Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Vigo
The only difference physically between a 2g neon and a PT/srt4 strut is ~1/4" difference in the height of the lower spring perch. The PT and SRT4 share the same dimensions but they are probably different dampers inside. Any front strut you can get for an SRT4 will bolt onto a PT front and vice versa. You can get Tokico blue and illumina for the PT off-hand, so it's not like they have 0 options. The 2g neon which is practically the same thing, you can get a Koni Street for <$100 or you can put an adjustable insert in it for $130-200.
I used to think the spring perch difference was a lot bigger, and you couldnt fit a decent sized tire on a 2g neon strut. Turns out you can fit a ~25" tire on them (my 245/40/r17 are ~24.7") so they really arent that limiting. If you had an SRT-4 you could probably put a 2g neon koni street on it with absolutely no issues unless you had a really tall tire size.
Everything I read said PT stuff was not the same as SRT stuff. I've never looked at them side by side though so I'm relying on the internet. What you are saying is the 2G neon stuff has a 1/4" higher spring perch from the PT/SRT? I wonder what the spring height differences are between the three.
I may try and snag a pair of 2G neon struts/springs from the yard and see what it does. I'd like an adjustable front for the van but just something performance would be great. I'm assuming anything for a PT would be close since the PT seems to be close in dimension to a early van.
---------- Post added at 08:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 PM ----------
Oh and I don't like convertibles but that has much WANT.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Slam-a-jam-a Baby!!! That's one low mother...
Mike
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Quote:
What you are saying is the 2G neon stuff has a 1/4" higher spring perch from the PT/SRT?
Other way: The PT/SRT has a 1/4" higher perch. I think they did this for tire clearance since the PT and SRT both had fairly tall wheel/tire options, but its such a small difference i think it pretty much doesnt matter which struts you use. I think it all comes down to what springs you use. Since you're working on a van i would start with PT springs and cut to suit just so that it doesn't start too low and you end up buying more springs right off the bat.
As for the spring free height, i have had the 2g and SRT springs off but not the PT, yet. I will say that the SRT4 coils are so short that you dont have to compress them by very much to put the strut together.
Quote:
I'd like an adjustable front for the van but just something performance would be great.
You can get adjustable tokico illuminas for PT. I think if you want adjustable konis you have to buy inserts, some assembly required. If you want non-adjustable there is tokico blue for PT and koni Street for 2g neon.
Quote:
Oh and I don't like convertibles but that has much WANT.
Quote:
Slam-a-jam-a Baby!!! That's one low mother...
Thanks guys!
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Ok so i finished the 5lug swap and bolted the wheels on.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps113a5a20.jpg
Honestly it doesnt seem as low as i remember my Aries being. It will definitely scrape both pans on the ground if you hit a big enough dip.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps2ea8bff0.jpg
So.. i dunno if it's the weight difference or what but it seems like both these cars started out with the same basic strut dimensions.. and after strut swaps the dynasty is lower even though it has a longer strut and stiffer spring in it than the lebaron. Im kinda surprised at the difference here. I would have expected the Lebaron to be lower. At this point my only good idea as to why it turned out like this is the ~400lb weight difference.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
400# is pretty significant, so I wouldn't doubt that making a difference at all.
BTW, I like it now the wheels are on it. Put the top down and take another couple of pictures. :thumb:
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Underbody of the Lebaron is not equal to how far those bumpers do not hang down. As it sits if you don't look at the underbody, I think thats how it should have come from the factory before slamming.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Yeah, that's one of the stupid things about k-cars. You slam the crap out of it to look right, and it just looks like it SHOULD have looked from the factory. That's how the lebaron looks to me. The dynasty actually looks low but it has a taller tire and tucks it a little so that is where that is coming from, i think. I bet if you measured ground clearance to the 'frame rails' it would be pretty close between the two.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
I just have to say, wow that lebaron is sharp!
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
My dirty secret is that the LR 1/4 is a little crunched. I have to work myself up to dropping the $$$ to fix it. :(
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
I got that LR quarter on the Lebaron fixed up and painted.
More importantly, i traded a guy a nice BOV+piping for a rear pair of 2g neon raceland coilovers. These are complete struts with coilover perches and springs, intended to be used with stock neon upper strut mounts.
Not sure what i can do with these things. They are the same basic dimensions as the stock 2g neon rear strut:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps62083297.png
That makes them a full SIX INCHES longer than even a Caravan front strut. I honestly don't think you could put them in any TM other than the front of a Caravan that wasnt lowered too much, but then what's the point?
