DIY: Hopeless project.

[The Doctor]

To solve this as easily as possible, ditch the whole front setup and build yourself a new one?

S13 hubs if you want to retain the split type struts, or back to normal AE86 front struts and a custom coilover job (or an expensive, off the shelf one).

[Rascal21]

Bean Bandit: If only you knew, this car was built in complete hurry with whatever parts available for some crazy rally driver who probably needed it the day before he and some friends slapped it togetherreally, and it shows!
I`m rectifying those mistakes now some 26 years later but some things are easier said than done!

El Doctore: S13 hubs wouldnt be compatible with the CP2270 Caliper brackets and Brake Disc bells, and making this stuff fit AE86 steering and get correct geometry.. Not to mention the time spent on research, fabrication and budget!
It would be a nightmare! S13`s simply feels weird to steer (Tried one), want none of that in my AE86

I just figured maybe I`ll have some luck with AJPS, they build Bilstein setups using custom bolt-on 40mm struts I believe, if I can use those inserts and AE86 Camber plates I could get away with replacement inserts (Which was the plan anyway) and new camber plates.

[Rascal21]

Bah, AJPS use P30 and P36 bilsteins so thats no go.

I figured if I know top shaft dimension beneath threaded portion, I could modify my current top hat, but grp4 fabrications are apparently dead or blown up, last thing I heard from them was they were gna look for 620mm inserts. I`m interested in getting this car going with minimal fuss, I dont have time to wait and look around, done that for a week already..

Every Bilstein related shop out there is so damn slow and apparently has a 24hr coffee break every 10th second, my summer vacation is running out FAST and I wont be able to work on the car for another year if this keeps up!!

[ditn]

Did you check porsche bilsteins,they used them alot over here in ae86.

[Rascal21]

Checked them, hardly any available and the ones with pictures shows different top shafts.

I think I can get away with 260 damping/rebound 60cm long 40mm diameter Escort inserts and Escort top hats, but Grp4 must be on vacation or bombed, and the spare top hats that I have (Bought a sleeve kit from rallydesign) have different shape.

The old top hats have some sort of bands with roller bearings in them etc and no shop with the stuff I need is getting back to me.

I realize that I`m not the only most important entity in the world, but how much is it to ask for 2 inserts, 2 top hats and cup adjusting tool in a business where stuff breaks and replacement parts are needed asap? I see the big guys getting their stuff within days, here I`ve spent 1 week waiting for a single reply.


I need the Bilstein inserts but thats about it as for my notion for their so-called "superior performance", I`m getting the impression that Bilstein isnt the big shot stuff everybody seems to be making it out to be, it breaks at random, replacement parts are non-existent, Bilstein themselfes wont reply and the shops who retail and promote this completely non-adjustable compression/rebound-rate mediocre hardware as the best in the world (Which it is actually far from being, judging by what I`ve been reading lately) greatly suffer in the customer service department for us mortals.

[Bean]

I think being just a mere mortal is the main issue these days - I can't even remember how many times I didn't get an answer at all or got shelved for eternity, just because I'm not a racing team/shop and/or famous rich. Good service these days is rare and mostly only applies to small companies or granted to well known customers.

[Rascal21]

Yeah, it seems times are changing, I can keep ranting but it would make me seem even more of an asshat than I am already, and it would be completely fruitless.

Too bad for Grp4 though, they seemed to have the right stuff at the right prices, but response completely seized after the first totally fruitless 2 replies, probably wont be using them anymore.

Luckily things are working out, since this car is slapped together 80`s style by porn-mustache round-head builders using what they had available, instead of fighting the weird car they built, I`ll see if I cant make some improvements on the same platform!

I found what seems to be a good UK shop, Burton, whom replied to my request for assistance right away on Facebook, they told me what I needed to know about the inserts, and the prices are right, so I ordered Grp4 Ford Escort inserts from them (300/70, for road/racing), I found no reason to suspect that these are not 40mm OD (When everybody else sells them like that).

Response from Burton sorta died out as last evening dragged out, so I could not get any answer about top spring hats to suit Escort inserts and 60mm springs, but the main thing is that the inserts are extremely expensive here in Norway, so with the inserts ordered from the UK, I set about finding top hats that I knew would fit the inserts, so I simply contacted a Norwegian shop per telephone, RSEuroFord, I`m guessing this is a small business and the main guy is going on vacation in a week, but he went out of his way to find the top hats I needed!

Too bad he had no stickers left, my plan is to cover the whole left side quarter glass anyway.

If the top shafts on the inserts are a bit bigger than ID on my current top mount bushings, simply drilling out the top mount bushing on both sides by a few milimeters should solve the issue.

The end result should see the car lowered by about 35mm (all Bilstein Escort inserts are apparently 610mm extended, my old ones are 645mm) but I`ll be using the same main and helper springs, which are pretty hard.

With that in mind I`ll probably be allowed to use a bandsaw located in a local workshop so I can shorten my struts.

This way I can cut costs to a minimum, with the added bonus of potentially selecting between the 3 types of inserts which are also widely available and cheap, if the car lives long enough for me to get all 3 types

I`ll also keep my brakes and struts and top mounts without swapping any parts, and keep fabrication/customization to a minimum, the whole ordeal should cost no more than about 330E and a few hours of labor

P.S: Bilstein did reply

[ditn]

Should this still be needed

I did manage to find my old struts which has bilsteins in front
Can't seem to find a number and they came with the car so i dont know any information about them.

[totta Crolla]

The inserts you have ordered are 40mm diameter and they are MK2 Escort top mount fitting.
There is a good chance that your top mounts will fit straight on.
Here is a link to the best in the business when it comes to Escort Bilstein suspension and Bilstein by the way are very highly regarded.
http://www.gartrac.com/shop/
300/70 inserts are available in both long and short lengths see here:
http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=454130

[totta Crolla]

ditn those look like a rare short stroke version of the the B6 Bilstein cartridge.
B8 is the short stroke B6 but as far as I knew they were not available for the front of an AE86.