900 suspension

[jdwertz]

anyone have any leads on c900 coilover suspension? I know Brad at KC made adjustable springs a long time ago but I know he is not making them anymore....

[Crazyswede]

Which 900 would you be referring to? The Classic (79-93) or Next Generation (94-98). There are no easy bolt in kits for the Classic 900 that I have ever come across. I think there are setups available for the NG900's.

[Luke]

Squaab99T (dennis) has made some nice sets of adjustable springs, an improvment on Brads's design. What is the intended use for the car though?
Coilovers can be made to work but it really isnt worth it unless you like fabrication for the fun of it and want a setup that can convert from a full on gravel rally to a smooth tarmac setup in a 30 minute service.
I think my next build would just run twin front shocks, hydraulic bumps stops and limit straps on the front that can be quick disconnected to allow a stock sized spring to be swapped with no compressor.

[airsweden]

Ooo! Sign me up for some of that.

[Jordan]

Squaab99T (dennis) has made some nice sets of adjustable springs, an improvment on Brads's design. What is the intended use for the car though?
Coilovers can be made to work but it really isnt worth it unless you like fabrication for the fun of it and want a setup that can convert from a full on gravel rally to a smooth tarmac setup in a 30 minute service.
I think my next build would just run twin front shocks, hydraulic bumps stops and limit straps on the front that can be quick disconnected to allow a stock sized spring to be swapped with no compressor.

How would you re compress the setup enough to get the limit straps back on? Maybe I don't get it? Is that what the bump stops could do?

[Crazyswede]

Squaab99T (dennis) has made some nice sets of adjustable springs, an improvment on Brads's design. What is the intended use for the car though?
Coilovers can be made to work but it really isnt worth it unless you like fabrication for the fun of it and want a setup that can convert from a full on gravel rally to a smooth tarmac setup in a 30 minute service.
I think my next build would just run twin front shocks, hydraulic bumps stops and limit straps on the front that can be quick disconnected to allow a stock sized spring to be swapped with no compressor.

How would you re compress the setup enough to get the limit straps back on? Maybe I don't get it? Is that what the bump stops could do?

The hydraulic bump stops come into play in the last inch or two of travel to help minimize the damage of suspension components from high speed bottom outs. The limit straps are easy to put on because they should be loose most of the time and only come into play when the suspension is unweighted.

[Jordan]

So basically instead of the shocks limiting travel, you have very long shocks and limit straps. This allow enough a-arm travel to get springs in and out without a compressor? Seems like you'd have to mod the body where the upper a-arms go through to get the tall rally springs, right? I get what bump stops do normally, thought there was some new thing.

I'm still

And the twin shocks do what? Share the load/heat build-up? Don't most just use a external reservoir or that?

[Crazyswede]

So basically instead of the shocks limiting travel, you have very long shocks and limit straps. This allow enough a-arm travel to get springs in and out without a compressor? Seems like you'd have to mod the body where the upper a-arms go through to get the tall rally springs, right? I get what bump stops do normally, thought there was some new thing.

I'm still

And the twin shocks do what? Share the load/heat build-up? Don't most just use a external reservoir or that?

The new thing is the hydraulic bump stop...Something I had not heard of until Luke asked me about it the other night and I did a little research. They are basically short travel hydraulic shocks that are a lot stiff then the normal shock. They help reduce the force of impact on hard landings and thus reduce the potential for suspension component damage.

Twin shocks are usually used to help reduce heat build up in the shocks and spread the damping across two units instead of one...also handy as backup in case one fails. The other thing it does is that it spreads the point loading across 4 mount points instead of 2.

The limiting straps were used a lot on older cars and trucks. My rovers all had rubber bump stops and limiting straps. In the case of the rover it wasn't for jumping but to protect the vehicle from excessive axle articulation when driving offroad. So most limiting straps just help protect the shock absorber from taking excessive beatings.

[jdwertz]

c900=classic 900. Should have been more clear I guess...Car is going to be used as a daily driver. I want to get my Commemorative Edition in the garage and stop driving it everyday. That is why I would like a coilover setup, dropped on its nuts in the summer and stock height in the winter

I do enjoy fabrication, being an engineer, but I don't really think I have the necessary tools as I am still building my tool collection and am still in college.

FWIW I put Intrax on the Commemorative and the ride is great, just not in the winter.

Luke any chance you would make me some?

[Luke]

I had one person that really really wanted a setup, so I worked out all the numbers for fabricating 2 custom upper a-arms with revised ball joints, 2 custom spring towers with mounts ready to weld in, 2 rally valved shocks and progressive spring sets with coil-over hardware and it worked out to be about $2500. They seemed to not want them that badly after all.

[SwedeSport]

If all you are looking for is adjustable ride height, and don't plan to race this car, why not just cut the springs, an put spacers under them. After having the springs in and out a few times, it gets easier. You could probably swap out rears before your coffee is cold. Its only a few hours to do fronts. Trick is having a good spring compressor for the fronts. You can change the setup on a c900 in a few hours. The spacers can be had cheap or free.

You can do a lot with the stock stuff before you have to resort to sinking a few grand in suspension. I love the cool techie shit, but I'm cheap.

[airsweden]

Trick is having a good spring compressor for the fronts. You can change the setup on a c900 in a few hours. The spacers can be had cheap or free.

With a lift and the right tools, its less than an hour job to do all 4.... even if you take your time. That reminds me I should get thoses chopped spg springs out of my daily driver.

[99Super]

With just the factory compressor, you can change the front springs in just about double the time it takes to change the front tires w/ hand tools...
The rears are only slightly more difficult.

john

[jdwertz]

ouch...2500 is killer. maybe I will just cut a set down and swap them out. I used the clamp style to get the ones out on my vert and they were a PITA.

[SwedeSport]

The best ones I have seen hinge on one end, and have a threaded rod in the middle. There are 2 saddles, one for the top of the spring and one for the bottom. I believe there is a photo of it in the Haynes manual. I have the type with 2 rods with a hook on each end. Those are downright dangerous! I got hit in the wrist by one and thought I did some damage, but I could feel my fingers again by morning. I don't recommend them at all. But that's all I have.

Maybe that's why I think it should take a couple hours.