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Suspension - Starion strut modification / coilover options


tomble

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My Starion has sealed rear shocks that can't be bought anymore, and they're absolutely toast.

I know of at least one US shop that'll take them and mod them to accept aftermarket strut inserts, I assume there'll be places in NZ up to the task - any recommendations?  I'm in Welly but no problems shipping them to where they need to be.

My other option is to get coilovers - but not too keen on getting ebay specials.  Fortune Auto was recommended to me but they're only keen on modifying my front spindles, they're not interested in trying to mod the rear.  I'm pretty new to all of this so guidance is most welcome <3  

Pix of struts (rear is on right).  The front struts annoyingly have multiple options (they have replaceable inserts and people are happy to weld them :\).  It's just these rears that are doing me in...

vOhOazS.png

And where they attach to the knuckles...

BSWSbeg.png

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Depends what you want, if you get coilovers, will need cert, and they have to be done a specific way 

If you don't want to muck around with coilovers , someone like Autolign could whip the tops off and convert them to a replaceable insert I would bet  

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How much you wanting to spend as well?

I'm sure you could coilover the rear as well, but you may need to get the bottom section of the coilover machined up to suit the strut. Rear looks a bit larger diameter? It won't be a cheap option, so you'd have to be happy to bleed money to get it done. The above idea with Autolign would be my first port of call. It's a slippery slope once you go coilovers.

Cletus does the certs for a living so will know the best options.

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27 minutes ago, NickJ said:

Is that what looks like a hex on the top?

On the fronts yes, the backs are less obvious, @ProZacreckons it's crimped

 

27 minutes ago, cletus said:

Depends what you want, if you get coilovers, will need cert, and they have to be done a specific way 

If you don't want to muck around with coilovers , someone like Autolign could whip the tops off and convert them to a replaceable insert I would bet  

Thank you... I don't think there's avoiding certification, correct me if I'm wrong but any mods to suspension (even to just take replaceable inserts) needs cert right?

 

6 minutes ago, Bling said:

How much you wanting to spend as well?

I'm sure you could coilover the rear as well, but you may need to get the bottom section of the coilover machined up to suit the strut. Rear looks a bit larger diameter? It won't be a cheap option, so you'd have to be happy to bleed money to get it done. The above idea with Autolign would be my first port of call. It's a slippery slope once you go coilovers.

Cletus does the certs for a living so will know the best options.

D2/Ksport/XYZ are around $2.5k? and have Starion-specific rears, but I'd want to go a notch above that, rather not just get the cheapies.

 

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30 minutes ago, cletus said:

If you don't want to muck around with coilovers , someone like Autolign could whip the tops off and convert them to a replaceable insert I would bet  

Is that a legit move to avoid cert? Turning the tops off and threading for an insert and cap is straight forward machining, not having a stub makes it a bit more palatable too.

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31 minutes ago, tomble said:

D2/Ksport/XYZ are around $2.5k? and have Starion-specific rears, but I'd want to go a notch above that, rather not just get the cheapies.

Well I feel like you could get a sleeve welded on the rears the same as front. If Fortune Auto (MRP I assume?) can't get sleeves to fit the rear struts you could potentially (i'm not a certifier, just a spitballer) get sleeves made from the right material and get them welded on appropriately. Then put in the same threaded shocks design wise as front. Should be certifiable in my mind as it's the same thing as front, just a bit more work. Since it's already a coilover type suspension in the rear, might just all bolt in and job done. Just have the top mounting point left to sort out. Not sure if that's a top hat in those cars, but assume it is. Pick spring rates and have the shocks built to suit that. I've had custom parts made to work with my Fortune Auto coilovers. Just have to have local certifier onboard with your plans from the start to save problems later.

If going low, with IRS, keeping it within the tolerances of factory camber may be fun?

