Bilstein HD coilovers

[Irocelectric93]

Here's my Bilstein HD's i converted. I finally got around to painting and finishing one of them. The other one was actually test fitted on the car already. I got the BC top hats from Rich as well as the camber plates. I was doing this on a budget for sure so my advice to people who want coilovers now...go with Rich's BC adaptation. For those who want to go this route because either you have koni's already or you just want to do it on the cheap here you go. JT might be able to dig up his A-1 part numbers for koni guys. My bilsteins wont apply to many people if any others because im the one weird dude out there who had some and wanted to do it this way. Bilsteins have internal bump stops which is why there aren't external bump stops like many are used to seeing. JT might be able to give a part number for this as well. I measured the body of the strut with my dial calipers and ordered my coilover sleeves accordingly and matched the perch with the sleeve i ordered.

http://shop.a1racing.com/cok12452-h.aspx
http://shop.a1racing.com/cok12460.aspx
http://shop.a1racing.com/cok12470.aspx

I ordered my springs from Allsprings.com. I went with 300lb springs which i partially regret not going with something a little heavier since my tona is a heavy car. http://store.allsprings.com/25-id-ra...ngs-p1846.aspx




These can be rebuilt and re valved to diff specs but when i asked Bilstein about changing the specs they sort of "frowned" on that idea but im sure i could convince them I left part of the spring basket on for my spring perch...i don't know that this is the best route and i'm too lazy to remedy it now but if i'd do it again id use a washer/retainer like many others have done in the past but oh well. Any questions feel free but with how many people have already done this i'm sure this is old news

[speedfreek500]

Nice write up, any idea how the ride yet? I'am not sure which way i'am gonna go with my suspension as of yet. I hear great things about Rich's Bc coil over kits.

[rbryant]

It sure is a unique Frankenstein setup but it looks like it came together well.

I had forgotten that I actually scrounged up a set of the older style BC top hats for you from my spare parts bin and included some of my early prototype bushings that I made but never used for them. I guess the prototypes weren't a complete waste after all.

It should work great and I am not sure I know of anyone else running those struts!

-Rich

[Irocelectric93]

Nice write up, any idea how the ride yet? I'am not sure which way i'am gonna go with my suspension as of yet. I hear great things about Rich's Bc coil over kits.

Not sure on ride yet. Still need to install the one in the picture and get it out of the garage lol. I'd save your pennies and go with Rich's BC kit though. BC makes really great coilovers. Like i said i'd really only go this route if you have koni's lying around to do this to. I dont think anyone else has Bilstein HDs lol. Of course there is always the cut a strut Koni insert option that Cindy offers as well but by the time you put the effort and cash into that you could spend a little more and get BC's which would be a more complete uniform package in my opinion.

---------- Post added at 09:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 AM ----------

It sure is a unique Frankenstein setup but it looks like it came together well.

I had forgotten that I actually scrounged up a set of the older style BC top hats for you from my spare parts bin and included some of my early prototype bushings that I made but never used for them. I guess the prototypes weren't a complete waste after all.

It should work great and I am not sure I know of anyone else running those struts!

-Rich

Thanks Rich! yeah it's most definitely a unique setup which is actually what i wanted. I knew that no one was running Bilsteins and for whatever reason I got it in my head to try it and just kept on going with it. Thanks for all the help you've given me via Email etc.

[BadAssPerformance]

Nice work!

[turbovanman²]

I love new shiny parts,

I had some Bilstein coilovers in the van a few years ago, got them from Will Martin, I called Bilstein about the insert and it was a common insert readily available, I think from a VW. They said they could valve them any which way I wanted so strange they said they won't do it for you?

[Irocelectric93]

They said to me when i asked "From what i'm told i can revalve these to whatever specs i choose...is this accurate?" "Umm well uhhh....we don't really like doing that. We prefer to build them to the spec they were originally designed to"....meh whatever. They'll need to be rebuilt...and i'll be pestering them until they build them to different specs.

[turbovanman²]

They said to me when i asked "From what i'm told i can revalve these to whatever specs i choose...is this accurate?" "Umm well uhhh....we don't really like doing that. We prefer to build them to the spec they were originally designed to"....meh whatever. They'll need to be rebuilt...and i'll be pestering them until they build them to different specs.

