JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Okay, this is on a 99 Trans Am. I want to swap front shocks without unbolting the upper control arm. Technically I can already do that since I cut open the metal above the shock nut. I'm halfway done with the drivers side.

I was going to weld in a 1.5" diameter steel ring right above the shock nut and then weld in some side braces like stock. So I can basically undo the shock nut with an impact gun and drop the shock out the bottom.

That's cool and all, but should I go further?

Should I just bolt the upper control arm to the car with 4 bolts and then make a whole new style shock mount using a rod end or a bushing of some sort?

I'd kinda like to adjust my Koni shocks from under the hood. Any ideas on how I could do that?

Hell, should I just cut out the wheel wells and build new ones from steel tubing?


Here's me with most of the metal cut out.



I think I'll cut away the rest of that upper most brace (number 3). There are 3 layers of steel in all.



I cut the 1.5" diameter pipe about 1.5" tall (blue) and then add the reinforcement (pink).



I even found these cool rubber caps to pop on top to keep the water out.

Austin Auflick

iTrader: (1)

"Hell yeah Jason, tear that thing apart!"

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

This is the koni top hat.




I can easily swap to a different style that has a rod end.




Then it's just a matter of making a simple mount. Maybe like this.



The only issue is that you have to fiddle in the wheel well to remove the shock as well as adjust it. So I'm not really diggin it.

Has anyone seen this done before?
Or have any suggestions?

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Here's an older idea I just remembered I did. If you undo the top locking nut the whole assembly will drop down. Your adjustor is right there on top. I could probably streamline it a little.

Austin Auflick

iTrader: (1)

Rod-end front shock in Fbody.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensio...zing-ride.html

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Cool link, but that setup requires a lot of wheel well access for install and adjustment. I'd like to move that to under the hood some how.

Austin Auflick

iTrader: (1)

in that case, just invert the mounting tabs on the upper a-arm so they'll go through the engine bay. this will yield two positives. You'll have the adjustability under the hood, and more shock travel.

ShortChevy

iTrader: (21)

Where did you fine that rubber cap? I have Penske 7500SA's that the adjuster is a small allen right in the top of the shock shaft. I want to cut a hole with a holesaw so I can just pop the hood and adjust but I like the idea of have a plug there.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Moving the shock so much higher (3" or so?) will give me way too much compression travel and not enough extension.
My shocks are already 3/4" higher than stock and the upper control arms are very close to touching the shock tower.

If I move the shock any higher, I will need to tub the wheel wells and redesign the upper control arms. I might do that later on, but not right now.

Remember that for every inch the shock goes up, the tire goes up 1.7" and you lose that same 1.7" on the extension side.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Do you mean for the compression/bump adjuster? I would assume it's facing outward away from the car for easy access through the wheelwell. Are you thinking of turning it inward and then cutting a hole near the headers to stick the allen key in?
If so, you don't want a rubber cap, a simple rubber plug would work better. Both parts can be found at a hardware store.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

i like the mount that the vari shock uses.....simple and to the point

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

What's the "vari" shock again?

ShortChevy

iTrader: (21)

Nope, on the 7500SA it is in the very top of the shock shaft. They mount just like stock shocks using the stock shock mount. So that would leave the adjustment in the top shock mount. What I wanna do it drill a hole in the shock tower so I can just pop the hood and reach in there with a T handle allen. I will check the hardware store for some plugs thanks a lot.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Very cool, but I can't find a picture anywhere. Have any more info or pics?

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

just google vari shock......you may or may not like the shock.....but check out the mount they use on the fronts........wonder if konis could run the same type of mount to get rid of the stock rubber

Duffster

iTrader: (103)

varishocks are sold by chris alston . . . heres an article w/them installed...

http://www.lsxtv.com/forum/chassiswo...over-2017.html

Turnin20s

iTrader: (12)

I know we discussed this in the Penske thread, but I will continue here...

I looked at my edelbrock coilovers today and I don't know how a heim would hold up on the top of the shock. The size of the stud is only about 3/8", I could cut the stud down, rethread it lower and add an adjusting nut to keep it tight and in place, but I don't know how strong the 3/8 bolt would be without the rubber isolator, I would worry about it bending or breaking off on a big bump.

Now I know that you can get heims that thread onto a bolt thats already there and that fabbing a new upper mount would be pretty simple, but the durablilty is my only concern at this point. And that cutting off the stud on top of my coilovers might be a permanent move.

And then replacing the rubber bushing would increase the response of the shock like BRD-PREY mentioned in his post, not having the rubber mount there anymore.

Heres a pic of the heim I'm talking about

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

You mean this one?


I'm sure it would work fine with an aftermarket coilover. Although it seems easy enough to just weld mounting tabs to the stock a-arm sheetmetal. Like the pic in post 3 and these below.


Unknown.



From Unbalanced Engineering.



These are LG Motorsports units.


LG again.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Okay, I've found your solution.

I also would not feel good abouting all that compression load on the top 3/8 stud. When you look at the way the load is distributed on the stock mount, the stud only sees part of the load, the rest gets pressed down on the area surrounding the stud. About an 1/8" all around the stud.

The solution is to spread the load over that area around the stud. Doing so will increase the surface area from 3/8" to 5/8". Simply thread the new heim joint (like in your picture) all the way down against the shock body and tighten it to 33 foot pounds. If the heim joint needs to be higher, simply stack some 3/8 flat washers onto the stud and then tighten. Washers look unprofessional? Use a short piece of 3/8" inner diameter heavy wall tubing. Using this method I would feel 100% sure about it.

BTW, by switching to a heim joint your actually reducing the side loads on that top stud, not increasing them. The heim will let the shock pivot easily, while the stock mount forces the stud to compress rubber in order to pivot. So no worries about side load. Focus mainly on the compression load. Then the extension load second. Not a problem.

Turnin20s

iTrader: (12)

^^^Thats what I was thinking, tighten the heim down tight on top of the coilover or add a spacer like you mentioned. I'm still a little weary of the mount of stress applied there, but it would spread it our over a larger area. I'll check the thread pitch tomorrow and maybe order a couple of heims rather than the new shock mounts. This might solve my decision to buy new shock mounts, and if I dislike how it is I can always get a new set of UCA mounts

I'm subscribed and will post pics of what I come up with.