[cocobolo]

I'm trying to do as much research as possible before the weather turns warm enough to melt ice.  To that end, what experience do you have with coilovers for either front or rear application?

I will need all four corners hung this way as I have an IRS for the car and will be making my own IFS as well.  Most interested to see which brand, what size, spring rate, price etc. etc.  Any pics would be extremely well appreciated.  I'm having a bit of a tough time finding anything that I don't need to mortgage my firstborn and the house to buy!

Are there any coilovers used as OEM equipment does anyone know?

[62131]

Coco  Have you tried looking at Welder Series stuff. They laser cut all kinds of different brackets, front  cross members and leave all  the welding up to you. Their web site is  www.welderseries.com they are located in Canada.

[cocobolo]

Yes indeed, I have known of them for a few years now.  Good stuff and reasonably priced.

[woodremover]

I've heard a lot of guy's are using motorcycle coilovers 
easy access from the bike wrecking yards

[62131]

Would the coil overs from a bike have enough spring rate?

[cocobolo]

Good question.  I found a spring rate calculator earlier today, and it seems I need about a 300# spring rate.

[62131]

I assuming that's per spring?

[trbomax]

  Snowmobile rear coil over shocks. You get a rebuildable gas shock thats also revalveable to whatever you want,and the spring rate will have 3 to 4 adjustments for preload. One of the things I did in my former life was design/build/and R&D sled rear suspensions for a well respected race team in new york state. I have some left over units and I had planned to use them on the rear and front of my 28 I do my own valveing and rebuilds so it will be easy to get what I need for rate. The rears on our suspensions were 300#/in,but I have some others that we had wound that are heavier and lighter. Look around in the sled bone yards for rear springs,shocks from an M-10. They will be rebuildable and run a pretty stout spring,around 350#/in. The gas charge in sled shocks is typically 200psi nitrogen and this will add a bit to the rate.The valve stack can also be tuned to bring the compression rate up as well.

[woodremover]

I would think the springs off the bigger touring bikes would be in the 300 lbs
rating, by the time you put 2 people and the touring bags full of stuff would have
to be a pretty stout spring and more than likely adjustable and no real demand for them.

[trbomax]

 True,but not gas charged/rebuildable/revalveable.

[woodremover]

Cant say if they are or aren't , I am pretty sure the Harley's . goldwings and bmw 's
would have a pretty high end shock being built for comfort . If memory serves me right some of the goldwings were air or liquid adjustable from the handlebar

[trbomax]

My harley shocks are just that,shocks, nuttin special. Same with the 2 yamahas. The only servicable bike shocks Ive seen were on mid - high end dirt bikes. I guess you wont know untill you start looking though!

[cocobolo]

I assuming that's per spring?

Yes, each spring would be 300# per inch of compression.

[ghost28]

I know it's not what you want to hear, but I usually go with the QA1 shocks from speedway they are cast in aluminum even the eyelets are part of the body not welded to it. Don't forget to add the thrust bearing kit  for easier adjustment. They are rebuildable. The reason I like the one piece body over the welded eyelets, is we broke an eyelet off under pressure and could have  totaled the car when the rear end dropped, the eyelet was welded to the body with a spot weld. 

[cocobolo]

I know it's not what you want to hear, but I usually go with the QA1 shocks from speedway they are cast in aluminum even the eyelets are part of the body not welded to it. Don't forget to add the thrust bearing kit  for easier adjustment. They are rebuildable. The reason I like the one piece body over the welded eyelets, is we broke an eyelet off under pressure and could have  totaled the car when the rear end dropped, the eyelet was welded to the body with a spot weld.

Something like that would almost make want one to go with separate coils and shocks.  Still like the coilover idea, obviously need to make sure they are strong enough for the job.