estomax

iTrader: (2)

so it looks like you can either cut two inches off the adjustment sleeve or have the shock snap ring cut two inches lower, am i understanding that correctly?

flash9

djsoarer quoted Lexxium and he had wrote:
"I didnt have to cut any of the sleeves. I took all my shocks to the local machine shop to have a grooves cut 2.5" below the bottom bilstein groove and slid the whole sleeve right over it."

If you were referencing my photos, those are for a Mazda Miata setup.

estomax

iTrader: (2)

right, but it seems like there are two ways to go about it, cut the sleeves or re-groove the shocks. Just wondering why having the sleeves cut is a worthwhile option compared to simply cutting the sleeves a bit (from a DIY perspective)

flash9

The cut the coil-over sleeve method appears to have been working, so what I am going to write is just my thoughts as a Professional Mechanical Engineer.

The coil-over sleeves have a step __!-- that the shocks snap ring is designed to sit on. When you "cut" the end off of the coil-over sleeve they are having you cut off the step. Then slide the coil-over sleeve until you get to a taper __/---, and the snap ring then sits on the taper. To me that is a lot of load on something that was not designed to carry the load.

I have attached some photos below:


You can see in the photo above the physical "step" for the snap ring to sit on.



The sloped area is harder to see in a photo.

Basically the coil-over sleeves are designed to make circular contact with the shock body at two location along their length.
On one end there is a ramp up and a ramp down then on the other end there is a step up and a ramp back down. With the cut the coil-over sleeve method you are cutting off the step and ramp .

djsoarer

Trust me man that's what I was trying to do but seeing as bilstein has had the ak1242's on back order for most of this year and my shocks were done for I had to buy the only ak1242's I was able to find stateside. Like most people looking at this setup the H&R coilovers seemed to fit my needs best initially but seeing as they have been discontinued for over a year and the only place I could find a set was from germany this is the route I had to go.

Well I finally did find a machine shop to cut the new snap ring grooves but I got them back later than I hoped and wasn't able to install them this past weekend. I wish I could tell you an easy way to move the snap ring but the machine shop moved them down for me when they cut the new grooves. I did buy additional snap rings just in case I messed them up somehow but of course I didn't end up needing them due to this. The part number is 2522880 just in case anybody does end up needing them.

flash9

Can you measure the distance from the "top" of the shock (ie where the piston comes out) to the new snap ring location?
Also a photo of the shocks (front and rear) with the coil-over sleeve installed, would be great.

I will not be getting to this for quite a few months so no rush but I know it is easier now then once they are on the car.

BTW - Bilstein is also back ordered on the NB Miata Shocks, and I choose to have the place in AZ, I bought them from, ship them to CA for Bilstein to cut the new snap ring and move it to the new location.

djsoarer

The main reason I did not cut the sleeves was because I was trying to avoid using helper springs and/or being a monster truck. I only came across 2 ways that seem to accomplish this. Either having your shocks sent off to bilstein and shortened in which there are 2 well documented cases or using 10" springs all around in which 2 people also did but without as much documentation unfortunately. So instead of having the shocks sent off to bilstein and dropping $500 plus I just decided to follow Lexxium's lead as he had the most info to go off of. I just hope I'll still have enough shock travel to go low Here goes his post on supraforums with pictures...
Follow link for the pictures..
http://www.supraforums.com/forum/sho...=1#post8669695

I'll try to get the measurements and pictures up by this weekend if all goes well. I still can't fully assemble them till I take my old shocks off so I can reuse the strut mounts. Did you have to pay for all the shipping or did they cover it?

flash9

The place that had the NB Miata Bilsteins payed for the shipping to Bilstein, but I did have to pay Bilstein to ship them to me in NC.

When I did this for a different Miata three years ago, the Bilstein dealer just had Bilstein pull them out of their inventory in CA and do the work, then they covered the shipping.

How many miles are on your car?
Not trying to delay you and longer than you have already waited, but It is my understanding the upper mounts can degrade and you might want to consider getting some Moog upper mounts for the front and rear. You do not want to do this job twice and these are supposedly an item that does age.

estomax

iTrader: (2)

thanks for the explanation flash, djsoarer im gonna keep in touch with you, i am probably going to do this, right after you

estomax

iTrader: (2)

djsoarer are you having the snap ring groove re-cut in your shocks too? any progress updates?

flash9

djsoarer - Did you ever install you Bilstein Shocks

estomax

iTrader: (2)

bump would love to see an update on this before i just get some coilovers!

djsoarer

Hey fellas, extremely sorry for the late reply. Yes I did get everything installed back when I said I would but unfortunately it turned out the worst way imaginable. Car sat at gravedigger height with no room to go down while keeping preload. I had a contingency plan in place in case this happened which was just to use the tanabe springs that came on my car with the bilsteins but unknowingly SC specific rear springs don't work with supra shocks so that threw a wrench in everything.

So being as this was my daily at the moment I just had to ride 4x4 status till I sorted it out it seemed. Well the great flood of 2015 happened a day or so after here in Houston and since I was 4x4 I thought it would be at least ok to go down the street in my neighborhood. Unfortunately the next day I found out that wasn't the case as I heard some strange noise coming from my transmission tunnel and come to find out that I need to replace my driveshaft now. At this point I was fed up with the car and just left everything as is till the day came where I had time and money again.

Well that day has come so I'm just back here looking for advice or ideas on how to get this working properly. Seeing as I've already dropped too much on this setup I'm just trying to find the cheapest way possible to get it working properly. My cheapest option seems to be either getting 8" hypercoils for the front and hoping that sorts things out or just getting B&G lowering springs and selling off the coilover sleeves. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

estomax

iTrader: (2)

ahh.. sounds like trouble but keep your head up and get it figured out! post pics of what u did with ur shocks, did you have them machined so the spring perch sits lower?

Marko

djsoarer

Much trouble to say the least. As of now I just decided to get a pair of 8" hypercoils and trim the bumpstops and hope that sorts it out. Here goes some pictures...

Before drop


Rear


Front


Bumpstop


Couple months after "drop"


Next day after supra wheels install


As of yesterday