Thread: B13vsN14 coilovers USvsEU

More then a year ago i opened a thread about this but being more then 562 days i couldn´t reply...

It´s time for me to get coilovers, i´ve been reading alot but have some doubts on my mind...

I´ve decided to go the proved and tested GC+ KONI yellows 8610-1409sport route, but i´m one of that rare cases were the rear strut is 51mm(vs 45mm), also the n14 GTI weights 55 pound more than the b13 SE-R at 2469 pounds, being a hatch(vs sedan) the weight distribution should be a bit diferent... i think it doesn´t matter that much...

I can get the konis here but not the GC´s, too much for taxes and shipping, i can get custom springs and sleeves though...

So i´ll need an extra set of front 45mm struts for the rear right, but them being like 2 or 3 inches shorter i need longer springs right? to compensate for that... i´ve read somewhere that GC´s kit comes with 8" front and 7" long rears can anyone confirm that?

That being i would need 8" fronts for a 0 to 2.5" drop with the sleeve resting at the stock strut perch and like 9/10" spring at the rear? CSK´s on the front of course...

Aparently the Gc´s come with 350/250 spring rates? i was thinking like 350/300, i know is a personal choice thing but i would like to match the spring rates to the Koni valving... and i think the n14 rear rolls too much and is quite soft, much more than the front...

Can anyone confirm the lenght and spring rate on the GC´s please, or adding something?

Ok forget that, already found all the info i needed here: Custom Shortened Koni INFO Discussion - Page 15 - SR20 Forum

I love my Chevrolet.

Man... canadians are really weird... ahahahhahaahha

Ok guys my coil buid has begun... and the more i read the more i´m confused about the b13 rears with spec v´s... i was convinced that they would work, but they don´t... not enough stroke on them... don´t matter how i look at it...

I´m not sure if the US b13 rear is equal to the EU n14 rear being an hatch, i mean, every n14 i´ve seen use 51mm shock bodies, when i ordered Energy suspension bushes i had to cut a support to make it work... and my test fit, without the spring put the wheel hi up the wheel well, pretty sure when i put it´weight on it will get even further...

Here´s the parts so far, springs on the mail:



How it looks on rear 51mm bodies, (just experimenting):



In the front 41mm bodies:



The only way to make it work, apart from using koni reds in the rear, is making a way to put the upper strut plate lower in the chassis, making a way to lower the whole strut/coil housing, in a way that´s horizontal matching the front, inline per say...

I made an interesting discovery in that department, the front and rear plates are interchangeable(in an n14), and the ft plate in the back put the whole assembly like 1" down, i added a 15mm spacer in the koni´s threaded part, like 20mm doesn´t have a tread...
And now i´m in the process of making it even lower, maybe, some kind of spacer...

Car suspended, spec v´s in the rear, stock upper plates, imagine that in the ground with weight!!!:




Car suspended, spec v´s in the rear, front upper plates in the rear, compare with the previous:








So, how did you guys did the spec v´s on the rear???? using the front housings!!

I will make it work, somehow...

Fronts done, awaiting the bump stops:



Rears lenghtened, and sleeved:



Ready for paint:



Getting there...

Done... now i need to install them in the car...

Much more to it than is said on the forum... CSK´s on the front, CLK´s on the rear, and custom plates for the rears...