I added that info graphic to the first post. If you look at it and the 1g neon rear next to each other you'll see another critical difference. The 1g neon rear strut shaft is machined in such a way that i looks like it will go right into a stock k-car upper strut mount. I already know the lower spring perch and the strut yoke are compatible with Caravan front springs and knuckles, making them almost certainly a drop-in replacement for a Caravan front strut. These 2g neon rear struts have the shorter machined area that is more similar to the front neon struts which requires machine work or converting to neon upper strut mounts.
The possibility i had considered for these if i'm not able to use them as-is due to excessive length, is to shorten the tubes at the top, put 2g neon koni inserts in them, and have a nice double-adjustable coilover front strut for my Dynasty. I just have to verify that the tube diameter is the same as a 'normal' neon strut.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
I have to say, good work and excellent info. I'm not into lowering very much(you can still see a hint of daylight on my GLHS) but these looked good.
3 Attachment(s)
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Necro-Update:
I installed those 2g neon rear coilovers onto the front of my 1990 Caravan. After my research I wasn't hopeful that they'd be great for lowering, but shortly after getting the minivan running this time around i bashed the oil pan real good going through a dip too fast and decided it was worth a try just to stiffen it a bit and hit bumpstops sooner even if i couldn't get it any lower. It actually turned out better than i expected. I was able to lower a bit more than where stock k-car struts/springs had it while still having a bit of up travel and a pretty comfortable ride (for coilovers and 2" of travel).
I need more pics but here is one with my flat slicks on at the strip. Keep in mind all that tire gap is around a 23" tire on a minivan, which is nobody's street setup. EDIT: Added one below with 205/60/15.
http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/at...6&d=1458708773
In order to fit the coilovers i had to grind down the strut shaft on my bench grinder to fit through the stock k-car strut mount (same as i did with my first neon strut conversion 10 years ago). I also had to enlarge both holes in the strut yoke. I slotted the top one for camber. I had to use a flap disc to remove some material from the back of my spindles to get negative camber as the spindle was hitting the strut while camber was still positive. This is because the orientation of the holes to the strut body is not the same as a k-car strut.
I think the most interesting thing I found while doing this conversion is that the coilover spring centered right up into the stock upper spring perch. This means i have a completely stock upper strut mount/spring perch assembly with stock strut bearing, rubber isolation, and no noises at all while turning or going over bumps. I'll add pics of this later today.
So I think the new lesson is YES, you can buy a set of 2g neon Racelands and put the fronts on your K-car and the backs on your Minivan. ;)
Attachment 58090Attachment 58091Attachment 58092
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Very interesting! Thanks for trying it!
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Being New To The FWD K Car I Was Wondering If I Install The 1st Gen Neon Struts I Know It Will Give The Slammed Look But I Was Wondering About The Cam Bolt Working With The Neon Struts ? Would I Be Able To Dremel Out The Hole On The Neon Strut For The Cam Bolt To Work With The Neon Struts Or Do I Need To Get New Bolts And Just Use Grade 8 Bolts To Mount The Strut To The Knuckle. Any Help Would Be Appreciated.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Dremel the hole, or buy camber bolts for the Neon and use those.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
The thing about using the factory eccentric bolts is that there are raised parts on the strut yoke that the eccentric washer pushes against and the neon strut doesn't have them, which means the factory bolts don't 'work' anymore for camber adjustment, though they will certainly hold the pieces together. It would just become a slotted hole you push around to the place you want. Or you could use an actual eccentric bolt where the offset part is in the middle of the bolt, that would work.
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
As usual Vigo, great contributions. Maybe make a raised part on the yoke for the eccentric bolt head to bear on by throwing a little bit of weld at it? Just a little tack?
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Quote:
Originally Posted by
johnl
As usual Vigo, great contributions. Maybe make a raised part on the yoke for the eccentric bolt head to bear on by throwing a little bit of weld at it? Just a little tack?
I Really Appreciate All The Feedback, Vigo I Have To Agree With Making A Skid Plate To Protect The Oil Pan, I Measured The Frame To The Ground And Have 3 Inches Of Clearence With 23 Inch Tires On The Front, It Actually Rides Nice On Good Flat Surface, But A Few Bumps I Was Scraping The Pan.
- - - Updated - - -
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
Vigo great info... I'd like to put adjustable coils on my Spirit, you think the 2g coilovers should fit with minor fab work? Please let me know any help would be greatly appreciated...
Re: FWD Mopar strut interchangeability w/pics
2g neon front coilovers will fit with some modifications. You can either modify the strut tower of the vehicle for the neon strut mount or modify the strut shaft to accept a stock k-car strut mount.