Coil over VS 5" sping an external shock?

[badmatt]

So I have been wondering if there IS any real advantage to running a true coil-over compared to running a 5"/5.5" OD coil spring with a separate double adjustable shock?

Anybody have any insight on what works better or if there really is a huge difference where I can justify cutting up my buckets a whole ton to run a full length coil over? The QA1 set up will not provide me with many spring rates due to the conical spring design. But i can get tons of options in either the full coil over or a 5/5.5" coil.

Its not a matter of how much work, But more or less any REAL performance gain?

Is it more of a shock and spring working in the same arc or motion or being on the same relative plain?


Matt

[Track Junky]

I'm not running coil overs up front yet but I'll chime in here in hopes to learn something and possibly add. I can name two advantages that comes to mind with coil overs.....the first being ease of ride height adjustability in order to achieve desired corner weights and two being the ease of changing spring rates.

[badmatt]

Gaetano, About adjusting the height or the weight per corner you can run one of these..

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Front-...Jack,3386.html

Just my though and I wouldn't be opposed to using this.

[Rod P]

Originally Posted by badmatt

So I have been wondering if there IS any real advantage to running a true coil-over compared to running a 5"/5.5" OD coil spring with a separate double adjustable shock?

curious also, on the edge of doing the same swap

[Track Junky]

Originally Posted by badmatt

Gaetano, About adjusting the height or the weight per corner you can run one of these..

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Front-...Jack,3386.html

Just my though and I wouldn't be opposed to using this.

Thats an interesting little set up but not the direction i'm headed.

I know that all you wanted to compare was performance and on that venue alone I really couldn't say only because i have never run up against that situation due to most here running auto-x events and I have never run up agains't any of the top guys on this site in that respect. I will say that I am certainly not intimidated by coil over set ups and think I can run pretty darn decent but i'm not getting any younger and just want to be able to adjust with less effort. Even adjusting shocks with a conventional spring set up is a pain in the ass up front.
For me a chicane set up with coil over shock is the direction I am headed but it wont be until the 2014 season. So in actuality I should be able to give you a realistic answer in 2014 as this coming 2013 season I will still be using the conventional set up. Sorry, thats the best I can do for now.

[badmatt]

I know where your coming from like the chicayne kit id like to try and run that BUT I would have to cut up most of my upper cross shaft mount to do so because of my frame bucket (s10) and the "bolt in" coil over kit from QA1 is junk in my opinion just because of the spring rates and the over all amount of drop I want to run.

So there is where the "nascar" set up comes to mind because of working with the air bagged trucks running a standard 7" bag in the pocket and out board shocks it works... so Im thinking of trying this with a coil and the jack plate. (air bags suck btw for spring rate control, again my opinion so dont crucify me ridetech people)

Anybody got any Idea's or thought's on this?

Matt

[DEIGuy38]

You could run these adjusters. The adjusters you show won't let you run a shock through the middle. These are the same style Mark Stielow ran in the Thrasher 69 camaro and Carl Casanova ran in his 68 Camaro. Here is my add in the for sale section. I was going to run these but went with DSE Speed kit 2 and Quadralink. Gaetano has seen my car.

https://lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=39350 If you are interested let me know, make offers. I just finished the install of the speed kit 2 yesterday so need these gone.

[exwestracer]

If you go to a full coil over, you have the option of moving the lower mount much closer to the lower ball joint. This in turn allows you to run a much lighter lower arm and softer spring rate. Also, the entire package is a little lighter, if for no other reason than the smaller spring.

I'm glad someone brought up the point about needing to move the shock if you go to the stock car weight jack. Where would you put the shock at that point? You're in the same boat as the air bag guys...

[IMPALA MAN]

Take the total weight of:
Upper and lower (steel) spring buckets/cups (which you can remove when going to coil-overs) + two 5" springs

Then take the total weight of:
Two (aluminum) coil-over kits that go on the shock + two 2-1/2" coil springs.

Multiply the difference times two and I think you will see the third advantage.
Since one end of the shock is connected to the "sprung" part of the suspension and the other end is connected to the "unsprung" part of the suspension. The weight savings affects both sprung and unsprung weights.

[badmatt]

Originally Posted by exwestracer

If you go to a full coil over, you have the option of moving the lower mount much closer to the lower ball joint. This in turn allows you to run a much lighter lower arm and softer spring rate. Also, the entire package is a little lighter, if for no other reason than the smaller spring.

I'm glad someone brought up the point about needing to move the shock if you go to the stock car weight jack. Where would you put the shock at that point? You're in the same boat as the air bag guys...

Shock relocation is the easy part. I am going to sink it into the frame and the top mount will be welded to the front stringers of the cage. (For turning radius purposes)

Sorta like this but with out the upper mount.


OR am I heading in a wrong direction?

Matt