What did I do On Kevin's, Houston's, Ian, and Alexs' rally Volvo 240s today?

This is what I was doing :performance suspension:
JVAB Sooper Bitchin 50mm Bilstein struts for Kevin Hawkinson, Seattle; Alex Buchka, Cape Cod; Houston Peschl, Alberta and Ian Topping, Michigan:


And here's Kevvie and I shoving it into his willing car:


Jeeeezuz look at the size of the thing!


And there's the reason for the offset mount---tire to spring clearance when you actually have springs that have enough spring travel to match the strut travel---something most here don't bother with.


And here's the thing which makes it even Sooper Bitchiner: this patented "weldy thang" making the Volvo fixed tube into a removable strut making service a snap and spring changes easy.



Now the point of this isn't to ply my wares, the purpose is to try and edji-cates you malooks into understanding what really serious suspension looks like when you're paying serious money.

It's just too cool and we's wanted to share.
BLING!

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

What you should ALSO educate us on is what-in-the-hell is a malook!

Those gusset thingys are posing a problem... Ich habe nicht ... erm... schteel?

so yeah. Do you know where I might be able to find some? Is 3/32 too random for a hardware store, hobby shop, back alley?

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

Hey look, Kevvie's so excited about his Sooperbitchin' Suspenders he's gone crosseyed!

Looks good!

The offset idea would work good on the front of Merkur stuff too. Then we could run wheels off Escort Cossies, since all the used Compomotives from those always seem to be 15X7 with et 35 or 40 and that size needs a whopping 1" spacer to get the tire away from the spring seat. I solved it by buying 4 new 15X6 et 25 which effectively moves the inside about 1" further outward. I suppose on the offset though we'd have to either sacrafice travel or ride height so maybe the better offset wheels is the way to go.

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Grant Hughes

NoCoast Wrote:
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> Looks good!
>
> The offset idea would work good on the front of
> Merkur stuff too. Then we could run wheels off
> Escort Cossies, since all the used Compomotives
> from those always seem to be 15X7 with et 35 or 40
> and that size needs a whopping 1" spacer to get
> the tire away from the spring seat. I solved it
> by buying 4 new 15X6 et 25 which effectively moves
> the inside about 1" further outward. I suppose on
> the offset though we'd have to either sacrafice
> travel or ride height so maybe the better offset
> wheels is the way to go.

Grant, don't think I hadnt thunk of that, I got the same problem as everybody else ('cept i got some ET33 wheels!!)
Nothing saying we couldnt retro fit the bottom thang, I've chopper thru the weld to un-Fordize 'em and weld ears to make them VW or whatever.
If we got clever I could design in some neg camber at the same time, eh?

But next up is getting material for the rear discs, strengthening arms and the toe adjusted picked up.
Working on rear beams tommorrow.
>
> Grant Hughes
> www.nocoastmotorsports.net
> Denver, CO

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Hey John:

One suggestion is to add a soft rubber or fabric sleeve over the threads above the spring perch, inside the spring, like on the SAM coil overs off my car that I sent to you last year. I dunno if the 240 turbo rubber bellows will work with 50mm stuff. When I had to re-adjust the set of yours that came off Kevvie's car earlier this year, despite cleaning and blowing out the threads to prep for the adjustment, the fine threads still got crap stuck in them and almost seized up one of the spring perches. Maybe it's just the kind of dirt we have in Cali. I will need at least one replacement perch at this point.

With the offset, do I see a sway bar clearance issues?

Did you get my email about the yellow Tissot G2 242 possibly being up for sale in Ca this week?

Cheers.

...Brian...

Hey John,

What kind of plating are you using on the top half of the struts if ya don't mind me askin'? Looks the same as the stuff that came on my Protrac struts. It seems quite durable, no?

Asking because we want to plate some stuff for rally use and need something durable like that...not going into shock biz.

Nice stuff!!!

---

Lurch
Eric Burmeister
The west coast...of Michigan

Lurch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey John,
>
> What kind of plating are you using on the top half
> of the struts if ya don't mind me askin'? Looks
> the same as the stuff that came on my Protrac
> struts. It seems quite durable, no?
>
> Asking because we want to plate some stuff for
> rally use and need something durable like
> that...not going into shock biz.

Lurch,

You want iridescent chromate conversion ASTM-B633 more commonly known as "gold zinc plating". Make sure to spec. a min thickness of 0.0003" when you have it done. There is basically no difference in performance between clear and gold either.

If you want to go wretched excess get the parts high sulphur electroless nickel plated. Better corrosion resistance, shiny :-), and no fear of hydrogen embrittlement like chrome plating.

Tim

> And there's the reason for the offset mount---tire
> to spring clearance when you actually have springs
> that have enough spring travel to match the strut
> travel---something most here don't bother with.

John,

Cool idea, and I'm all for keeping the correct offset, especially on front-drivers, but it seems like there's a bit of a stress concentration at that offset. Have you considered a gusset, like my artistically rendered image here?



Have any of these offset struts been out in the ugly world long enough to get broken? I'd be curious what breaks where...

-Dave

Actually, John has a much better gusset than that now. I'm sure he'll post pics.

eyesoreracing Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > And there's the reason for the offset
> mount---tire
> > to spring clearance when you actually have
> springs
> > that have enough spring travel to match the
> strut
> > travel---something most here don't bother
> with.
>
> John,
>
> Cool idea, and I'm all for keeping the correct
> offset, especially on front-drivers, but it seems
> like there's a bit of a stress concentration at
> that offset. Have you considered a gusset, like my
> artistically rendered image here?

> -Dave

Gussets are so version 2.0...here's the new shit:



Designed for Volvo 240 but it can plug weld right into a Mazda 3 front knuckle after the stock strut tube is removed.

Tim Taylor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> eyesoreracing Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > And there's the reason for the offset
> > mount---tire
> > > to spring clearance when you actually
> have
> > springs
> > > that have enough spring travel to match
> the
> > strut
> > > travel---something most here don't
> bother
> > with.
> >
> > John,
> >
> > Cool idea, and I'm all for keeping the
> correct
> > offset, especially on front-drivers, but it
> seems
> > like there's a bit of a stress concentration
> at
> > that offset. Have you considered a gusset,
> like my
> > artistically rendered image here?
>
> > -Dave
>
> Gussets are so version 2.0...here's the new shit:
>
>
>
> Designed for Volvo 240 but it can plug weld right
> into a Mazda 3 front knuckle after the stock strut
> tube is removed.
Well really the list begins with Xratties, and of course Focus, and then there's Golf IV, and any "Old school" design where the strut tube is welded directly into the forging that the spindle is in.
>

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

for "protection" take an old rain slicker, or better, that old gore-tex coat and chop the sleeve off.
you've got moisture protection, breath ability, and Velcro at the cuff to slide up or down at will.

---

"I put the hurt on dirt" - adam crane
http://CraneRallyCrew.com
corolla gt-s "Patches"
Op: S.S.

So seriously, get me on the list for the next batch to come of the line!

I sent you a pm awhile ago john and haven't heard a peep back. I just can't stand to look anymore, I want my own!

Shoot me a pm or email me at patdarrow@comcast.net

So get back at me.

Oh and hows the rear perch design coming along? That shit would be the bee's knees right there.

-Pat, rock chucker in training.

---

Zap zap my ass...

Yeah, oh yeah?

John, forget about that last guy, I'M NEXT ON THE LIST! and i'm going for all 4 corners, please. :-)

-Al