Coilover sleeve and strut welding info needed

**Mr Revhead** · 01-06-2008, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by merc-blue

I do a few sets of "coilovers" a week, just to keep stocks up as the guys bash there cars around quite abit.
Best way to do it, is cut the strut to your length, grove the edges and weld it on we have jigs to make sure its straight, then grind the bead back and with the paint removed from the strut the sleve will slide over it all. all you need is a a few short welds we do about 30mm on 30mm off only at the bottom as getting the spring seat and lock ring on is a bitch if you have welded the top. and if you ever bend it and want to salvage the sleeve its much harder. welding the top isnt required, if its a good weld it will be fine

im with this guy.
the coilovers we sell at work are made like this. and those guys know what they are doing.

as for the oil in the insert, iv heard many conflicting stories about that.
over here a car can be failed on a WOF (road worthy) for signs of oil leaking from a shock, so you have to be careful.
also how many ppl really get some heat into their shocks?

**roadsailing** · 01-06-2008, 01:56 PM

I put shock oil in because it was easy to do at the time.

as for roadworthy, cut and welded suspension components are illegal anyway

**Mr Revhead** · 01-06-2008, 02:10 PM

over here its legal if done right and inspected by the proper ppl

**af300e** · 01-06-2008, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by roadsailing

as for roadworthy, cut and welded suspension components are illegal anyway

Allowed, but need engineer approval.

There are some parts you would have trouble engineering, cut and shut steering arms would be one, and probably any other cast part that is cut and shut.

Even steel wheels can be legally re-welded in certain compliant ways to change the offset/width.

Mild steel cut and shuts are fine, even lca's etc, but they require approval.

**blanky** · 31-08-2012, 12:16 AM

I am going to be doing this very soon,

In Queensland is it LEGAL to cut the strut and shorten under the discretion of the engineer or is it flat out illegal. I want to keep it all above board.

cheers

Brian

**Toy77** · 31-08-2012, 11:09 AM

Brian,

Talk to your engineer - they will tell you the real answer, opposed to a public forum that may be incorrect.

NSW - suspension components can be welded (i did my coilovers) but need to be checked - i had my Dye penetrant tested, with a certificate.
- steering components require X-ray testing.

Cheers
Stew

**blanky** · 31-08-2012, 05:49 PM

hmmm thanks . might be cheaper just to re-thread the top . anyone know the thread?

**terryo** · 02-09-2012, 09:57 AM

i've made dozens of sets of coil-overs at my workshop and never had a rejection

I've never cut and re-welded a strut tube . i re-cut the thread in the top of the tube after shortening it. i have jigs made to hold the common Toyota struts with 2 bolt bottom flanges, in my big lathe

on the AE86/RA40 type strut, you can machine out the weld in the bottom flange and press in/reweld a custom threaded tube. we used to buy bilstein race struts like this. My GroupA Sprinter is done like this

you have correctly identifed that most common toyota struts are 2" and most cheapo kits are 50mm resulting in a sloppy fit. I have never had a problem welding a good steel sleeve

the gland nut thread varies a lot . so does the rebate inside as it is unique to the brand of insert being used. some inserts have a reduced neck and gland nut fits over to centralises the insert as well as pushing it downwards

who supplies the sleeve kits that have an internal gland nut thread???