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Thread: ANOTHER coilover DIY

  1. #11
    Senior Member sr_rolla's Avatar
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    You don't need a tap to thread that, you could put it on a lathe and cut it that way

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (sr_rolla @ Jul 30 2008, 07:59 PM) </div>What do you do with the stub axle when you put it in the lathe? I have a lathe with a bore that will take the strut tube, but the headstock is too long for the stub to be outside it (ie. strut pushed through from opposite chuck).
    The other lathe I have is probably short enough in the headstock, but the bore is too small.
    Just can't win!!

    Here is a 2" pipe tap

    It's a tapered one, but you get the idea......$50 bucks per thread!!

    Cut and weld ftw.

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    Veteran slydar's Avatar
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    yes well, a lathe would be nice... so would 3 phase power, a real compressor. an air body file, a mill, a pan break, a spray booth... haha.
    78's

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    Senior Member sr_rolla's Avatar
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    agreed cut and weld ftw, much easier.

    To do it on a lathe, u use a face plate 2 mount the strut too. You might also want to use one of those support bearing thingos (can't for the life of me remember the name of them, sorry). Keep the speed down and cut a thread. Not overly difficult but if u don't have the equipment i garantee that a machine shop would charge an arseload 2 do it.

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (sr_rolla @ Jul 30 2008, 11:31 PM) </div>Travelling steady? Even so, bolting a stub axle to a face plate=nightmare. There is just nothing flat there to reference the tube to, thus you'd have to fabricate something. Plus after you work out how to bolt it in, you have to centre it by releasing the tension, tapping it across according to a dail reading, re-tensioning, checking, then do this again, perhaps 20 times before it's centred. If it took an hour and a half each side including fabricating the holder, you are up to around $250 at best. $125 bucks per thread!!

    I think a machine shop would probably suggest cut and weld method for you. Or, buy a pipe tap and just put the cost of the tool on your bill.

  6. #16
    Senior Member sr_rolla's Avatar
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    Like i said b4, cut and weld for the win, but it is possible on a lathe, and there is something flat 2 bolt to the face plate, the bottom of the strut tube that bolts to the steering arm that is extremely close 2 flat and if its a few thou off, put the strut in the lathe and make it flat, not really a massive issue but yeah, cut and weld is easier.

    Slydar: good write up man

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    The bottom of the tube is flat, but the stub has a dirty great flange on it that picks up the brake shroud. It's nowhere near flat. I do a heap of lathe work and that is not a lathe suited job, there is just no need.



    Good luck bolting that to a face plate, bud.
    Of course it's possible, but would be a big job get that flat against the faceplate and of course, you'd be paying the machinist for it.

    Excellent write-up on the job though, and good technique for keeping the cut piece aligned!

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    cheers for the comments.

    really, that tap isnt that expensive, but i am sure the one youd need would be a fair bit more? also still doesnt get you past the need to bore the tube.

    i guess since we're talking about it now.. on a lathe, what about using an rca? youd gain the clearance. but i guess once you start stacking things its gonna go out of wack pretty easy.

    tbh though, if i were going that all out that i wanted to cut a new thread, id be using new stub axles (have become available recently on yahoo). so i guess youd just cut the thread first.

    78's

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (slydar @ Jul 31 2008, 09:14 PM) </div>You could likely ream the tube to get it to size with a hand ream if required, but that's another tool at prob $300.

    If you used a RCA you might even be able to hold it in a chuck by picking it up from the inside, but like you say, it's going to get out of whack and the RCA is prob not that tight a tolerance to be properly centred anyway. It's just a big PITA for nothing.

    Building a new strut from scratch would be cool, but I don't know that I'd bother.

    Cut and weld is def the best way and that's why everybody does it. You can't see the weld once it's covered by the coilover sleeve and provided you are a decent welder it will be more that strong enough.

  10. #20
    Senior Member sr_rolla's Avatar
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    step 1: get 1-2" thick steel plate
    step 2: drill 2 holes in plate to bottom of strut
    step 3: drill opposing holes to bolt plate to face plate
    step 4: use dial indicator to true it all up
    step 5: cut thread
    step 6: repeat steps 4 & 5 on other strut

    If you wanted to get really technical u could design the plate in such a way that you could true it all up once and not need to true it up again to do more struts, u could also advertise the service and make some money off it after u have done it once or twice.

    I used to work a lathe daily aswell, bud :2thumbs:

    Also, there is a major jap company that is making new stub axles for ae86's (a big one, apexi rings a bell but i could b completely wrong) and then u could just use the tubes off what ever u want and weld them in, as long as they fit in the stub axle bit of course.

    doing it this way also lends itself 2 changing the angle of the stub axle in relation to the strut, much fun to be had there.

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