Garage Storage Organization and Garage Cabinets

Phreakish · 11-06-2005, 05:32 PM

it raised my car!!! hahahaha.

Only by about a half inch, its within adjustment, I just dont wanna go too low and 'unseat' the bearing in the hat (I used the NEON upper).

It looks great, gotta drive it tho, camber doesn't look terrible yet...

I'm gonna try to get more pics while I do the other side... time to get a beer then get back to work!

Oh, another note!

I measured the 'wheel drop' of the car with it fully airborne. With the stock strut and coilover the top of the tire (205/50/15) was 5.5 inches from the fender lip (directly over the center of the tire). With the NEON strut it decreased to just over 3 inches!! I have a feeling this is gonna ride great

I AM going to have to space the rears up a bit tho now, they're maxxed out on height and I probably SHOULD have the sleeves 2" higher - I'll check out some other rear shocks too when I goto replace those.

altered7151 · 11-06-2005, 06:03 PM

Awesome. From the measurements, it seem using k based strut mount bolts with the eccentrics on them should work no problem since they are the right diameter, so if you're gonna head out to the yard I'd just pull some of those as well.

Yesterday when I went through the yard, it seems like the mkI,II, and III rabbit/gti/golf rear shocks would definitally bolt right in. The only thing I wasn't really able to measure was the overall length. I think there should be some more aftermarket options availalbe for them then the l-bodies.

Phreakish · 11-06-2005, 06:59 PM

very true - when I make the spacers for my rear coilovers I'll take a shock with me to the parts house and see if they're similar or same and see what they can get.

Oh, just drove it.... I have a REALLY big smile on my face!! NO bounciness anymore! it rides like a dream and handles GREAT - understeer underpower and oversteer when you get out of it

Rides perfect and the 'clunk' is gone (was the steering bearing in the old struts!)!!!

I am SO happy. I'm downloading pics right now, well, trying to figure out how to...

very good install, EASY to do, and the benefit is WELL worth it!!

anyone converting from 4 to 5 lug need some hubs? hehe.

Phreakish · 11-06-2005, 07:05 PM

Pics!

Oh, also, when launching I noticed the RIGHT tire wants to light off first now! I'm not sure if its the bearing or if its the pressure from the struts, seems it would be more the bearing, but they dont make any noise. I really like the way the car drives/rides...

altered7151 · 11-06-2005, 08:39 PM

Thats so cool, I'm getting excited to get my car back together now with the new struts. I was really hoping the new struts would take care of that bounciness, so its awesome to hear it took care of it on your car. I found the old strut mount bolts from my g-body knuckles, and it looks like if the neon gets slotted just like the originals, it should be no problem at all.

DodgeZ · 11-06-2005, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phreakish

Pics!

Oh, also, when launching I noticed the RIGHT tire wants to light off first now! I'm not sure if its the bearing or if its the pressure from the struts, seems it would be more the bearing, but they dont make any noise. I really like the way the car drives/rides...

Score! What knuckles are those? Also what are the coil over from?

I found out the difference in the 1gen and 2gen neons

"the length is longer on the 2nd gen and the mounts are wider on 2nd gen where they bolt to the spindles.

Ben"

I should have my 2gen neon coil overs thursday.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=ql...Grbk4AHes4mIDw

89acclaim · 11-06-2005, 09:51 PM

If I remember correctly PentastarTurbo used rear Koni's for a Volvo on his Rampage with some modding. I did find this http://faq.neons.org/faq/FAQ_S.html#SDK Konis interesting. Phreakish are you making that charger look like one of the 85 Cuda prototypes? I like them a lot http://www.princetonautobody.com/cuda.htm.

Daniel Merrill

altered7151 · 11-06-2005, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DodgeZ

Score! What knuckles are those? Also what are the coil over from?

I found out the difference in the 1gen and 2gen neons

"the length is longer on the 2nd gen and the mounts are wider on 2nd gen where they bolt to the spindles.

Ben"

I should have my 2gen neon coil overs thursday.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=ql...Grbk4AHes4mIDw

I have the g-body knuckles and they work fine. I think basically any of the 5-lug k-based cars would work, I think phreakish said his were off of a 600.

So how much longer are the second gen shocks? Maybe if they're the same as the stock l-bodies, and an adapter can be made for the strut mounts they would work just as well. Are the srt strut mounts any different?

Phreakish · 11-06-2005, 11:10 PM

yeah, an '89 600.

coilovers from a 95-98 tercel.

brakes were from the 600 too....

Yes, I AM going for the look of the cuda prototypes, but a little more of my own style

Just gotta redo the blackouts on the nose and such, and repaint my rear bumper...

I'm gonna try to find the eccentric bolts from the 600 that I left in the jyard, should still be out there somewhere, if not then I'll grab them from the minivan maybe...

Phreakish · 11-07-2005, 03:16 PM

some more observations now that I've put ~30 something miles on it.

Drives VERY nice. The nose doesn't dive near as much as before (even with the same springs!), handling is much improved - the springs are still a bit stiff for the struts, but not horribly so, near the limits rather than too strong. If I hit certain seams in the road near my apt (they're BAD) the nose will catapult, but this is at 35mph on a 'ramp' of a seam...

I am VERY pleased overall, and really enjoy it. The whole car FEELS better, its like I'm driving on a matress instead of a rough dirt road in a wagon...

Travis_k · 11-09-2005, 01:29 AM

mk1 vw rear sturts will not work. The mounting is exactly the same, but the strut is about 3 inches longer. mk2 and mk3 struts are interchangeable, but the people i know that have a bunch of vw stuff didnt have any off that i could look at, but they said they are probably longer.

rfb6435 · 11-09-2005, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis_k

mk1 vw rear sturts will not work. The mounting is exactly the same, but the strut is about 3 inches longer. mk2 and mk3 struts are interchangeable, but the people i know that have a bunch of vw stuff didnt have any off that i could look at, but they said they are probably longer.

Were the perches just 3" lower?

I talked to someone @ Koni about doing this a while back and it seemed like the main difference was the perch height.

-Rich

DodgeZ · 11-09-2005, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis_k

mk1 vw rear sturts will not work. The mounting is exactly the same, but the strut is about 3 inches longer. mk2 and mk3 struts are interchangeable, but the people i know that have a bunch of vw stuff didnt have any off that i could look at, but they said they are probably longer.

What is an mk2 or mk3?

Travis_k · 11-09-2005, 09:33 AM

it was more like the perch was about 2 inches lower and the body of the strut was about an inch longer. mk2 and mk3 refers to the different body styles of vws, mk2 is 85 to 92 ( i think) then the mk3 is 93-98 (again not sure of the exact years).

altered7151 · 11-09-2005, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis_k

it was more like the perch was about 2 inches lower and the body of the strut was about an inch longer. mk2 and mk3 refers to the different body styles of vws, mk2 is 85 to 92 ( i think) then the mk3 is 93-98 (again not sure of the exact years).

We could probably get away with that. The perch will probably get cut off anyways for coilovers, and the extra 1" in the shock body can get adjusted out. If the mkIII would fit that would be the best as there is more options available for them.