Shortened Strut Sw20 Insert.....

[BlueKsev]

I'm doing a coilover conversion so i've got my xt130 struts, cut the spring perch off, cut 40mm of the tube out and welded it back together. I had planned to put a 20mm spacer in the bottom of the strut like everyone else does/ says.

 

I have bought sw20 KYB AGX shocks, slid them into the strut to find that they sit right up high, about 3mm out of the strut itself meaning i can't get the gland nuts on >|

 

The cartridge length of the shock is exactly 360mm, like what it says it should be in the coilover articles on here.

 

What have i done wrong????????

[Jono.C]

You sure they're pushed completely down in the strut tube? Nothing in the bottom?

 

Other than that maybe what you measured it with wasn't 100% and therefore was cut too short..

[BlueKsev]

Okay so i think i might have figured it out... sw20 front and rear inserts have a different cartridge length, and i have bought shocks from the wrong end :rant:

[BlueKsev]

Yeah they slide right down nicely, and i measured it as accurately as i could too.

 

I just found the original shocks form the xt130, measured them and these sw20's are only 30mm shorter. And i have confirmed part numbers to make sure i have sw20 ones too

[ke70dave]

ah yeah i belive you need the rears?

 

you buy fronts?

 

actually 360 was the speicified length for the rears......

 

xt130 shock tubes exact same length as ae86? perhaps they are ~10mm shorter?

 

perhaps in heinsight it would have been better to cut up the tubes once you bought the shocks :(

Edited February 17, 2012 by ke70dave

[Jono.C]

Meh just take the shocks back, most places would swap over with cash eitherway.

 

I'm confused why people use spacers? Why not cut it that extra 20mm shorter? :hmm:

[BlueKsev]

Yeah i bought the rears. I heard a lot of people using rears.

 

Yeah they are the same length as ae86 as far as i know, and yeah i wish i had of waited til i got the shocks but i wanted it done soon and i was so sure because i'd heard of everyone else doing the same thing...

can't take them back either, bought them online.

I think the stroke is too short if you don't put the spacers in. That, and if the strut was any shorter i would have troubles with the sleeve kit sticking out the top and i wouldnt be able to get the gland nut on.

 

I can either cut up a pair of t18 struts i have, to the right length, or i can cut and weld some tubing back into the xt130 struts. No exactly liking the idea of two welds though... Thoughts??

[Jono.C]

T18 are the same as ae86 just different stub axle, therefore different brakes. And hubs are different.

[Jono.C]

But, On that. Why not just buy proper length shocks...?

 

TRD, Tokico, Kyb Agx all do them;

 

*TRD AE86 front shock 48511-AE031 - TRD Shock, 5 way adjustable, Double gas cylinder cartridge, Max length 477mm and Minimum length 351mm,

*TRD AE86 front shock 48511-AE941 - TRD non adjustable, Double gas cylinder cartridge, Max length 477mm and Minimum length 342mm

 

http://www.nengun.com/kyb/rebintoreno-ae86-for-front-shock-174615

[BlueKsev]

Yeah the xt130's have different brakes etc too, i have everything i need to bolt them up though.

 

Not sure what i'm going to do yet, if you want to buy them for $250 what i paid please do. 4 way adjustable :) 4 is rock solid too haha i was playing around with them here

[styler]

Diy coilovers are always a stuff around, most people end up making pretty shit ones with whatever they have at the time...

The new ones with base adjustable height are better as they keep the travel the same but are expensive as its off the shelf,

the old style diy ones need the stuffing around to make it all work its a pain especially gland nuts!

 

Double check this but last I remember something about kyb - that the base of the damper was 10mm and could be ground down,

have a look at the base and check it might be possible :)

 

Also note the base shape of the strut at the bottom, sometimes it tapers down to a smaller ID and dampers can also be the same,

so mix and match to suit with spacers etc...

Edited February 17, 2012 by styler

[ke70dave]

link to base adjustable ae86 coilovers?

 

also agreed with groundinging down KYB base, there is a possibility you might be able to grind it down just enough to make it work..

 

also make sure you have the correct cland nuts, i had to get mine machined i think, so the shock sat right up high in them.

[rian]

I'm with Styler and Dave, grind the bottom of the shock off. The KYBs have a weird spacer welded to the bottom of them which could easily be removed and would get rid of that extra few millimeters.

 

Make sure the XT130 gland nuts have the same thread as the SW20 ones, if not I'm pretty sure you can buy the correct ones from AJPS.

Edited February 17, 2012 by rian

[BlueKsev]

Ahhhhhh yeah at the bottom of the strut there's a perch type thing for it to sit on. I thought about grinding it off, and getting my dad to machine the gland nuts so the shock sits up in them better and then i think they might justtt squeeze in.. I decided against it because the shock would have no strengthening at the base but i guess its not going to do much is it. I'll measure it up accurately and see if i can make it fit.

 

And no, the sw20 gland nuts are much coarser thread but yeah i'll have a look.

 

Cheers

[philbey]

Did you. Us from a store? Just take them back, otherwise you should have no issue grinding down the spacer. I wouldn't gut the gland nut.