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#1 |
Ridin' High & Sittin' Low
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: La Porte TX
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![]() A Coilover suspension with decent dampers is an excellent addition to any Volvo 240. This guide will teach you to put together a serious suspension on a shoestring budget, in the true spirit of TurboBricks.
-Estimated cost: ~$300 without a strut upgrade (the ultra-broke ass budget option), add $240 for Boge Turbo Gas (the ghetto alternative, from fcpgroton.com), add $379 for Bilsteins from shox.com (A better approach), add $537.60 for Konis from shox.com (RMO (Rich Man's Option)). If your vehicle doesn't already have upgraded swaybars, it would be a good idea to upgrade them while it is apart, using either IPD Safety Swaybars or Dual Sways if you're on the Turbobricks budget (http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=9587). -Materials: 2x 7" Coil Over Kit (2.08" ID) http://www.colemanracing.com/catalog...oducts_id=1528 2x 2.5"x10" Coil Springs in the rate of your choice (in my case 275lb Suspension Spring Specialists springs) http://www.colemanracing.com/catalog...oducts_id=4097 2x 5"x11" Coil Springs in the rate of your choice (in my case 250lb Hypercoils springs) http://www.colemanracing.com/catalog...oducts_id=6207 4x Shocks/Struts of your choice (in my case Bilstein HD's from shox.com) 2x Volvo 240 Upper Rear Spring perches ($4 each from the local Pick-n-Pull, save the bolts) -It should be noted that a little welding and grinding and drilling may be required; If you were a VolvoSpeeder you might pay someone to do the work necessary for this project, but that is not the turbobricks way. The only tool necessary other than Sockets and Spanners is an angle grinder (a $20 Harbor freight unit will suffice), and a welder (a local welder/exhaust shop is a cheaper approach). -We begin by removing the strut assembly from the vehicle. ![]() -Remove the brake caliper and disk, the coil spring and strut mount (you can borrow a spring compressor from the local autozone or torch the spring until it relaxes), and the strut insert. At this point you should have this in front of you: ![]() -Using your angle grinder, carefully grind out the welds on the factory spring perches, apply BFH if necessary, leaving you with this: ![]() -At this point you can either have the strut tubes milled down a few hundreths (RMO), or use your Angle grinder to shave the strut tube down enough to allow the threaded sleeves to fit over them (The TurboBricks way, and my choice; However, this job used up almost a whole brand new grinding wheel.). Leaving you with this: ![]() -Now you can either weld on stop rings or have a shop do it for you (I had my little brother do it in his Welding class). ![]() -Next, drill out the holes in the upper spring seat to fit the slightly larger volvo strut. -Reassemble strut as shown: (more, better photos coming soon) ![]() -Reinstall front strut assemblies. (photos coming soon) -Moving on to the rear, jack up the car using jackstands on the jacking points, remove wheels, and then lift from the pumpkin again until the tension comes off of the lower shock bolt, then remove it. Release jack and allow rear suspension to droop. Unbolt stock springs, keep the nuts. Now, remember those bolts that you saved at the junkyard? Using them and the nuts you just removed, bolt the stock 240 upper spring perches where the spring retainers were previously located. Insert your new shiny springs, lift up rear end and replace lower shock bolts, reinstall wheels, take the car off the stands and thats that. Upper Spring Seat ![]() Lower Spring Seat ![]() Well, that should be a pretty good guide to coilover suspension on a budget, and I will be adding more photos soon. If you have any edits/suggestions, just post that schizzz below -<3 kyote
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-78 242 tic, a kyotefab/willettrun joint -91 244 Daily -14 F150 FX4 3.5 EcoBeast Last edited by kyote; 12-17-2006 at 05:40 PM.. |
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#2 |
the real Towery
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: VA, USA
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![]() In the turbobricks way, you should have put a cut off wheel on your angle grinder and carefully cut through the tabs on the strut that support the brake lines. Bend tab out of the way to release the brake line and hang the caliper. No need to open the brake lines that way. Reinstall is reverse of removal.
You could also knock the welder out of the list of requirements by leaving a little bit of the stock spring perch for the lower stop. Just buy 5" sleeves. This also guarantees that you don't have any wheel/tire fit issue up front since you wouldn't be adding anything below the stock seat. Mount longer sleeves lower, and you've slightly reduced space to the inside where the tire may rub the strut tube (rare situations, but I've rubbed the stock strut tube before my coilovers when I used really wide tires). 15x7 ET12 MSW wheels with a normal 225 width street tire or narrower should clear the spring seat if you did lower it all the way down next to the tire. My 225/50 Bridgestones JUST touch the spring seat, but they're extremely wide for a 225. 205/55 is a safe bet on those wheels. With a 205 on a Virgo, I can't run the spring seat next to the tire. But I also can't drive the car when mine is adjusted that low, so it doesn't matter. You'd probably need 14" springs to put the lower mount that far down anyway. Otherwise, looks good. I used a belt sander for the "precision strut tube adjustment", but I'm sure the grinder works well too. A 24grit flap wheel on my angle grinder (<$20 @Harbor Freight) works great on metal too and maybe it would be easier to control than the grinder wheel. Install the fronts yet?
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1987 244 | Project Thread | The 87 | Now with 74 mods and counting 1992 244 | The 92 |
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#3 |
NA is so slow...
