I dont want to set these up wrong. Especially after I just cut out all the stock spring perches. These are for a low 8 second OSCA True Street camaro.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n294/meandean73/000_0372.jpg

[Shawn Morrell]

I don't know anything about shocks but I like your car!!

[gilsbachracecraft]

I would not use anything shorter than 5" stroke in the back.3" (total stroke INCLUDING snubber)doesn't leave much room for error(like you said).You would be sitting on the snubber(which definitly would have to be shortened) at ride height just to give any kind of extension.That could get scary on a bumpy track.Why don't you use something a little longer?

[MEANDEAN]

I like it too Shawn but its not mine :( . Its Darcy Cummins. He got the rear shocks for a deal and knowing he was going to convert to coil overs for this season we thought we could use them. I could shorten the snubber as its huge on these shocks to gain an extra inch of travel but the way Darcys car was reacting last year I think that it would be a band-aid fix at best. I will talk to him about a longer shock. Thanks again Bill. Se you at TMP Shawn.

[Ed-vancedEngines]

I do not do this very often but this time I am saying flat out it will not work if this is for the rear.


In my opinion that car would be dangerous to drive with 3 inch total travel in the rear.


If you are talking about for the front that should not be a problem using 3 inch travel. That would be about right.

I agree with the other response, that 5 inch total travel in the rear is the absolute minimum. [my words but same meaning] More total travel is better.


All of that said though your calculations about what percentage of the shock available for compression and for extension is right.


I can not stress enough the probelms that could be had if the shock bottoms hard or tops out hard with a strong car. Cutting the rubber bushing can give you a little more total travel but you then chance damaging the shock if it were cut too much and how would we know how much too much is.


Please tell him to buy a good pair of Strange Double Adjustables or equivilent, for the rear with as much total travel as you can get to fit in. He can also have the bottom of the shock mounts lowered to allow for additional total travel.

The Forum Host here;
http://www.gilsbachracecraft.com (http://www.gilsbachracecraft.com)

Or the above Forum Host;
http://www.jim-powski.com (http://www.jim-powski.com)

can probably get you the best deal on the shocks that car would need from Strange, or something as good.
.

Shocks at a deal sometimes can be an expensive investment if they cause a car to crash and that can happen in a high horsepower car. Bad shocks or not enough travel or too stiff of springs can cause a tire unload down track that can be disaster.


I would be scared to install what you have in the rear and more scared to drive it.

I have a really good deal on 4 ea. 3 inch travel coilover 12 position adjustable shocks from a older Formula One car that I bought becuase they were advertised as 5 inch travel. After getting them, I was scared to use them on anything in the rear. Dangerous.


That car is absolutely gorgeous.


Ed

[simon455]

since speaking of coilovers, i curently have comp eng. rear frame kit, adj. ladder bar, diagonal link, floating axle mount and multi leaf spring on my first gen f-body and i would like to convert to coil overs. I was looking at qa1 kit (dr200k0) single adj. or somthing similar price range and if i will need any device other than the diagonal link to keep the rear axle located? car will weight +/- 2950lb, 12 point cage, 30x13.5et street, roughly 500hp motor and it's a street/strip type of deal
any input on that qa1 kit? or other suggestions
THANKS!