DIY coilovers.....

[turbobrick]

so im working on doing my coilover set up for the front of my volvo wagon....a few guys have already made there own using the instructions shown here....

http://volvospeed.com/Mods/diy_coilovers.html

my question is....why cut the lower OEM spring seat? couldn't i just leave them on and use the kit from the spring seat up? i see with that the coilover part looks super long and would stick up past the top of the strut for the one he used, but if i were to find one with a shorter shaft wouldnt it work? im only looking to get a 2-3" drop.

[Will™]

You could I guess, but the spring (maybe use shorter ones) would be too long to be able to attach the top mount. Looking at the final picture, it looks like if you were to mount the sleeve from the oem spring seat, that the top mount would foul the top of the sleeve under compression.
Also it seems like you wouldn`t be lowering it muchif you took that route. Mr. A Grinder will be your best bet.

[turbobrick]

You could I guess, but the spring (maybe use shorter ones) would be too long to be able to attach the top mount. Looking at the final picture, it looks like if you were to mount the sleeve from the oem spring seat, that the top mount would foul the top of the sleeve under compression.
Also it seems like you wouldn`t be lowering it muchif you took that route. Mr. A Grinder will be your best bet.


thanks thats exactly my point... lets say i used a kit like this....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DROP-ZONE-COILOVERS-NEW-IN-BOX-FOR-FRONT-MODEL-450P_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2a04ed49f6QQitemZ1 80471286262QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcc essories

its a shorter spring and shaft...then i wouldnt need to hack off the lower spring seat because its a shorter kit. just make my top spring seats and drop on.... is the only reason for him hacking it off to fit that long shaft+get more drop?

like i said im only looking for a 2-3" drop and this looks like it should work.....

[Will™]

I`d be concerned that even by using the shorter sleeve, that it wouldn`t sit on the original seat properly as it seems to be slightly angled, due to the angle of the coils of the spring, if you get me.

I think that the sleeve would slide on and only touch one side of the seat, and there fore have all the weight transferred over a small patch of the sleeve. Am I making any sense??? lol

[turbobrick]

ahh.....i see what your saying now. the spring seat isnt flat so the left side touches but the right side would be in the air leaving all the weight on the left.....


what im trying to do is avoid the cutting of the lower spring seat so that i can fab up a kit for other volvos.... so i have a lathe @ the house, lets say i made a small wedge washer/plate to go under the coilovers to give it a flat surface.....then it should work. it looks like maybe only 1/2" so it would almost be like a spacer.....

something like this.....

http://www.stainlesscablesolutions.com/im-1/nuts/AW255_s.jpg

[Will™]

ahh.....i see what your saying now. the spring seat isnt flat so the left side touches but the right side would be in the air leaving all the weight on the left.....


what im trying to do is avoid the cutting of the lower spring seat so that i can fab up a kit for other volvos.... so i have a lathe @ the house, lets say i made a small wedge washer/plate to go under the coilovers to give it a flat surface.....then it should work. it looks like maybe only 1/2" so it would almost be like a spacer.....

something like this.....

http://www.stainlesscablesolutions.com/im-1/nuts/AW255_s.jpg

bingo:)
That wedge idea looks good, if you had a way of welding/attaching the sleeve to the wedge you wouldn`t need the securing screws as it`d sit nice and snugly in the oem seat. I like your idea in general as it`d be so easy to avoid the oem seat removal step and just slip on the sleeve in a matter of minutes. I guess you could just use any length of spring then to achieve different lowering levels.

[turbobrick]

thanks. see my idea is this..... its a 95 volvo 850..the only coil over kit u can get is $2k+ KW's (and way more than any daily driven volvo will ever need) and lowering springs for the volvos are $250+ and only do about a 1.5" drop. i checked with my buddy @ autozone and the diameter of the volvo strut looks to be the same as a civic/integra strut...which we all know has thousands of kits for under $60, so i'm gonna get a civic kit, make the wedge and slide it over, cut solid top mounts not the 2pc pop rivit ones, and then tack weld the washer to the lower seat (so it can be removed later). i got the front solved, now all i gotta do is figure out how to make the rears work.....(independent spring and shock not struts)


thanks will. im @ work right now but im gonna get working on this as soon as i get home.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KW-V3-VARIANT-3-COILOVER-92-93-94-95-97-VOLVO-850-2WD_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2ea79a74abQQitemZ20 0380413099QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcce ssories

looking @ the kw kit, looks like all i would need to do is weld on a washer with bolt holes, drill out the rear arm for 3 bolts and bam......??????????

