The FWD Cobra: Just one more thing then the MG gets all the attention
- Thread starter Sandman
- Start date
Sandman
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
Well...I screwed myself on the sleeves. I ground down that lip and got the sleeve to go on that far, then broke out the hammer. Forcing it on was a bad idea because the sleeve expanded and then I couldn't get the nut spun down. Needless to say I had to slice open the sleeve to get it off. The sleeves must be slightly thicker after the lip or something. Either I find sleeves that are larger or stick them on a lathe and get just enough removed that they slip on.
Well...I screwed myself on the sleeves. I ground down that lip and got the sleeve to go on that far, then broke out the hammer. Forcing it on was a bad idea because the sleeve expanded and then I couldn't get the nut spun down. Needless to say I had to slice open the sleeve to get it off. The sleeves must be slightly thicker after the lip or something. Either I find sleeves that are larger or stick them on a lathe and get just enough removed that they slip on.
Bakerdd
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
I hate it when unexpected things pop up to mess up plans. Just for your peace of mind I guess, I dont think it matters if its a slighttt bit loose. The sleeves that were on mine seemed to be a little loose and the guy sealed them or jammed some rubber in there to keep it from moving. I remember one of them even sort of working its way so that it spun a little bit when I tried adjusting the height. As long as the adjuster is tight I don't think it matters if it spins slightly. But If it held onto mine a bit longer, I was going to maybe try and secure it at the bottom somehow. Maybe some more shims and JB weld or something.
I hate it when unexpected things pop up to mess up plans. Just for your peace of mind I guess, I dont think it matters if its a slighttt bit loose. The sleeves that were on mine seemed to be a little loose and the guy sealed them or jammed some rubber in there to keep it from moving. I remember one of them even sort of working its way so that it spun a little bit when I tried adjusting the height. As long as the adjuster is tight I don't think it matters if it spins slightly. But If it held onto mine a bit longer, I was going to maybe try and secure it at the bottom somehow. Maybe some more shims and JB weld or something.
Bakerdd
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
That does suck. I guess at least you have a current setup to ride on though. Everytime I've changed up something, I've literally had no choice but to get it on during the weekend or else I had no car. I shipped the coils on a thursday, drove my brothers car to get the bags with the coil money on friday with my car sitting on blocks, came back and installed the bags with no idea what I was doing barely in time for school on monday haha. As long as it sort of drove
That does suck. I guess at least you have a current setup to ride on though. Everytime I've changed up something, I've literally had no choice but to get it on during the weekend or else I had no car. I shipped the coils on a thursday, drove my brothers car to get the bags with the coil money on friday with my car sitting on blocks, came back and installed the bags with no idea what I was doing barely in time for school on monday haha. As long as it sort of drove
16MustangVet
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
Try freezing the struts in a fridge over night then heat up the sleeves like some people do to install bearings I'll bet they slide right on and be nice and snug too.
Obviously I wouldnt heat up the struts so you'd have to heat up the sleeves like I said.
Try freezing the struts in a fridge over night then heat up the sleeves like some people do to install bearings I'll bet they slide right on and be nice and snug too.
Obviously I wouldnt heat up the struts so you'd have to heat up the sleeves like I said.
Sandman
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
I did think of that after the fact of course, and the struts are Konis in stock housings so I could've heated the sleeve and freeze the strut housing. It wouldn't have work though because after beating the sleeve on it had expanded preventing the nut from spinning.
I did think of that after the fact of course, and the struts are Konis in stock housings so I could've heated the sleeve and freeze the strut housing. It wouldn't have work though because after beating the sleeve on it had expanded preventing the nut from spinning.
Sandman
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
Hooraaaaaaayyyy!!!!
My sleeves came today! I already had my shims ready to go and got the sleeves tapped on, perfect fit. Tight enough to just tap them on with a hammer. The outside of my shocks measured at 2.12"-2.13", the shim material is .02" sheet metal, and the sleeves are 2.17".
You can see the sleeve and the unpainted part is the shim. I cut the shim a little short of the circumference of the strut. Made the mistake of not trimming one just a little short, the ends touched so the sleeve was a little bit of a pain to go on. The other one has about a 1/16" gap between the ends. These are just the fronts, eventually I'll get the rear struts converted to coils but that's a long ways off with all my traveling I'll be doing, my camber plate idea as well, have the parts, just no time. Now I just have to decide if I want to try and put these on this weekend...
I'll find the part numbers later for anyone wanting to take a similar route.
The one on top is just the sleeve with the shim showing, the bottom is assembled with the strut all the way out, 12" 400# spring. Strut valved to 500#.
Here's the strut hat that I'm using. It's the shortest one on Summit I could find so it's not taking to much away from the strut travel.
Hooraaaaaaayyyy!!!!
My sleeves came today! I already had my shims ready to go and got the sleeves tapped on, perfect fit. Tight enough to just tap them on with a hammer. The outside of my shocks measured at 2.12"-2.13", the shim material is .02" sheet metal, and the sleeves are 2.17".
You can see the sleeve and the unpainted part is the shim. I cut the shim a little short of the circumference of the strut. Made the mistake of not trimming one just a little short, the ends touched so the sleeve was a little bit of a pain to go on. The other one has about a 1/16" gap between the ends. These are just the fronts, eventually I'll get the rear struts converted to coils but that's a long ways off with all my traveling I'll be doing, my camber plate idea as well, have the parts, just no time. Now I just have to decide if I want to try and put these on this weekend...
I'll find the part numbers later for anyone wanting to take a similar route.
The one on top is just the sleeve with the shim showing, the bottom is assembled with the strut all the way out, 12" 400# spring. Strut valved to 500#.
Here's the strut hat that I'm using. It's the shortest one on Summit I could find so it's not taking to much away from the strut travel.
Fivefingerdeathpunch
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
Peanut butter.
Peanut butter.
Sandman
New member
Re: The FWD Cobra
Forgot about my parts list
From A1 Racing
2.17" ID 5" tall sleeves #A1-12452-H
Coilover nuts #A1-12460
From Summit Racing
Spring hats for a 2.5" spring #AAF-ALL64175
2.5" thrust bearings #HAL-7888-109
2.5" ID 12" tall 400# springs #SUM-122-5400
As for the shim material I had to use for the difference between the struts housings and the sleeves I just found a roll of .02" sheetmetal from Grainger. They have various sizes so you can accommodate various combinations of sleeve sizes and strut sizes.
These are just the parts I used, I went with most of the cheaper stuff for a budget but it'll work as good as the more expensive stuff. Where I dropped the coin was on the revalved/rebuilt Konis, that's where the money should be spent is on a good pair of shocks IMO.
Also I'm using the stock mounts for now, that's the reason for the spring hats, otherwise with modified mounts they're not needed.
Forgot about my parts list
From A1 Racing
2.17" ID 5" tall sleeves #A1-12452-H
Coilover nuts #A1-12460
From Summit Racing
Spring hats for a 2.5" spring #AAF-ALL64175
2.5" thrust bearings #HAL-7888-109
2.5" ID 12" tall 400# springs #SUM-122-5400
As for the shim material I had to use for the difference between the struts housings and the sleeves I just found a roll of .02" sheetmetal from Grainger. They have various sizes so you can accommodate various combinations of sleeve sizes and strut sizes.
These are just the parts I used, I went with most of the cheaper stuff for a budget but it'll work as good as the more expensive stuff. Where I dropped the coin was on the revalved/rebuilt Konis, that's where the money should be spent is on a good pair of shocks IMO.
Also I'm using the stock mounts for now, that's the reason for the spring hats, otherwise with modified mounts they're not needed.