ordering rear coilovers

[wolfie]

Going to order rear coilovers this week and on other peoples experience I'm going for Protech jobbies. From those who've already fitted them could you give me info on length, diameter etc that you specified. Think I'm going to try 90lb springs. Any advice appreciated cheers

[Rich]

Hi Wolfie,

These are what I'm ordering for mine...

Rear Coil overs
400 series.
14.5" open length, 2 1/4" spring seats, M27 upper mount, Bottom mount is 32mm bonded bush with 12mm hole diameter. (choose the hole diameter to suit whatever setup you have)

Front dampers
13" open length, M27 upper mount and bottom mount is 3/8th hole diameter.

[Geoff Butcher]

By calculation, the rate of the original Midas rear springs on my Mk3 comes out at 107lb/inch.

[Rich]

How do you find them Geoff?

[Alan D.]

[quoteBy calculation, the rate of the original Midas rear springs on my Mk3 comes out at 107lb/inch.][/quote]

Done all of that, started at 140lb springs, then 120's, then 90's and am now running 75lbs/inch and they still feel too hard, but I' am waiting till I finish my front coilover conversion. The most important thing to remember on the rear, is the top stud fixing will be too short, due to the thicker fibreglass! Steel is only 3mm thick as opposed to fibreglass which can be 10-15mm thick, which means you cannot get two modern rubber bushes on the stud fixing, keep your old bushes if you have them they are thinner!
Another Midas owner up here in the frozen north has just purchased new rear coilovers from Gaz and they have fitted the wrong valves, so the shocker is too hard and won't move, they have still made the top stud too short, despite me telling them to alter their spec for Midas's! The steel bodies on the Gaz coilovers rust in no-time! Protech have a two stage valve.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_oXTm ... C_0040.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_oXTm ... C_0039.JPG

Theses are obviously front Protech's on a Mk 3 Midas!

Alan

[Rich]

Hi Alan,

Have you seen the front coilover conversion on the Metro Forum? Last post on this page..

http://metroownersclub.org/forum/viewto ... 3&start=10

[Geoff Butcher]

How do you find them Geoff?

They're perfectly OK, Rich, I've never felt the need to try anything different. Still got my 10+ year-old Spax on it.

[wolfie]

[quoteBy calculation, the rate of the original Midas rear springs on my Mk3 comes out at 107lb/inch.]

Done all of that, started at 140lb springs, then 120's, then 90's and am now running 75lbs/inch and they still feel too hard, but I' am waiting till I finish my front coilover conversion. The most important thing to remember on the rear, is the top stud fixing will be too short, due to the thicker fibreglass! Steel is only 3mm thick as opposed to fibreglass which can be 10-15mm thick, which means you cannot get two modern rubber bushes on the stud fixing, keep your old bushes if you have them they are thinner!
Another Midas owner up here in the frozen north has just purchased new rear coilovers from Gaz and they have fitted the wrong valves, so the shocker is too hard and won't move, they have still made the top stud too short, despite me telling them to alter their spec for Midas's! The steel bodies on the Gaz coilovers rust in no-time! Protech have a two stage valve.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_oXTm ... C_0040.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_oXTm ... C_0039.JPG

Theses are obviously front Protech's on a Mk 3 Midas!

Alan[/quote]

Those pics you've put up are pretty much identical to the design I've scribbled down. I'm going to be lazy now and do nothing till I know if it works...basically you can be my guinea pig

[Alan D.]

Hi Wolfi,

I'm about to remake the brackets, in order to have the coilover near vertical, instead of about 30* to the vertical as they are now. The reason being; that if they are at an angle they may bind on the top arm!

It will take another couple of weeks to get new brackets cut and bent.

Then to decide on spring rates, anyone have any thoughts on spring rates?

Alan

[wolfie]

Hi Wolfi,

I'm about to remake the brackets, in order to have the coilover near vertical, instead of about 30* to the vertical as they are now. The reason being; that if they are at an angle they may bind on the top arm!

It will take another couple of weeks to get new brackets cut and bent.

Then to decide on spring rates, anyone have any thoughts on spring rates?

Alan

I'd speak to Protech and find out what spring rate mini owners are using when they convert the front to coilovers and then try that spring rate or slightly lower