HuddersField Spares, Coil Overs
Turbo Mini Forums

just noticed in this pic the use of upsidedown shocks

http://www.mini7.co.uk/gallery/2005/round1...img_0392017.jpg

Thats mike greens miglia, that is kept in the same workshop as my mini, you may notice the same shocks on my car.
why do you say they are upside down? We just removed the dust seals from them thats all.

Team Racing

Whats with the new subs and the bass box :$

Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

Can someone be clear on why everyone thinks coil overs are no good? I have modded my bodywork to fit coil overs with 12" wheels, although havent fitted them yet. If they are this much hassle I may settle for a decent hiLo set up with some Koni adjustables.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... Then it's hilarious!

Not everybody ..... I use them and would never go back!!!!

That said I'd not run them on a car where the back seats or boot are ever likely to get used.

Also my springs aren't the standard spec ones for the rear.

The Spax low kit works very well in a light track type car so long as you don't go for silly wide overly heavy wheels (which hurt the handling no matter what the rest of the set-up)

The Spax "road" kit makes the car VERY comfortable to drive and it's even smoother than a standard Sportpack ... still don't like the the idea of a road weight, road use, car sitting entirely on the rear shock mounts!!!

The Protech kit is awesome value for money and the spring rates are a little more suited to a slightly heavier car so should work well on the road.


The car I'm building for my girlfriend is on doughnuts and KYB shocks as she wants to be able to have people in the back of the car and to be fair a few of her friend s have been at the pies (like I can talk!!!!)

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

Its sounds like its down to personal taste and a bit of effort then. Maybe I'll try the type you mention. I reinforced my suspension mount anyway. Do you know if the Protech version is of similar size to AVO's as these are what I modelled my body nod on?

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... Then it's hilarious!

It's the "beams" that have been the problem, most aren't all that stiff and not up to the job of keeping it all pointed in the right direction.

I've not tried the Mini spares ali "beam" but I know some people who like them.

I have previously made my own beam but it's on a car that I sold a long time ago. Currently my car is a fair distance from my house but I have to go and check it's still there some month soon so I'll post some pics of the modifications to the "beam" I bought from Min-Its a few years ago .... that one is stiffer than a teenager in a brothel

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

I think the protech rears are set up for 1.9" dia springs ..... what size spring was used on the AVO's you measured?

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

Hi,
It's going to depend on what you use your car for. I'd be very surprised if a track (Miglia) setup would be any good for the road! Race tracks are mostly smooth so you can run the suspension hard and low to give you good handling.
It's not going to be that good on the road with the changing levels, variable grip from the different surfaces, not to mention the pot holes!
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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Yeah,

I agree track spec would not make a good road spec, 2 different applications completely.

Set -up is always a compromise. Hence everyone is still trying to find one that suits.

Each car is individual and should be treated as.

And don't forget once you've bolted all you new bling bits on. Only then do you start to try and set it up.

Its all good fun.

I drill holes in everything..!

The Protech spring seems a small diameter. The Avo spring is 66mm measured from outside to outside of the spring. When you mention 'beam' what are you referring to? Like many its the rear that is the most concerning as the front has to have a 'conversion' to support the spring anyway. I can post pix if it helps.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... Then it's hilarious!

The Protech spring seems a small diameter. The Avo spring is 66mm measured from outside to outside of the spring. When you mention 'beam' what are you referring to? Like many its the rear that is the most concerning as the front has to have a 'conversion' to support the spring anyway. I can post pix if it helps.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... Then it's hilarious!

I think its personal preference, each driver may have different expectations of how they want their car to feel and handle, not to mention driving style, and with so many combinations of parts , manifactures etc, it seems to be a little trial and error.
I in the past have toyed with a few set ups (some of which have been mentioned in this post) I have also have had a spec that involved me spending very little money but produced some very pleasing results.
I feel the big thing with it all is be realistic with choosing the parts, and the use the car is going to have, ie track or road, but the biggest investment has to be time fettling the settings to suit what suits your driving style, and expectations.
If you can, get out in a few cars with varying components, and see what you think, it my give you a better idea what you would rather have.
Shane.

Guys,

I'm still puzzled on this. Let me explain:

This set up is for a turbo road car running 13" deep dish ultralites.

I intended to fit AVO coil overs. I have removed all the front cones, shocks etc. and have fitted the front coilovers to new brackets etc. All seems OK but I will have to get geometry checked etc.

On the rear I still have the subframe (in vg nick) and dont really want to go for a beam axle. I have modded the inner rear arches to suit the coilovers and strengthed all the surrounding bodywork and fitted cups in the boot.

I will not have rear seats fitted and will probably fit a rear roll cage.

The question is do I simply remove the rear cone suspension and shocks and replace with the coil over shocks? Is is that simple? I guess I need to check the rear aligmnets etc?

Any comments/thoughts/help would be appreciated. I can post pics or PM if someone wants to help.

Thanks

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... Then it's hilarious!

It is that simple!!!!!

Just make sure everything clears everything else as this can be a problem when using coil overs with a subframe.

Sounds like it should be a nice set up.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

Thanks Roger. Thats the job for next week then. I'll post some progress pix as I go so anyone else who has this query can follow what I've done.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... Then it's hilarious!

I am currently rebuilding my rear suspension, The car will be fairly light, with no back seat , carbon bootfloor, rear beam, carbon boot lid and I have some kad radius arms. I read that RogerM then recomends the lowered spax coilovers. Have there been any new research on this? or are they still the recomended item? I've heard that scruffy have a lot of experience, do you have any tips?
Cheers

http://www.ktv.no/~pjb-ktv/

I had Spax coilovers from minispares on my car and used it on the road. I was also after lowering it and to be honest it wasn't low enough for me and was far to hard even on it's softest setting.
So had enough one day and sold them and went and bought GAZ adjustables all round and had hi-lo's and a set of genuine cones which I then fitted and to be honest I been out in my car and have it low and it's so smooth and gorgeous to drive.
Yes ok I get body roll but it might see the track a few times a year but it's great for half the price of coil overs ...

Read this and you'll see
http://turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=270336
Amazing if you search to as it's all explained

http://photobucket.com/quintonrose

Then he looks at the date of the posts ...

http://photobucket.com/quintonrose

I found a old post that adressed some of my problems, while researching.
I share you're sceptism against coilovers, but I am currently building a car and I am trying to keep the weight down, so I am going to try a rear beam and coilovers, I have heard that some people have made it work well, and want to try for my self, and I am asking here for advice.
I am conserned about the ride height, and are considering reboilding the shock mounts
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.p...id=262635&fr=75
What I want to know is what kind of damper that people here recomend.

http://www.ktv.no/~pjb-ktv/

I found a old post that adressed some of my problems, while researching.
I share you're sceptism against coilovers, but I am currently building a car and I am trying to keep the weight down, so I am going to try a rear beam and coilovers, I have heard that some people have made it work well, and want to try for my self, and I am asking here for advice.
I am conserned about the ride height, and are considering reboilding the shock mounts
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.p...id=262635&fr=75
What I want to know is what kind of damper that people here recomend.

http://www.ktv.no/~pjb-ktv/

Can you fit a rear ARB with coilovers on the rear?!

Lightweight racer coming soon.

yes

It is a lot of work - it does not make the handling any better and in many cases it can be worse especially with the super bendy speedex type beam that this company has copied. You also need expensive shocks such as trakspax to make it worthwhile. It is only worthwhile for the weight saving.

Petter - Vegard must be proud of you as a true Scandinavian post excavator!

On 5th Sep, 2011 Vegard said:
I stand corrected. You should know