Legalities of modifying strut tower, or strut?

[Fattony]

Ok, done the research and found I can use an XT130 Corona strut in my KE30 for the common Pug/Hilux brake upgrade. But one problem exists, Corolla strut tops are different to the Corona items and cant interchange. Leaves me with 2 options, relocate corolla spring seat to the Corona strut (doubt that is legal?????) or modify the strut tower on the car to suit the Corona strut top (my preferred option). Question is, are any of these 2 methods legal? as with this car such as my RA23 I will be getting the engine conversion, brake conversion ect engineered, or does anyone know of another way around this short of making a custom strut top.

Adam

[skiddz]

i have modded the rona struts to take ta22 spring seats and shortened them 30mm while i was at it, one way around this is keep the ke30 strut tops and use the x/rt13x top spring retainer/seat

[SeptemberSquall]

T132 springs would be too big for your KE30 strut housing anyway I'd imagine.
Use a Koni kit to go coilover and use the KE30 strut tops on the insert of your choice.

[Fattony]

Its illegal to cut the strut to put on a coil over sleeve, hence the reason why i dont want to take this path, looks like the option of adding the ke30 spring seat to the corona strut might be the option that is least suspect to looking modified

[Fattony]

ok done a bit more digging in the old forums and found out that you can apparently use a ae85/8 spring and top spring carrier, the spring is ment to locate into the corona strut and the top spring carrier is ment to fit into the strut top. I hope this is right

[skiddz]

no its not illegal to cut and weld struts, if you are doing a coilover conversion cut and weld where the base of the coilover sleeve will come to, or if welding spring perches cut from just below the perch off your old strut and just below the perch (+ however much you wanna shorten it) on your newone, weld together making sure things are lined up properly.

[TA-022]

the rules might say no ... but in the end its your engineers desicion.

[Fattony]

All very interesting, i suppose at the end of the day its going to be a case of what is going to look not modified and yeah it will be up to the engineer in the end, maybe i should annoy him, once again lol

[SeptemberSquall]

Its illegal to cut the strut to put on a coil over sleeve, hence the reason why i dont want to take this path, looks like the option of adding the ke30 spring seat to the corona strut might be the option that is least suspect to looking modified

meh, you don't need to cut the strut to fit the coilover sleeve, just grind off the spring perch. if you are cutting it to change the strut tube length that is different. if you do this just make sure that the cut and welded section is under the coilover sleeve for added reinforcement and also to hide the cut/weld from unwanted attention.

["Z" UTE]

no its not illegal to cut and weld struts, if you are doing a coilover conversion cut and weld where the base of the coilover sleeve will come to, or if welding spring perches cut from just below the perch off your old strut and just below the perch (+ however much you wanna shorten it) on your newone, weld together making sure things are lined up properly.

Personally, I would make the strut joint, halfway up the coilover sleeve. Effectively making it a much stronger sleeved joint, if you weld both top, and bottom of the sleeve.

cheers Chuck.

[skiddz]

mmm have a point there dude

[TurboRA28]

Personally, I would make the strut joint, halfway up the coilover sleeve.

Thats the way i'd do it.

[takai]

Just make sure you dont make the bead of weld at the top bigger than the ID of the threaded perch, like someone i know did .