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Location:
QLD
Registered:
October 2004
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Location:
Terrigal
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Tue, 01 March 2005 20:34
 
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If you have purchased a shorter shock/damper then you are going to have to modify the strut housing. As you've already found out, you can do 2 things. Shorten the housing, or add spacers. Or a combination of both which is probably the best solution depending how low you are going.
If you in Syd talk to Noltec they can help you with this.
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Location:
S.E suberbs, Vic
Registered:
December 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 05:41
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I dont think spacers should ever be added. Basicly you need to chop a peice out of the strut that is the equal to how much shorter the shocker is than standard which by the sounds of it is 60mm like mine. Now the thread on the end of the strut needs to be presearved so a peice needs to come out between the spring seat and the threaded part, not easy. If you do decide to use a spacer I have a nice 20mm aluminium pair that I don't need anymore.
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Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 07:06
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preferable that you use something other than aluminium for your spacers. try going to a metal shop for bright rod... you'll find it in a diameter suitable for the foot of your insert to stand on.
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Location:
S.E suberbs, Vic
Registered:
December 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 07:22
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I dont get it why? it doesnt get moved, doesnt get rubbed against and is permentely held with force in place, I think aluminium is far superior unless I am missing something.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
melbourne
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 10:32
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steel is massive overkill
alluminium is fine, and much lighter.
but i agree, better not to use spacers at all
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Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 10:45
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it is not hard enough, and will eventually deform under the constant loading it will have to endure. a friend had this exact problem, resulting in him having to nip up the gland nuts in the top of his strut tubes every time the spacers deformed further, and consequently, the shock started rattling up and down in the tube.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
melbourne
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 10:48
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pfft, bullshit 
all the more reason not to run spacers
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Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 11:00
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ok... he will be interested to hear you tell him it did not happen. 
spacers are fine, as long as they are made from suitable materials.
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Location:
S.E suberbs, Vic
Registered:
December 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 12:16
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if you are using spacers then you are purposefully not allowing yourself to have a shorter stroke setup than what you could have, and if you ask me the tighter springs are held in when the car is lifted the better
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 13:10
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Except when you have TokicoHTS102s. Which have a total stroke length of 110mm and at the full extent im having issues getting legal height. Im currently JUST above legal height, and thats at the top of the stroke.
Ive only cut 50mm out of the strut, and using a 20mm spacer to make up the 70mm.
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Location:
QLD
Registered:
October 2004
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Wed, 02 March 2005 16:03
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this sounds a wee bit complicated. I'll take it to a shop that does it in brisbane.
How about spring rates?
I currently have king lows on pedder comfort shocks, and I have got short stroke kyb non adj with trd springs all round coming. 6kg front 4.7kg rear.
I like my car to be firm, but not brutally firm so that it skips over bumps in the road etc... eg: the car has to be drivable quickly on average roads.
and yes, I do get it sideways every now and then for a bit of fun.
What do you think? Are my rates too soft?
thanks in advance once again, you guys rock so hard.
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Location:
Rocky Mountains, Canada
Registered:
May 2002
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Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion....
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Thu, 03 March 2005 05:25
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| Sam_Q wrote on Wed, 02 March 2005 23:16 |
if you are using spacers then you are purposefully not allowing yourself to have a shorter stroke setup than what you could have, and if you ask me the tighter springs are held in when the car is lifted the better
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the insert determines the amount of stroke available... the spacer is a consequence of strut length, which will be a big part of determining ride height.
if a donut-style spacer is used on top of the insert, between it and the gland nut, then stroke will be reduced even further (the mid-point of the stroke is moved deeper into the strut) but unless the vehicle is stupidly low, this will in turn eat up what droop the suspension has left (track=maybe ok, road=not ok). using a shorter insert with a spacer underneath it will raise the mid-point of the stroke, but also reduces the total stroke proportionally. it also keeps the same bumpstop height... so you will have short-stroke suspension keeping your shorter springs captive, without a ridiculously low ride-height as a consequence of chopping up your strut to suit a foreign insert. i'm not saying shortening struts a bit is a bad idea, but 70mm is fairly extreme.
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Location:
Adelaide
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion.... & spring rates
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Thu, 03 March 2005 06:51
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Aye 70mm is extreme, but then again they are made for race cars. Im down to 50mm lower, and 20mm of spacer.
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Location:
Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Japan
Registered:
January 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion.... & spring rates
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Thu, 03 March 2005 07:01
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i'm always of the opinion that if you have to ask how it works or how to use it, then you don't need it 
short stroke shocks are not really designed for actual road use... i've been thru the strut height design a few times before and you have to be very careful as to the bump and rebound that you leave at the ride height...
a solid alloy spacer (of the correct series and heat treatment) will deform buggerall...
remember that the only form on the spacer will be the resistance of the shock itself...
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Registered:
August 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion.... & spring rates
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Thu, 03 March 2005 08:02
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| oldcorollas wrote on Thu, 03 March 2005 18:01 |
a solid alloy spacer (of the correct series and heat treatment) will deform buggerall...
remember that the only form on the spacer will be the resistance of the shock itself...
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hey Stuart,
i agree that there would be a suitable alloy, depending on the treatment it is subjected to... but what would you suggest it is? or what sort of aluminium do you think could handle the job? and what sort of expense would it involve? i'll find out what sort of aluminium my mate used and get back to you. i went with the bright rod, as i knew it was a safe bet... but when money is no object (like on toymods), the public want to know!
and by the way, Johnny has been telling me about the work you've been putting into your ride! sounds like it's even more fun now?
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Location:
Kita-Ku, Sapporo, Japan
Registered:
January 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion.... & spring rates
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Thu, 03 March 2005 08:20
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obviously a random annealed bar stock alloy will be soft as shite. and if you are using a ring of it, it will have even less strength due to the cross-sectional area.
with alloy, you can either upspec the alloy (like 6000 series frinstance, with suitable T6? treatment) which gives it more strength, or you can increase the area of the part, which also gives it strength.
if i was worried about weight, AND damage from repeated pounding, i'd use a combination, ie a thick walled alloy tube of decent spec, and a steel washer type spacer, maybe 3-4mm thick, to spread the load from the base of the shock. for the top of the shock, i'd prefer to cut the tube down (and keep the shocks stroke), but if i had to use a spacer, i would probably use steel, as often only a thinosh wall tube will fit around the shock rod.
yeah, seems to go ok, great power from 5500-7500+. not sure if ignition will go on before japan, but it will go on when i come back. need suspension.. need T50... need many things
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Location:
Eastern Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Location:
S.E suberbs, Vic
Registered:
December 2003
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion.... & spring rates
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Sun, 06 March 2005 09:25
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you could just use any old aluminium and then just use a thin peice of hard steel, that would stop the problem and would be so easy to do aswell.
decoyslikecurves: I am using 6kg fronts and I think their a bitch, they hop over bigger bumps in the road and are not suitable for where I live. I have a buyer for mine and I am going to go softer, 5 front 3 1/3kg rear probably.
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Location:
Finland
Registered:
November 2002
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Re: Short Stroke suspension conversion.... & spring rates
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Sun, 06 March 2005 19:45
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I turned my spacers from nylon. Those have been in about 2-3 years now and I haven't had a any kind of problem with them. Nylon is light
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