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Joel
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2006
Posts: 11099
Location: NSW Australia
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 Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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Plus if you can weld and have the parts there it's pretty much free.
I did the same thing back in the 90s before the adjustable struts really hit the mainstream market to get bigger wheels to fit. |
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Bashr52
Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2006
Posts: 5669
Location: On an island in VA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| swhitcomb wrote: |
| Nice work and it seems to have come out ok. Why not just buy the EMPI or Topline kit though? It isn't that much money, and uses commonly available inserts. |
He's in sweden, and whith the 25% import tax, the cost adds up quickly! |
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swhitcomb
Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2003
Posts: 5763
Location: Inwood WV
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| Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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Nice work and it seems to have come out ok. Why not just buy the EMPI or Topline kit though? It isn't that much money, and uses commonly available inserts.
_________________
My 71 Ghia Been in my family since 1980
My Patina 66
My 74 Ghia
07 Boxster |
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riaanj
Samba Member
Joined: October 04, 2010
Posts: 20
Location: South Africa, JHB
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| Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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Well done with the custom made coilovers..
_________________
1303 SUPER Beetle
VW CITI Storm (MKI Golf)
307E Anglia panel-van
Honda CBR600RR |
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Anthonyisawsome
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2013
Posts: 373
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| Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| Joel wrote: |
That is mk2 and mk3 which are totally different, they are sealed units, you replace the whole strut not the insert.
Why dick around with used ones from a junk yard?
used ones if they aren't stuffed already may only last a day, a week, a month? is it worth the gamble for saving a few bucks?
New ones are only $110 a set
http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC-C10-4062
Not trying to be a dick but you can never be too cautious when it comes to safety items like suspension brakes and steering. |
I only want to use them as mock up. Once i get them the way i want i will drive the car around the block and then go replace them. I just dont want to go spend $100 on stuts for them not to work and me already modify them. |
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Joel
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2006
Posts: 11099
Location: NSW Australia
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| Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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That is mk2 and mk3 which are totally different, they are sealed units, you replace the whole strut not the insert.
Why dick around with used ones from a junk yard?
used ones if they aren't stuffed already may only last a day, a week, a month? is it worth the gamble for saving a few bucks?
New ones are only $110 a set
http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC-C10-4062
Not trying to be a dick but you can never be too cautious when it comes to safety items like suspension brakes and steering. |
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Anthonyisawsome
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2013
Posts: 373
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| Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Joel wrote: |
| It's only the inserts and whatever year mk1 finished early 80s |
Well i found some 92 rabbit struts at a junkyard and need to know what year i need. Are all the inserts the same for the rabbits |
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Joel
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2006
Posts: 11099
Location: NSW Australia
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| Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| It's only the inserts and whatever year mk1 finished early 80s |
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Anthonyisawsome
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2013
Posts: 373
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| Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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| What year rabbit struts are those? |
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AcyTom
Samba Member
Joined: November 15, 2005
Posts: 25
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
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| Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:16 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for your answer!
Do you have maybe some numbers (maybe not now you are in Laos (Asia?)) like new strut length? You added new pipe (is this standard pipe?) When car is on new struts and springs how much compress the spring?
You are living in Tirana? My father was there in '80. You have nice beetle nice color. You can see some pictures of my bug in my galeria...
Welcome to Zagreb in autumn. My be you could come to our local Beetle club, at Friday we have meetings there you could see some beetles...
Until then best regards
Tomica |
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PeterHolm
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| AcyTom wrote: |
Hi!
My plane is do the same thing as you did. Put the honda coil springs....
How is car handle with this new struts? Is worthed the money and lost time?
If you have some additional pictures please sent this pictures on web!
Regards!
Tomica |
My car isn't finished so I haven't tested the suspension fully yet but it feels stiff, but don't to stiff I think.
In my opinion you only have two choises, either you built something like I did, it only took one day to do this. Second choise is to buy the Topline suspension. This will of course be quite expensive if you have to import it to another country from USA.
Working in Laos right now so no more pictures can be added at this point.
Living in Zagreb? I actually live in Tirana, Albania and working for a Swedish project there. Will come to Zagreb for a seminare in the autumn, should be nice to se some cool beetle's then!
// Peter |
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AcyTom
Samba Member
Joined: November 15, 2005
Posts: 25
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:51 am Post subject: |
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Hi!
My plane is do the same thing as you did. Put the honda coil springs....
How is car handle with this new struts? Is worthed the money and lost time?
If you have some additional pictures please sent this pictures on web!
Regards!
Tomica |
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Mauserdude67
Samba Member
Joined: May 08, 2006
Posts: 228
Location: Texas Panhandle
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PeterHolm
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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| fiskesjo wrote: |
Hello
Hope the pictures will start work so i can se and build my own struts. |
I don't know what the problem is but there is a lot of images missing in the same category.
