Semi-coilovers?
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Intermediate
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Semi-coilovers?
I'm looking at adding vansteel/QA-1 single semi-coilovers on my 75. After looking thru numerous posts here and other sites.....Ive seen some negative comments about possible stress on the shock mounts in the lower A-frames. Has anyone actually experienced this? I'm so far over budget right now....I just can't justify going to a true coilover unless there is truly concern about a parts failure with semi-coilovers.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
I'm looking at adding vansteel/QA-1 single semi-coilovers on my 75. After looking thru numerous posts here and other sites.....Ive seen some negative comments about possible stress on the shock mounts in the lower A-frames. Has anyone actually experienced this? I'm so far over budget right now....I just can't justify going to a true coilover unless there is truly concern about a parts failure with semi-coilovers.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Did you have a car or two crack in the lower A-Arm area? Mine did years ago and I had to weld and fish plate that area
Last edited by gkull; Oct 22, 2019 at 11:57 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: New York
I'm looking at adding vansteel/QA-1 single semi-coilovers on my 75. After looking thru numerous posts here and other sites.....Ive seen some negative comments about possible stress on the shock mounts in the lower A-frames. Has anyone actually experienced this? I'm so far over budget right now....I just can't justify going to a true coilover unless there is truly concern about a parts failure with semi-coilovers.
There is a coil over with a lower a frame reinforcement included . Look at coil overs for a 1970 nova chevelle ect they fit the C-3
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/PFI-C200SR375
Last edited by diehrd; Oct 22, 2019 at 10:39 AM.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: California
The other was autocrossed, but everything seemed fine, so did that one, before something happend!
Dad’s car, he didn’t want us touching it! Lived by the motto, what ain’t broke, don’t touch it. I haven’t looked it over recently. My Father wanted my brother to have his car, which I m cool with, as I have my own. He is a good mechanic!
The 1968, just street driver, don’t race it. It looks fine!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 38,293
Likes: 2,065
From: California
Advantage of a full coilover isn’t much! It will pick you up some advantage on a tougher road or track!
On a semi coilover, if that spring gets moving, I will use the term jumping around in the bucket could happen, spring chatter. The spring is more resting to its limits, than being a total integration with the shock. The shock is more controlling the spring, in one direction only, so in the other, it gets sort of sloppy. If you are running double adjusts on a semi-coilover, you are throwing some money and potential away. Most enthusiast are running single adjust, with adjustment in the compression, and set rebound, rebound designed more to take up the slack, and this can be too slow to soften, or too fast, or if designed right, in that sweet spot!
A coilover is designed to control the spring by dampening action, in both directions of spring travel, pressure.
The key as I have said in other threads, is the tire track to the ground. To maintain traction of the tire to the road, you want it planted regardless of rebound of compression of the suspension. As the primary movement of a street production car is more compression focused, the shock compresses as the spring compresses, with the suspension. Most shock have the travel in the compression. On rebound (extending back to static), you want that controlled! Thus big depression, sudden drop in the road, the shock and the spring in stock configuration are pretty close to full extension travel and could lose contact. On my canyon running discipline (rough road), I want that extra control, where the tire don’t lose contact patch to the ground, as the inside tires are lifting from the road, by body roll/lean, force. Thus trying to give it extra travel in the rebound, extension, so I am just not cornering on the outside tires only. I keep more rubber to the road. More rubber, the better the adhesion, the better pavement bite in the rears and adhesion to all corners, the better friction patch maintained in braking.
The stock compression is about 4-5 inches of the shock/spring and then the installed height Overall extended length is pretty close to full extension, with usually about a 1/2 to an inch of rebound longer than static length. For that occasional pothole, so you don’t break something. In static, the shock spring are already also part way into compression at rest (4 tires on the ground).
Thus with true race coilover, you are recentering your suspension travel for up and down, instead of just biased in focused control upward! To get more rebound extension, you usually relocate the top shock mount downward, or so the shock isn’t static mounted at full extension.
The race shocks are more linear, in that added compression, or added rebound of the spring is controlled even from rest partially into compression already in both directions.
On a semi coilover, if that spring gets moving, I will use the term jumping around in the bucket could happen, spring chatter. The spring is more resting to its limits, than being a total integration with the shock. The shock is more controlling the spring, in one direction only, so in the other, it gets sort of sloppy. If you are running double adjusts on a semi-coilover, you are throwing some money and potential away. Most enthusiast are running single adjust, with adjustment in the compression, and set rebound, rebound designed more to take up the slack, and this can be too slow to soften, or too fast, or if designed right, in that sweet spot!
A coilover is designed to control the spring by dampening action, in both directions of spring travel, pressure.
The key as I have said in other threads, is the tire track to the ground. To maintain traction of the tire to the road, you want it planted regardless of rebound of compression of the suspension. As the primary movement of a street production car is more compression focused, the shock compresses as the spring compresses, with the suspension. Most shock have the travel in the compression. On rebound (extending back to static), you want that controlled! Thus big depression, sudden drop in the road, the shock and the spring in stock configuration are pretty close to full extension travel and could lose contact. On my canyon running discipline (rough road), I want that extra control, where the tire don’t lose contact patch to the ground, as the inside tires are lifting from the road, by body roll/lean, force. Thus trying to give it extra travel in the rebound, extension, so I am just not cornering on the outside tires only. I keep more rubber to the road. More rubber, the better the adhesion, the better pavement bite in the rears and adhesion to all corners, the better friction patch maintained in braking.
The stock compression is about 4-5 inches of the shock/spring and then the installed height Overall extended length is pretty close to full extension, with usually about a 1/2 to an inch of rebound longer than static length. For that occasional pothole, so you don’t break something. In static, the shock spring are already also part way into compression at rest (4 tires on the ground).
Thus with true race coilover, you are recentering your suspension travel for up and down, instead of just biased in focused control upward! To get more rebound extension, you usually relocate the top shock mount downward, or so the shock isn’t static mounted at full extension.
The race shocks are more linear, in that added compression, or added rebound of the spring is controlled even from rest partially into compression already in both directions.
Last edited by TCracingCA; Oct 24, 2019 at 05:53 PM.