LOL, beat them into submission,

[Irocelectric93]

Bah you guys will probably laugh at me when i ask this but to the guys running coilovers out there....How much thread to you have left of your sleeve? I pretty much have mine set as low as they will go....no i'm not a ricer looking for a "tucked" look but it seems to me like with it bottomed or nearly anyway the car should sit lower than it does. I have my camber plates all the way positive so lowering it any more really isn't an option. I'm not familiar with coilover springs....do they settle like ordinary springs? Might sound like a dumb question but how much tire/wheel gap do you guys run? I know function over form but it just seems like the car should be "slammed" if im all the way down. I figured i'd have my adjuster somewhere in the middle when i first put them on..but i just kept going down ...and down. Any hints advice etc. is appreciated.

[Irocelectric93]

After further investigating im going with the sheer fact that i don't have enough sleeve. If you look at the BC kit as well as the Kit that FWD performance uses according to a pic i found on here from Speedeuphoria the sleeve on those extends down to the mounting holes of the strut. So i guess i'll be eventually looking into getting BC coilovers from Rich like i planned and keeping these for my other daytona or selling them. For now...they'll work i guess.

[rbryant]

After further investigating im going with the sheer fact that i don't have enough sleeve. If you look at the BC kit as well as the Kit that FWD performance uses according to a pic i found on here from Speedeuphoria the sleeve on those extends down to the mounting holes of the strut. So i guess i'll be eventually looking into getting BC coilovers from Rich like i planned and keeping these for my other daytona or selling them. For now...they'll work i guess.

How long are your springs? I think I was running 8" front springs with a similar setup on an lbody.

Having the threads go lower is basically equivalent to running shorter springs. The problem lies in the fact that as you lower this type of setup you get less and less strut travel because the shaft has to push downward into the housing and then has less travel downward and more travel upward.

The BCs solve this problem because the center cartridge is threaded and moves up and down independently from the spindle mount. That means that the up/down travel on the cartridge is not changed as you lower it.

Therefore you can lower the BC struts without giving up any shock/strut travel until:

The cartridge comes out the bottom of the spindle mount and would hit the axle.
or
You have less than 2.5" of threads in the spindle mount at the high setting (or 1" of threads on the rear shocks).

-Rich

[Irocelectric93]

I actually forget how long my springs are. I'm more perplexed by the issues im having at the moment. I set both sides to the same on the sleeves and let the car down. Results: Pass side very negative camber so i set the plates all the way positive....still slightly negative. Drivers side plate set to fully negative and the camber was about neutral. Measured ground to bottom of fender through the center of the wheel....again weird results. Drivers side was 24 3/8"...the side that is literally doing the exact opposite of what it should as it's lowered....Pass side which is doing what it should is actually still sitting higher at 25 3/8" Concerns are the fact that im maxed both ways on camber...just opposite directions. I'm really just ready to get the BC's and call it a day. At least they'll be brand new.

[rbryant]

I actually forget how long my springs are. I'm more perplexed by the issues im having at the moment. I set both sides to the same on the sleeves and let the car down. Results: Pass side very negative camber so i set the plates all the way positive....still slightly negative. Drivers side plate set to fully negative and the camber was about neutral. Measured ground to bottom of fender through the center of the wheel....again weird results. Drivers side was 24 3/8"...the side that is literally doing the exact opposite of what it should as it's lowered....Pass side which is doing what it should is actually still sitting higher at 25 3/8" Concerns are the fact that im maxed both ways on camber...just opposite directions. I'm really just ready to get the BC's and call it a day. At least they'll be brand new.

I am sure you will figure it out.

The corners will sit at different heights with the different sleeve heights due to different weights of each corner of the car. Remember if you have a 300lb/in spring that means it will drop 1" for every 300lbs you put on it. If one side weighs 100lbs more than the other then it will be 1/3" lower.

For camber make sure you are measuring on the wheel with a straight edge and that the car is fully settled weight wise. Turn the steering wheel side to side and it should take the load off from each side of the car.

-Rich

[5DIGITS]

Nicely planned and the final result looks great !!