Ultimate Street suspension guide

[b1gballin]

old vs new parts

Is the top hat for the new front strut used at all for anything?

[TominMO]

Great writeup. I love the use of using the rear spring perch as the spring top isolator.

That is cool. I will try that when I do my Bilsteins next spring.

+1 on the great writeup! :-)

[gergorian]

That is a great deal. I need to look on amazon more often. I always forget about it. I normaly have such good luck on ebay tho. The top hats have been the only thing in the last 6 years that have been an issue for me.

Yeah I have found things on Amazon that were cheaper than rock auto believe it or not. And I have found things on Amazon that weren't even on rock auto haha.

[mikemounlio]

That is a great deal. I need to look on amazon more often. I always forget about it. I normaly have such good luck on ebay tho. The top hats have been the only thing in the last 6 years that have been an issue for me.

[bhazard]

It looks like summit springs are 50$ each-100$ for the pair. I got them from southwest speed for 39.98$ each. 79$ a pair.

Okay my bad. Thought that was per spring.

[gergorian]

I got my Rio top hats on Amazon. Got super luck and only paid $7.50 each with prime shipping. I bought 4. Two for the coilovers and 2 spares.

[mikemounlio]

Thanks. It seems to work rather well.

[Advancedynamix]

Great writeup. I love the use of using the rear spring perch as the spring top isolator.

[mikemounlio]

It looks like summit springs are 50$ each-100$ for the pair. I got them from southwest speed for 39.98$ each. 79$ a pair.

[bhazard]

I think summit racing springs are around $50 and are more or less the same.

[mikemounlio]

ULTIMATE STREET SUSPENSION
(2X) 12" 120 LB. SPRING SOUTHWESTSPEED.COM $79.98
(2X) 10" 105 LB. SPRING SOUTHWESTSPEED.COM $79.98
COIL SLEEVE KIT SOUTHWESTSPEED.COM $32.99
MK2 COILOVERS HOTTUNING EBAY $200.00
(2X) RIO TOP HAT EBAY $34.53
VW BUMP STOPS EBAY $11.01
REAR STRUTS SHOCKWAREHOUSE.COM $75.09
TOTAL $513.58

[mikemounlio]

As a post note: The stock rubber isolator that we trimmed down will go back in its original place. The spring keaper that came in the strut kit will under the stock rubber part. I will grab a picture of the rear and post it here once its light out.

If you have questions plaese ask. Good luck guys.


A quick review of how this setup drives:

Its amazing. I went around a few blocks here in town and 28mph straight 90° turns with ease. Thats on the stock tires. Off ramps are now crazy fun rather then hair raising. its must better for daily driving. Bumps are still there but the car does not get lose over them. The ride is firm but not harsh. Its well worth the money even for a stock daily driver. 75mph down the road with curves no longer worries me. I have not hit wind yet but i would guess it does not get blown around as easy.

[mikemounlio]

14. Install the DIY Coilover. I installed the top 1st. Push it up into the mount in the rear. Put the stock rubber on and then the metal cap. Screw on one of the 2 nuts that came with the strut. Install the lower strut mount bolt. Im not sure on the TQ numbers here. If you want them you will need to look them up.

14. Install tire.

15. Lower the car off the jack stand.

16. Check the strut rod nut. Then add the second locking nut.

17. Reinstall interior if you wish to have it.

18. Bouncer the car to settle it.

19. Repeat the above for the other side. Left and right side should be the exact same.

20. Double check all nuts and bolts.

REAR IS DONE

[mikemounlio]

11. The stock metal bump stop cup will need to be drilled out just slightly to fit on the new rear strut shaft.

12. The lower strut mount bushing needs to be trimmed down to fit the festiva mount. I used a grinder and just took little by little off the end face until i was able to fit in into the mount.

I put the side that i cut on to the inside of the car.

13. time to assembly your rear custom DIY coilover.
I will list the parts in order that you assemble them in.
1. strut
2. coilover sleeve with adjustment nut on it.
3. New rear spring
5. If you bought the vw bumpstops (white ones) now is the time to install the bump stop ontop of the bumpstop that came on the strut.
6. Metal spring keeper that came with the Strut.
7. Metal bump stop cup from stock strut assembly.
8. Optional is a few washers in the cup (to raise the stock rubber isolator)(i did this on one side and not the other. not sure if its needed yet or not no issues either way)
9. Stock rubber strut isoloator
NOW pictures to show what the heck i mean.

strut with sleeve on it.

Strut with sleeve, spring, vw bump stop, and metal keeper

Same as above- now w=has the stock bumpstop cup in place. (cup pointing up)

Optional washer in cup (i dont know if this is a must or not-i have no issues either way)

same as above- with stock strut rubber isolator inplace and ready to install.

[mikemounlio]

Time for the rear.

1.Jack up the car and place on jack stand. I placed my jack stand just in front of the rear tire. You will need the suspension to be able to travel down with the tire off.


2. remove the tire.

3. Remove the speaker of the side you are working on. It takes a few phillips screws 2x on top and a couple on the bottom (10mm socket works foor the screws on the bottom) of the cover. The speaker has one simple white plug you will need to detach. Its a simply squeeze the side and pull.


4. Remove the rear seat belt bar 2x 5/8 bolts. The bolts are in there rather tight.


5. remove the seat belt assembly. It will take the same 5/8 socket. one bolt to allow the assembly to come lose.

6. Remove the rear plastic interior panel covering the strut mount. Several phillips screws.


7. Remove the struts rod nuts. 2x 17mm nuts. I used a wrench.


You will reuse these parts.

8. Remove the lower strut mount bolt (didn't record the size). This is where you want to have an impact. If you try to remove with a wrench or socket you might only strip the bolts head. If the bolt gets stripped you can try to weld a new nut to the bolts head and use that to turn the bolt out (i did this and just stripped the new nut as well). I had to cut the bolt on both sides on the strut mounting loop. Once the strut was out of the car i had to use an air hammer to hammer out the old weld in nut. I replaced with a new bolt nut and lock washer. GET AN IMPACT and save yourself the trouble i went through.


9. Time to trim the factory rubber isolator. I used a razor knife to cut off all the overhanging section of the rubber to allow the new spring keeper to fit nicely onto it.



10. Now we need to trim the rear strut to allow the coilover sleeve to fit onto the body.

The sleeve need to slide over this washer looking part. It will come with black paint and its just slightly to big. Some aggressive sand paper will work but a grinder would make it much faster.

This sleeve needs to slide over the washer (bump stop rest) but you dont want it to be sloppy lose. Note the sleeve has a counter bore section. The counterbore gores over a small raised section on the strut body. Counterbore down!