By Parker (32.103.69.61) on Thursday, March 14, 2002 - 05:26 pm:

Hey i was at the local Pep Boys this past weekend and i noticed a coil-over kit for something like a '90-00 integra. just messing around, i decided to measure the ID of the sleeves and it was 2". When i got home i went to my car to measure the strut casing on my '80 civic wagon and guess what?? They are the same ID give or take a 1/16th of an inch. Does anyone have any experience with bolting on later model suspension?? will it work?? if not what seems to?? im not just looking for Koni inserts anymore, as being a teenager with a weekend job and an insurance payment gives me a tight budget (and frankly, i like junkyards better than stores)

By errol (205.188.198.174) on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 07:44 am:

I've messed around with the same thing. I put a old strut in a lathe and trimed off the lower spring perch and had a 84-87 crx front strut that I was going to weld a threaded sleeve to and use a 'coil over' kit for the later model stuff. The only thing is grinding off the brake hose bracket and using a thinner bolt to hold it in the reciever.

By Parker (32.100.73.92) on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 03:42 pm:

did it work? were there any problems with welding the aluminum sleeve to the steel strut?

By Adrian (Civicguru) (165.228.11.61) on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 03:49 pm:

You can't weld aluminium to steel ...

By errol (64.12.107.28) on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 09:57 pm:

Well you can, but it's more of a brazing of certain alloy filler rod to the application.
You wouldn't 'weld' the threaded sleeve, but make a collar say, out of thick walled pipe and weld it to the strut housing and use that as a 'perch' for the aluminum threads of the adjuster.

By Don (209.181.52.56) on Sunday, March 17, 2002 - 06:52 am:

I sure wouldn't get in a car that had "brazed" spring sleeves. You guys are getting crazy
Look at Adrians civic website. He did a very good job on his coil over conversion.

By errol (205.188.195.36) on Sunday, March 17, 2002 - 10:33 pm:

You would never know it!
Thecnology has come a long way in Metalurgy!
I'm saying that aluminum can be welded, brazed, atached to other nonferous metals by what 'they' the industry offers today. And still have a good tensile strength.
But like I said, Someone could weld a collar or sleeve to the strut and use that as the base of the spring perch/ aluminum threaded tube so the adjustment can be the same as the later model cars