To all K-Sport owners

[KAinjection]

First thing is I have a question for anybody who owns the new gen K-sport's with the black shock bodies. Is the body steel or aluminum, and are the lower spindle mounts aluminum or steel?

Second thing is this: who would be seriously interested in retrofit shock bodies to allow Koni 8610/8611 race inserts to be used with your K sports? Keep in mind this would not be limited to only the K sports for the BG, it could be used in any K sport set that uses the same diameter shock/thread pitch and could dimensionally fit a Koni insert into their application.

Third thing: for the people who don't have coilovers and want to get a set of them, who would be seriously interested in a coilover kit that includes everything a set K-sports would have, except it would include the retrofit shock bodies I mentioned above to allow you to run Koni inserts. It would allow you to piece together a kit on a budget and have better quality dampers in the long run.

I am working on getting quotes for all this stuff so I can get an approximate idea on pricing.

[me109]

Third thing seems to be aimed at me. Would these shockbodies/inserts be able to accomodate a 2" lift above stock height?

When I get to the point of figuring out suspension, I'd like to run something like 250/200 at ~2" lift. And I'll likely try to emulate Blazin's wheel arch cutouts to run 28" tires.

[KAinjection]

The shock bodies for the inserts would be roughly the same length as the K sport ones. With that in mind I would have to compare the length to the stock struts and determine if they could be adjusted that far the opposite direction, so I will try to give you an answer on this by tonight.

[concealer404]

Screw it. Potentially interested pending price. For the MX6, though.

[XelderX]

Third thing seems to be aimed at me. Would these shockbodies/inserts be able to accomodate a 2" lift above stock height?

When I get to the point of figuring out suspension, I'd like to run something like 250/200 at ~2" lift. And I'll likely try to emulate Blazin's wheel arch cutouts to run 28" tires.

At 2 inches above stock you are going to run into not having enough droop with Koni inserts in a housing designed for stock or lower than stock applications. What you would want is a taller strut housing with a spacer in it to move the insert up. That gives you the same strut travel but the static point of the suspension is higher. I have a set of Advance Design coilovers that may do exactly what you want, but the AD inserts are trash. I'm pretty sure the Koni 8600 series inserts will fit them, but will need spacers to take up the room for the shorter Koni inserts.

Third thing: for the people who don't have coilovers and want to get a set of them, who would be seriously interested in a coilover kit that includes everything a set K-sports would have, except it would include the retrofit shock bodies I mentioned above to allow you to run Koni inserts. It would allow you to piece together a kit on a budget and have better quality dampers in the long run.

I am working on getting quotes for all this stuff so I can get an approximate idea on pricing.

I could be interested in a set of aluminum housings for a set of 8611s.

[atomicEGT]

clevises are definitely aluminum, not 100% on the shock bodies but I think they are too.

[KAinjection]

Screw it. Potentially interested pending price. For the MX6, though.

I assume your talking about the DIY kit right?

I would have to get a sample of your lower mounts and upper mounts to give to them for measuring, and then it would cost slightly extra for you unless you can get some more people in on it.

I could be interested in a set of aluminum housings for a set of 8611s.

Do you want them to K-sport diameter/threads or something different? Right now I am on the fence about having Ksport retrofit sleeves made in aluminum because of the wall thickness. They are 52mm OD and the inserts are 43.5mm so that doesn't leave a lot of wall thickness after the threads are cut.

clevises are definitely aluminum, not 100% on the shock bodies but I think they are too.

Thanks, check the side of the body with a magnet for me please if you can and if it's not too much extra trouble to verify that the thread pitch is 2.0 that would be great.

[concealer404]

I assume your talking about the DIY kit right?

I would have to get a sample of your lower mounts and upper mounts to give to them for measuring, and then it would cost slightly extra for you unless you can get some more people in on it.

I might be able to do one better.... i might have a set of seized/failed 2nd gen KSports which i believe for your purposes, would do fine. I'd just have to measure the 1st gen ear width in the back because they're wider than 2nd gen.

The other option is that i just buy two of the cheapest struts i can find on rockauto and have them shipped directly to you.

Nobody else will want to go in on this. The Konis are NLA for my car. The best thing available is the 2nd gen Illuminas, and they require modification.

[atomicEGT]

shock bodies are steel. don't have anything at my apartment to check thread pitch with but I should be able to do it tomorrow.

[KAinjection]

Third thing seems to be aimed at me. Would these shockbodies/inserts be able to accomodate a 2" lift above stock height?

When I get to the point of figuring out suspension, I'd like to run something like 250/200 at ~2" lift. And I'll likely try to emulate Blazin's wheel arch cutouts to run 28" tires.

