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DIY Coil Over Covers


rich_e777

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Somebody had just posted about this a few days ago and I cannot find it, BUT I came across a write up on a Subaru forum and I think I might try to make some full covers that go around my springs instead of just the strut. I had not thought of covers until I saw that post and Im all about trying to preserve and keep the setup in good condition as long as possible once they get on the car.

 

http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/showthread.php?17181-DIY-coilover-covers

 

Anyone aware of any downsides? I figured a black canvas so it wouldn't stand out to much and they could be washed every now and then.

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These are the ones jman093 suggested from A1 Racing $25/ pr. They do have a hole in the top and Velcro down the side

The down side to these are you have to put them on during assembly. They could be modified to just wrap around.9368d665441e64c5c67dda6d3e6406f1.jpgf2449657a561dd65c730e3fa75cdbc42.jpg

I think the other reference is in the General section, my tail is dragging thread.

 

 

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I know it's not the same type of shock's but,,,, When I had/raced quads and snowmobile's, I found that the shocks fade away and become useless and need rebuilding sooner as a result of getting way to hot because of no airflow to cool them down,,, Even fast trail riding the shock's with covers get very hot to the touch in just a few miles of riding and fade away, and then there is the moisture that will get trapped behind the cover that will lead to issues if its not allowed to escape, then there is the cover itself that will start to wear the coating off the springs... I ended up just using them for trailering the machine if the machine's cover's didn't cover the shock.

 

I know a car strut probly will not see the stress and cycle as much as a off road type machine but I would think it would eventually lead to the strut failing as a result of having a cover on it. Just my 2$.

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I was wondering where I saw that, I cannot believe NOONE AT ALL has ever brought up coil over covers in all the suspension build threads Ive read(all 4 of them:lol:, many more, I joke). I really thought about just posting the question and link in the Whatever thread but I thought maybe these are important enough to warrant their own thread as well as anything else meant to protect suspension components.

 

Those look nice but just in case I need to remove them to clean I`d hate to have to dis assemble the strut. I think I might go with a pair of those and modify it so they can be removed vs making my own. Especially if they are $25 for a pair and come in different sizes.

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All of the ones I dealt with had elastic on the top and bottom to hold snugly around the body of the shock of and a strip of Velcro down the long way so you could easily put them on or remove them.

The should be really easy to make if you chose to.

 

Edit; The fabric they were made from was a water "resistant" material

Edited by revnrob
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Ive never known the struts on the Cutlass to get hot, maybe a little warm. I`ll look around for a place to find the material and figure out the costs of making vs ordering and modifying and go from there. They look easy to make, I`d use some sort of adhesive instead of sewing though.

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I know it's not the same type of shock's but,,,, When I had/raced quads and snowmobile's, I found that the shocks fade away and become useless and need rebuilding sooner as a result of getting way to hot because of no airflow to cool them down,,, Even fast trail riding the shock's with covers get very hot to the touch in just a few miles of riding and fade away, and then there is the moisture that will get trapped behind the cover that will lead to issues if its not allowed to escape, then there is the cover itself that will start to wear the coating off the springs... I ended up just using them for trailering the machine if the machine's cover's didn't cover the shock.

 

I know a car strut probly will not see the stress and cycle as much as a off road type machine but I would think it would eventually lead to the strut failing as a result of having a cover on it. Just my 2$.

 

Heat won't be a problem whatsoever in this application. It is fine dirt getting in the shocks that ruins them. Remember, though they may be long gone, the shocks had a cover around them from the factory.

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I still dont have a boot on the rear coilovers on my car. After 5+ yrs of being lowered, no issues with the KYB's. Then again the car only gets driven in good weather so that could be one reason why..

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For now I don't DD mine with a work van but in the future I might need to. If possible I'm going to use some ring clamps to secure the cover so its easy to take on and off, if those don't work out then some baling line or zip ties.

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  • 1 month later...

ive known circle track guys to use the small dia tube palleting wrap to wrap their coilovers.

 

if needed it can be cut away and lasted quite well beeing a stretchable plastic.

 

presumably id believe it would be the perfect solution as its balloon effect would let it be sealed and still change volume.

 

but the reality is that water would find its way in eventually so regular removal and replacement would be required whatever direction you go

 

http://eibach.com/america/en/motorsport/products/accessories/spring-bags

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Those Eibach bags look nice but it asks for a suspension type and doesn't seem to list the setup I have. What would helper spring over a main spring setup be called out of the ones listed? Trying to see how much a pair of those are to compare with others.

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FWIW, not running some sort of boot or cover on w-body shocks is kind of like not running an air filter in the engine. Sure, it's entirely possible to run around for years without one, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea or mean that there hasn't been performance degradation even if you don't notice it. It's the same with our shocks.

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