Front Strut Housing size

[yellow3800]

I saw one day years ago someone putting on 'lowering struts' on their gtz. The lower spring cup was positioned lower on the strut tube which allowed for greater spring expansion at rest, and/or the steering knuckle was closer to it [a shorter strut housing]. This created two parts to help lower the car in what I can only imagine a better way of doing things than just relying on the spring alone.

I'm looking for the opposite. Is there any strut housing out there [think other cars too] that can be put substituted for a strut housing in a beretta to reverse lowering? I want to raise my car another 2" in front [bring it up to 5"-6" ground clearance], and right now, my best plan is to obtain another set of struts, and cut the lower cup from one and weld it above the stock location on my good housings, giving a shorter spring expansion area, which will increase the spring rate and raise the car.

surprising discovery: springs from '95 3100V6 compress more than eibachs with the additional weight of this application.

10years of 3800 auto trans weight on eibachs has sagged them past the 1" rubber block inserts I've had in there for years.

I also may have seen lower camber 'spacers' that allowed lowering and possible raising of the car... it was like a steering knuckle extension of some sort.

another idea: change steering knuckles to increase this height. Currently using '88 oldsmobile delta 88 steering knuckles. Bigger rotors are always a welcomed upgrade, especially if thats not my intention. I don't think steering knuckles vary in size.

another idea: re-weld the upper strut housings to a lower point [I kinda like this idea!]

If I can buy my way out of this, I'll at least try to... well shy of the $1-2k for coil overs.

Andy
lemon using 89gt strut housings, koni inserts, and eibach reduced drop springs

[Barry]

You want to know which size of the strut housing? I think I.D. is around 2 inches based upon the facts that your average strut cartridge is ~1.75" and the guys that use cavalier konis need to make a spacer to tighten it up.


Moving the perch up is your easiest option. You could also shim the upper mount downward, effectively lowering the shock tower mounting point.

[weba]

I'd just get custom springs made that can handle the load.

[3X00-Modified]

Custom springs is the best idea that would get your travel back to where it should be, but to just raise the car then a spacer on top of the strut to go between the rubber insulator and the frame would solve that issue. But as noted you will still only have limited travel and bottom the suspension out often.

I think weba has the right idea here.