DIY Rear Coilovers

[2joejoe2]

I've been tossing around the Idea of building my own budget ish rear coil overs using a sleeve kit like this  http://www.jegs.com/i/Allstar+Performance/049/ALL64143/10002/-1?CAWELAID=230006180000858937&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15769068431&CATCI=aud-224375369591:pla-190198847111&ref=paid&brand=&channel=Shopping&gclid=Cj0KEQiAl4TGBRDhgvmikdHPsdABEiQAtBcc8BZjUxRbtefzhZPEBLpmpIWbjqHIWCkBWkfmwLyBTqIaAoYg8P8HAQ

I would have to turn a groove in the shock body for the cir-clip 

 

I Know the lotus guys do it  

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f91/bilstein-coil-over-sleeve-kit-41211/index2.html

 

has anyone here done this?  I have my car at  ~ 2.5 in lower than stock would I need to get shorter shocks......Ive heard about the mustang Fox body rear shocks being used in the rear...

 

Thoughts? 

 

[TobyB]

I did this to the race car when I went to 320 rear arms.  I made a longer tower where the shock top mounts-

it needs reinforcement somehow, and this let me run longer (cheaper, easier to find, easier to haul around) springs and shocks,

and eliminated any chance of bottoming.  With the rear subframe sitting on the ground, I still have suspension travel left.

 

After I did all that, I realized that lowering the lower mount point would probably be a LOT less work.

 

One thought- the usual shock used in back is pretty small- I'm not sure how it would like the side loading

that coilover sleeves on a trailing arm will put on it as things compress and extend (there's some twist on the bottom mount no

matter what you do) You might think about a purpose- made coilover shock, as they aren't all that expensive

in basic form, and the rear of the 2002 doesn't need much damping, relatively speaking.

Also, there's not a ton of clearance between the shock body and the tire, depending on what wheels you use.

I moved the upper points inward, since I was running quite wide slicks at the time.

 

Overall, my take would be that it's not worth the effort over a 2.5" spring (or a 5" stock car spring) with adjuster sleeve in the

stock suspension position and a shorter shock OR a relocated lower mount position if it's just for a street car with

no other modifications.  If you're doing other things (320 trailing arms, for example) then it starts to make more sense.

A few others have done it, too- maybe they'll chime in.

 

 

t