Dougs951S

Would something like these work to convert early 944 struts to coil-overs?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/aa...7/media/images

The sleeve would need to be shimmed up with an O ring to keep it from rattling since the ID of the sleeve is 2.8 mm bigger than the OD of the lower strut body where it will be resting. Also, am I better off with 5 or 7 inch coilover sleeves? As far as springs, I am settled on 275# but am undecided between 8 and 10 inch free length. I am strongly leaning toward 10 inch at the moment. Should be a nice, affordable setup for a mostly street driven car.

Dougs951S

Someone must have done pieced together coilovers on these cars. Not eveybody with them is running a paragon, or leda, or escort cup/firehawk setup. What I am talking about is basically very similar to a QA1 setup available for many cars. VW guys use this stuff all the time.

Oddjob

The reality is that most guys running higher spring rates have also upgraded their shocks/struts to something aftermarket, since the damping rate of stock boge or sachs struts really are not up to the task of handling signficantly higher than stock spring rates.

That would be too much gap between the threaded collar and the strut body, according to your dimensions. You would want to have an alum or delrin spacer/sleeve machined, not a rubber o-ring. The top hat does not appear it would work w/ 944 upper strut mounts.

But - what strut bodies do you have? Those collars are for koni struts, which would be the same diameter as the collars/ride height kits supplied by paragon. I have had both koni collars (supplied by koni) and paragon kits on my struts and they fit tight, same as the factory M030 threaded collars. I thought the boge/sachs strut bodies are the same diameter as koni struts (?). Bilstein Cup struts are narrower (but already have threaded bodies).

At a 275 lb/in rate, you will want a 10" spring. 8" may run a little short.

Also, by the time you buy the spring set, top hats, and bump stops (unless finding the pieces used), not sure you are saving much money over the paragon kit.

f1rocks

I'm with Jim, I put the basic Paragon kit on the Spec car, it's not a consumable so you spend $265 one time, you have all the right pieces on there and you're done. http://www.paragon-products.com/Coil...arhk-r-xdo.htm

Are you sticking with torsion bars in the rear?

Dougs951S

It would be with KYB inserts which have been used with up to 300# springs without issue. They are the same diameter as the stock boges and also the koni inserts. The body tapers slightly, they are 48 mm OD where the collar would seat against the cut down stock perch, but must clear the 50 mm OD of the upper part of the body. The ID of the threaded collar is ~50.8 mm, which I think is the same as the paragon sleeves. I can easily have a spacer made, and the kit I referenced includes the lower perches, top hats, and diaper pins. Since they are designed for koni's I think they would work with stock upper strut mounts. I will be going to rear 1 7/8 inch coil-overs with 225# springs and stock T bars at the same time. You guys may be right and that it wont be that much cheaper. With new koni bump stops and new springs I'm going to be saving about 90 bucks when you add the fact that I'll have free shipping and paragon doesnt. Not a huge savings, but also not going on an expensive car and that 90 bucks can go toward the rear suspension.