Maybe site admin knows the answer?
// Peter |
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fiskesjo
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2007
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:43 am Post subject: |
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Hello
Hope the pictures will start work so i can se and build my own struts. |
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PeterHolm
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| twinfactor wrote: |
what did your fabricated struts end up weighing compared to the original super struts?
awesome job, really interesting post!  |
I didn't weigh the struts after fabrication but I think the weight is almost the same. The water pipe I used was a little to big and adds weight to the strut of course.
On the other hand is the Rabbit shock smaller and some weight was cut of such as strut pipe, smaller spring plates etc.
// Peter |
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twinfactor
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 203
Location: Elgin, IL
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| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:55 am Post subject: |
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what did your fabricated struts end up weighing compared to the original super struts?
awesome job, really interesting post! |
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Fattie
I'd roll it
Joined: November 27, 2005
Posts: 5582
Location: louisiana
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| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:10 am Post subject: |
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you remind me of...me  , ...awesome bro keep us updated on any annd all things done to your super..be sure 2 let us know how it rides once on the road 
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Donate and help me get another aircooled dub to share with you guys www.paypal.me/WhosCare |
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UncleBob
Grease Midget
Joined: August 21, 2002
Posts: 2862
Location: Northeast Florida
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| Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:02 am Post subject: |
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For you lazy people.
_________________
OG JHC
don't worry, the ciggaret is fake. |
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PeterHolm
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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This wasn't actually a LOT of work to do this. If you have (or have access to) better tools than me, e.g. a lathe machine and a miller you can easily do this over the weekend.
AND with a much better result...
Importing to Sweden has a problem. If you love to pay tax, Sweden is a paradise. You have to pay at least 25% tax when importing from a non EU-country and this add up the price. There are of course workarounds for this also
Ok, lets continue with the fabrication.
We need to grind the bottom cup that we cut from the VW strut to make room for the Rabbit shock because it's a little to thick. Took me about 10 minutes on each cup to do this and I used my Dremel-copy grinder for this.
Finished grinding the cup.
To reduce the grinding work on the bottom cup I removed the paint from the Rabbit shock, about 2" up from the bottom.
Now does the shock stand in the bottom of the cup and no extra spacers in the bottom are needed.
Testing the strut, the two lines are from my original plan to cut away a piece from the middle of the strut but then I choosed to cut in the bottom instead.
Then I removed the cups from the CRX struts. They can easily be knocked off, they are not welded.
Cutting off the center from the top VW spring plate.
CRX top spring plates cutted off.
And finally welded the VW spring plate center piece on the CRX spring plate. Here is also the spring rubber from the CRX attached and will of course be used.
First ruff assembling of the strut, just to get an idea of the result. Bottom spring plate isn't finished yet.
So far has every thing very smooth but then I wanted to have the strut adjustable and this became a problem. I wanted to have a threaded tube about 8" long with two nuts on each strut. One nut should be welded to the botom spring plate and the second nut should lock the plate when it's positioned.
First idea was to let the plumber thread a water pipe but he told me that he couldn't thread more than a couple of inches before the pipe would get twisted.
Second idea was to let a local machine shop make the tubes. They would charge me 60$/hour and needed maybe 3-4 hours to this and I thought this was too expensive.
I was thinking of this as an prototype and wanted to have the struts made as cheap as possible (and thats also what my wife sad  ).
Then I found a shop in Sweden that fabricates struts and coil overs and they had threaded tubes (M60 threads) with two aluminium nuts/tube for sale, 128$ plus shipping. 
I decided then to go real cheap. Went back to the plumber and bought one meter water pipe for 5 bucks and borrowed a friends upright drill to make four holes round the tube, with one inch between them.
Ok, it will not be high tech but I think it will work.
Inserted the strut inside the pipe and welded in both ends.
Made a ring out of flat bar and welded four nuts on the ring and then welded the ring to the bottom spring plate from the CRX.
Everything is finished for assembly. This is the parts I used to put everything together. I used the "rubber" stop from the CRX instead of the VW stop.
Starting to put the strut togehter.
Finished!
My home made strut compared with the original VW strut.
Struts installed on the car, looks good but the rear is to high.
Ooops, too low in rear
One inner spline is too much.
One spline in the outer end will be fine I think. Will do the final adjustment of hight when the Porsche rims can be mounted. Must drill Disc- and drums first.
In the beginning I had an idea that I could mount the spring plate/cup a little bit off center to get more clearance but wasn't sure if this would be ok. Any ideas about this?
I look forward to try the vert on the Swedish roads (when the winter has passed...) before I know how the struts works. I have never drowed this car before so I have nothing to compare with but I will be back with a resume later.
Feel free to add comments, good or bad ones is ok.
Regards
// Peter |
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