Again I thank you Rich. Those are I.D. values, correct? I assume the larger spring will interfere with the tire? Or the trailing arm? Thanks!!

Yes, coil-overs come in two standard diameters which are basically the Id of the springs they use, 1.9" and 2.25".

Any bigger than the 1.9" and there won't be enough clearance to the trailing arm...

rich

I see. Thanks for the info!!! Hopefully I'll come up with something soon. I have a shell and a room full of parts, including my engine. Once I get these shocks squared away, I'll be cruising. Thanks again!!

Hey Rich................
 

........... another question. Did you use anything like the Eagle product to transfer the weight to the torsion housing? Thanks!!

Hello Rich,

Why is there a need to conver to coilovers for the rear?

I kinda want to do so myself so I'm looking for reasons. So far, I've thought that :

Cooler look. :)
Easier adjustment of height.

Please add on to the list. Thanks!

Alvin.

OK:
I used cut down 944 spring plate end cover things that were cut down to the minimum. Using the 944 spring plate which has a much bigger bushing than stock but replaced this with a performance item. (I can't remember the details, it's on my web site)

The first reason I did it was that I couldn't fit the longer IRS bars in without removing the body as I didn't have time to do this! I also plan to cut through the torsion housing at some point in the future. Ease of adjustment, better dampers and not knowing exactly what rates I wanted before a first go were the other reasons

Rich

Anyone anything to add? What advantages are there to a coilover rear?

Sprint.

Easier and safer adjustability than torsion bars for one. I'm going coilover b/c I'm going to notch my torsion tube to fit my 915 trans. so I'll lose my torsion bars. And the adjustability. Also if you want to uprate springs, change $100 pair of springs rather than $200 pair of torsion bars. If you ever decide to change spring rates, you have a larger variety of coil spring rates to choose from than torsion bar rates. Coil springs are pretty much standard sizes from company to company. Torsion bars are more limited in availability.

Makes sense... Anything we can do to reinforce the mounting points? Looks a tad fragile to me....

Sprint.

Check with John Connelly at Aircooled.net he has coil overs that will work with the stock VW mounts. Again, there are a number of different rated springs that you can play with. I'm my be using them once I install my 915 tranny into my VW based speedster. The other option is to let the selector rod run below the tube & leave the stock suspension alone (see the install in the "Performance VW" book)

Jeff,
Your 'other option' doesn't really work as the 915 is longer than the 901 or stock VW trans. Pushed as far forward as it will go, even clearancing the nose cone and torsion bar housing, the engine would sit further back than standard...

Rich

Hmm... Wil that affect handling? Considering that German Lookers have some much more weight behind due to the heavier Type 4 AL case and now the tranny too.... :(

The 901 & 915 tranny are almost identical in length. However, the 915 is heavier and a bit more bulky than the 901 - I'm trying both to compare. The VW trannies are a couple of inches shorter, plus the selector rod is on top of the nose instead of the bottom. I'll most likely go with the 901 to save some weight

Rise from the dead!!!



Ok SO ive found this post to be most informative so far in regards to a rear coil over setup.

I Want to know if there has been any progress or problem solving with a coil over set up. What are some component models and specs?

I'll bring it back too.....

Was working on mine this weekend and ran into a few problems.

Couldn't lower the rear lower more because the spring hits the trailing arm. So i pulled the bolts to see if i can space it out some more and found the threads to be damaged. Could be wrong bolt or stripped thread. :(

What is the thread inside the 944 AL trailing arms?

I was thinking of spacing out the coilover further out another 1inch. Could a longer bolt be a problem. Would it flex or break?

pics:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/...1.jpg~original

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/...5.jpg~original