The OEM strut dimensions: >>Escort struts<<
Front OEM strut dimensions: strut body -12.5”
Compression -11.875”
Extension -18.375
Travel -6.5”
Rear OEM strut dimensions: Strut body -14.375”
Compression -14.5”
Extension -22.75”
Travel -8.25”

Koni insert 8610-1437
Body -13.07"
compression -15.24"
extension -21.26"
Travel -6.02"

Koni insert 8610-1426
Body -11.42"
Compression -14.06"
Extension -19.69"
Travel -5.63"

Figure the custom housing will be slightly longer than the insert which puts them pretty close to the OEM length and based off of how the Ksport bodies where threaded in the lower mounts with my car lowered and you wanting this thing to be 2" above stock ride height might be pushing it unless I had longer housing made for you and you ran spacers in them like XelderX said.

I might be able to do one better.... i might have a set of seized/failed 2nd gen KSports which i believe for your purposes, would do fine. I'd just have to measure the 1st gen ear width in the back because they're wider than 2nd gen.

The other option is that i just buy two of the cheapest struts i can find on rockauto and have them shipped directly to you.

Nobody else will want to go in on this. The Konis are NLA for my car. The best thing available is the 2nd gen Illuminas, and they require modification.

For that matter you could just send me the upper mounts and lower mounts off the K-sports and the rear 1st gen measurements and I could have them all made up and then you can try and get some probetalk people in on this as well maybe.......idk if any of them would be interested at all. Essentially the coilover would be all the same as the BG except for the mounts and spring rates. Also what color are the shock bodies of said K-sports? Chrome or Black? They are different diameter is why I ask.

EDIT: wait, I just realized that you would only need K-sport retrofit shock bodies, so I wouldnt need your mounts at all except the lower rear one with your width measurements.

shock bodies are steel. don't have anything at my apartment to check thread pitch with but I should be able to do it tomorrow.

No problem, thanks

[me109]

I may need more travel in the rear for what I have in mind. I'll watch this thread and keep thinking.

[FE3-323]

subbin~

[KAinjection]

Ok I have good news for the pricing.

Ksport to Koni threaded bodies in M52x2.0 will be $50 or less per piece.
Material will most likely be 316 SS

[KAinjection]

The details of the DIY kit are still being determined and they need some more information/measurements of the front camber plate to provide me a quote for that final part, and then I can give a ballpark figure of the kit price. Would you guys want the kits to include springs, or would you guys like to pick/source your own springs?



The specifications I planned to utilize for the kit:
Front: camber/castor top plates with self lubricating pillow bearing
Rear: camber top plates
Top hats with bearings to reduce friction when turning
Rubber spring isolators, and aluminum collars to utilize common 2.5" race springs
Torrington needle thrust bearing on the lower spring mount
M55x2.0 aluminum threaded shock bodies for Koni inserts
Aluminum lower mounts with slotted top hole for additional camber adjustment.
All aluminum parts will be anodized and made from 6061-T6 alloy
All stainless items will be left bare and be made from 316 stainless steel
Anodized colored parts will have a simple black/white color scheme

Any thought or suggestions to the above are welcome.

[XelderX]

Do you want them to K-sport diameter/threads or something different? Right now I am on the fence about having Ksport retrofit sleeves made in aluminum because of the wall thickness. They are 52mm OD and the inserts are 43.5mm so that doesn't leave a lot of wall thickness after the threads are cut.

Are you referring to the way the K-sports are made having the spindle mount movable on the strut body itself to adjust height without losing travel? I hadn't even really considered that because there is really little use for it on the front struts on my setup. I've got maybe a 1/4" of space between the bottom of the strut housing and the CV boot. Lowering ride height using the lower mount will cause interference there. It is possible the AWR housings were put together with the lower mount positioned to lower the strut body as much as possible anyway. I've never compared that to any other coilovers.

Also, for what we are really talking about here...using the Koni insert and all, we are really speaking to a more motorsports oriented crowd. They aren't going to need a coilover that has a huge amount of lowering capability. You start getting into negative returns on handling once the LCAs go past 90*. I run mine slightly lower than 90*, but for my setup...very stiff springs and giant front tires...the roll center buried somewhere near China actually works. For most people running a non-staggered tire setup they aren't going to benefit from slamming the car.

What you are looking to build and what I'm wanting might be two different things. I just need an aluminum housing for the insert with outer threads for the spring perch and inner threads for the gland nut machined in. Basically this out of aluminum and the spring perch threads machined into the body instead of separate...



I would think fabricating a threaded lower mount like the K-sports would make the price significantly higher.