[Will™]

thanks. see my idea is this..... its a 95 volvo 850..the only coil over kit u can get is $2k+ KW's (and way more than any daily driven volvo will ever need) and lowering springs for the volvos are $250+ and only do about a 1.5" drop. i checked with my buddy @ autozone and the diameter of the volvo strut looks to be the same as a civic/integra strut...which we all know has thousands of kits for under $60, so i'm gonna get a civic kit, make the wedge and slide it over, cut solid top mounts not the 2pc pop rivit ones, and then tack weld the washer to the lower seat (so it can be removed later). i got the front solved, now all i gotta do is figure out how to make the rears work.....(independent spring and shock not struts)


thanks will. im @ work right now but im gonna get working on this as soon as i get home.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KW-V3-VARIANT-3-COILOVER-92-93-94-95-97-VOLVO-850-2WD_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2ea79a74abQQitemZ20 0380413099QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcce ssories

looking @ the kw kit, looks like all i would need to do is weld on a washer with bolt holes, drill out the rear arm for 3 bolts and bam......??????????

As you mention it, those $60 honda kits would sort out the rears for you. Surely you need only find out which of the sleeves fits the volvo base and then paired with a set of lowering springs, will sort the rears out.

Look at the middle springs and the blue adjustable mounts beneath them in this ad, thats the set up I`m on bout.
http://cgi.ebay.ie/HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE-COILOVERS-SUSPENSION-KIT-BMW-E36_W0QQitemZ390159727103QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Car sParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item5ad754f9ff

[turbobrick]

yea see the hond kits are different from that because the hondas use 4 struts, so it would be 4 set up's like the fronts, vs BMW and volvo etc etc etc that use struts/shock combo. the bottom of the ebay honda kit is going to be different.....

see
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-91-92-93-Accord-Scale-Lowering-Springs-Coilover-BU_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3efd109d86QQitemZ270 533696902QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcces sories

but im gonna look to see if i can find another car like an e36 or something that has strut and shock combo then i can just use that....

[not.cute]

well all that really went on was destroying your shocks grinding and heating up the shock tube boiled the fluid inside causing contamination and the shock well go out in less than a month
even if it didnt boil it caused enough heat to bubble the fluid creating air inside which will eventually contaminate within 3 months
but if your just slammin it anyway and dont care how long it last go for it

[Zach]

That looks real sketchy imoimo.

[turbobrick]

well all that really went on was destroying your shocks grinding and heating up the shock tube boiled the fluid inside causing contamination and the shock well go out in less than a month
even if it didnt boil it caused enough heat to bubble the fluid creating air inside which will eventually contaminate within 3 months
but if your just slammin it anyway and dont care how long it last go for it

well...this is exactly why i posted my questions after the link. i agree that it would totally distroy the shock + void my lifetime warrenty......

my question is....why cut the lower OEM spring seat? couldn't i just leave them on and use the kit from the spring seat up? i see that the coilover part looks super long and would stick up past the top of the strut for the one he used, but if i were to find one with a shorter shaft wouldnt it work? im only looking to get a 2-3" drop.


to that Will stated that yes but that the way the lower seat was tapered and not flat would be an issue because it places all the weight on 1 side of the strut.

to that i suggested cutting a mounting plate. something flat on 1 side and tapered to the angle of the spring seat on the other so that the coilovers will fit flat. i thought about tack welding it to the seat, but if i make it big enough i might just be able to drill 2 holes in the spring seat and use bolts to keep it in place.




That looks real sketchy imoimo.

are u talking about hacking and cutting a brand new strut or the making an adaptor plate idea? the plate idea to me actually seem like a very good and safe idea vs hacking and cutting.

[turbobrick]

found the wedge spacers already made but for nissan...they are poli so i should be able to trim em up...

http://www.garymolitor.com/300zx/rear_spring_seats/300zx_Rear-Spring-Rear-Seats.htm

[hotdoghogie]

i dont like the pop rivet idea... pop rivets are ment to hold a shear load more then they are a bearing load... i'd use bolts instead

[turbobrick]

i dont like the pop rivet idea... pop rivets are ment to hold a shear load more then they are a bearing load... i'd use bolts instead

lol i've got a CNC ill just cut it out of 1pc.

[sweedspeed18]

I know a thing or two about DIY jobbers like this, in fact, especially this one.

http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp178/sweedspeed18/1997%20Volvo%20850%20T5/DSC_0677.jpg

This is my red t5 which I just traded for an n/a 5 speed, but I kept my DIY coilovers/modas/otherstuffs.
I made these coilovers about 7 months ago and they ride just as good as the day I put them on for the first time.
If I would weld right onto the strut body, yes I would ruin the valving of the strut.
However, grinding onto the strut body does not produce enough heat to create a problem.
I realize that everyone on here has cars that have a large amount of aftermarket support, but just because us Volvo guys can get down and dirty doesn't mean that it's the wrong way to do anything.

Sorry for the rant.