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depends what you hope to acheive as end goal
have a yarn to the Mitsi rally lads. Malcom Lovatt in Ashburton,  Bruce Herbert in Palmerston North, plenty others mucking with them.
looks like they can have an insert fitted easy enough by removing the top nuts, fire some Bilsteins or adjustable konis in there. if going coil-over, modify for something decent, and rebuildable,  avoid cheap coil-overs, not worth the hassle of the cert, for how long they last

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looks like Mookeeh still make/sell rear struts, though they are for widebody only (not sure what the difference is for the rears, for the fronts there is a different stub axle angle)

http://www.mookeeh.com/gs123.html & https://dragtimes.com/parts/Mookeeh-MK1-Performance-Stiff-Shocks-Struts-Starion-Conquest-Widebody-GS2-3_141400623954.html

can even get pre-threaded rear struts ready to accept SW20 MR2 front inserts - https://www.ebay.com/itm/255099126539

 

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8 hours ago, smokin&#x27;joe said:

depends what you hope to acheive as end goal
have a yarn to the Mitsi rally lads. Malcom Lovatt in Ashburton,  Bruce Herbert in Palmerston North, plenty others mucking with them.
looks like they can have an insert fitted easy enough by removing the top nuts, fire some Bilsteins or adjustable konis in there. if going coil-over, modify for something decent, and rebuildable,  avoid cheap coil-overs, not worth the hassle of the cert, for how long they last

Can recommend Malcom Lovett, good bugger and helpful. 

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9 hours ago, fuel said:

looks like Mookeeh still make/sell rear struts, though they are for widebody only (not sure what the difference is for the rears, for the fronts there is a different stub axle angle)

http://www.mookeeh.com/gs123.html & https://dragtimes.com/parts/Mookeeh-MK1-Performance-Stiff-Shocks-Struts-Starion-Conquest-Widebody-GS2-3_141400623954.html

can even get pre-threaded rear struts ready to accept SW20 MR2 front inserts - https://www.ebay.com/itm/255099126539

I've seen these guys around, have now chucked them an email...

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6 hours ago, crash said:

Can recommend Malcom Lovett, good bugger and helpful. 

I'll flick him an email - hopefully whitepages isn't out of date / he checks them.  Otherwise I'll give him a call later :)

 

17 hours ago, Bling said:

How I see it:

strut.thumb.jpg.9ea0814ecdb2c38dc037bc57ef6be044.jpg



Maybe i'm missing a trick if no one wants to take your money to sort the rears though...


Yeah that's what I figured, but Barry told me:

Quote
I can’t weld a bottom onto the oem as the shock would be too short it won’t pass cert.
I can see they are already really short and cert rules you have to weld 50mm of the stock tube into the base of the new coilover thus removing 50mm which is a real pain 

 

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6 hours ago, tomble said:

I'll flick him an email - hopefully whitepages isn't out of date / he checks them.  Otherwise I'll give him a call later :)

he is not under Lovatt Mitsubishi anymore (shit yarn, don't need to bore you) but is now a Honda agent. still has some access to Mitsi parts,, but mainly competition side.
only have his cell number, but best to call the workshop.

 

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10 hours ago, smokin&#x27;joe said:

he is not under Lovatt Mitsubishi anymore (shit yarn, don't need to bore you) but is now a Honda agent. still has some access to Mitsi parts,, but mainly competition side.
only have his cell number, but best to call the workshop.

Yeah his email bounced so I called directly and got him.  You guys are right, he's a sweetie.  He said that yep Autolign does them (or at least a decade ago), just got a response from Autolign this morning confirming that their Auckland unit does this sort of thing and that I can drop them off at Petone :)

Won't get a quote until they're at Auckland, but I think the path for me now is to get the rear struts modified for version 1.0 of the resto.  

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  • 1 month later...

I would go for those struts that @fuel suggested if it were me. The reason coilovers have the thread on bottoms is so they only have to manufacture a small range of inserts and then thread different bases onto them to make them work in different cars. You also shouldn't be adjusting the ride height with the base, just the spring perch. I'd put bilstein inserts in those fancy aftermarket rears and a get a threaded collar that will drop over the shock and attached to your cert man's satisfaction. This guy knows his shit... https://stech.co.nz/ and does a lot of rally car stuff.

P.S. just realised I'm over a month late to the party... oops

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On 17/09/2022 at 11:34, Bling said:

Why shouldn't you be adjusting the height by moving the whole body? Seems like the logical way to me. Spring perch is only useful to setting preload and the likes.

 

Height is set by spring length. When you think about it, platform height is influencing the length of your spring, the most common issues that occur when setting up a strut by adjusting height only using the bottom clevis is having a wheel that bottoms out in the arch before the shock hits its bump stop, as well as often minimal droop. You ideally want a main spring and a tender/keeper to fine tune your ride height and droop.

https://mcasuspension.com/spring-seat-adjustment-method/

https://mcasuspension.com/how-to-adjust-ride-height/

MCA explain it more eloquently than I ever could. 

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