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oregon, SW Portland-somewhere
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![]() go with the flap wheel, i used a 36 grit, that will let you take the extra seat material away and take off the paint (which is mostly all thats needed)
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novolvo. |
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#4 |
Board Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Atlanta
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![]() I need to try this out. It's the only way i could afford coil overs on my car. Anyways how do to like them? Are the holding up well? Can you post more pictures?
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#5 |
Not such a PRVert Anymore
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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![]() Makes me want to keep my 264 just for experimental suspension work....
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#6 |
Ridin' High & Sittin' Low
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: La Porte TX
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#7 |
Board Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Houston, Texas
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![]() hey, i welded those!
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#8 |
Ridin' High & Sittin' Low
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: La Porte TX
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![]() hay...
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#9 |
Membro
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: West of I-270
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![]() I used evil genius (Ground Control) sleeves, etc. They are a loose fit over the strut tube, about 2mm loosey so I returned to Home Depot for some of those metal plates used in deck framing, bent them roundy to fit the tube and got a nice tight fit with the sleeves. I also filled the strut tube with ATF per the instructions from evil genius for heat transfer from the Koni. One PITA with doing that is you have to make sure the ball joint seals good against the bottom of the strut tube. My left one has a slow ATF leak
![]() I paid a shop $40 to weld on stop rings. The guy knew what he was doing, did it nice, slow, and staggered to avoid the tube tweaking out of straight from the heat. +1 on Towery's suggestion to slot the brake line tabs on the struts so you don't have to disconnec the lines. I did that. |
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#10 |
Board Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Grafton, WI
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![]() what kind of height does this allow for? highest? lowest? what height is the rear at with those springs? can i see a picture of how the car sits? thanks, i am really considering this!
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#11 |
Guest
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![]() any updates? How does the car feel?
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#12 |
bigpimpin740t@yahoo.com
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Birmingham Al
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![]() same thing for 700?
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think you got shorted? belive me, we have piles of turbos and ms units, email me w/what ever the hell you think we have of yours and when i am not on a river ill dig it out and send it to ya for shipping, one shotbigpimpin740t@yahoo.com one down, whose next? |
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#13 |
50 shades of beige
![]() Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Rockville, MD
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![]() I have listed the coilover components we use for sale individually on my website for those who want to to piece together their own components
http://www.kaplhenke.com/collections...mponents-parts ![]() ![]() ![]()
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Last edited by blkaplan; 07-15-2014 at 10:01 AM.. |
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#14 | ||
the real Towery
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: VA, USA
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![]() Quote:
Quote:
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#15 |
50 shades of beige
![]() Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Rockville, MD
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#16 | |
Board Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Antioch, CA
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![]() Quote:
for super low, a shorter insert allows you to get more travel without worring about bottoming out the insert...for my car, I am using Koni inserts which are 3" shorter, so I cut my struts 3"...this is not really needed for most applications and is slightly overkill for me as well ![]() ![]() ![]()
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#17 |
Board Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Eugene
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![]() probably a stupid question, but i want to make sure i'm going to buy the right thing if/when i do this: it says in the bottom section of the sleeve part to specify the type of shock:
"NOTE: Specify type of shock (above kits with perm, mold tops)" Do I want the permanent molded tops or w/e they are saying? is the link to the sleeves the exact ones you used?
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"You won't be laughing when your blowup doll has a headache and won't give up that ass." -Aesop Rock |
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#18 |
Membro
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: West of I-270
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![]() I'm using Koni's but your point still applies. Who knows what color the shock fluid is. Hopefully not red like atf.
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#19 |
the real Towery
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: VA, USA
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![]() My only point was that fluid leaked out of both of mine, so I would not expect ATF or shock oil to be held back.
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#20 |
50 shades of beige
![]() Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Rockville, MD
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#21 |
faster than you think
![]() Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Denver, CO
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![]() This article might be better with an adjustable height rear setup. Any tips on doing that? Then you can really balance the height and corner weights on the car.
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#22 | |
Board Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ♂ SA, TX ♂
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![]() Quote:
And I love the Camber plates as well. I have 300#/in springs up front and 275#/in in the rear, IPD 25mm bar up front and no bar on the rear. I likey very much.
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1984 Maserati Biturbo (2.8l EFI swap in progress) 1977 Fiat X1/9 (daily) 1989 Mercedes 190E 2.6 (wife's) |
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#23 |
Membro
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: West of I-270
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![]() I did clean/deburr the mating surfaces of the strut bottoms and the BJ's and used supposedly oil resistant RTV on both. Only the left decided to leak.
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#24 | |
Board Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Leandro, CA
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![]() Quote:
For diy coilovers for s30 Zcars, [which i have done on mine 240z, but used camber plates.] people weld in a 2.5" ring into the top hat, to center the spring. think that would work? i haven't looked in there to extensively yet.
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Sim 1991 745 TIC 15g@13psi, 3" exhaust, 3" intake, ebay intercooler, cfi injectors, 960maf, e-fan, diy strut bars, ipd sways, Plaid ![]() 2008 STi Hatch DD 1971 240 Z w/SR20ve+t, s15 6speed,vlsd,GT2871R, Tial44, diy manifolds, Vmount IC, 3" exhaust, 16" watanabes,diy coilovers, wilwood 4pistons all around project car Last edited by lunar240z; 03-15-2008 at 02:46 AM.. |
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#25 | |
Board Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Tacoma, WA
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![]() Quote:
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My Buyer/Seller Feedback Thread
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