When someone says "eBay coilover" what do they mean, exactly? I recently acquired a set of koni yellows used for the Miata and would like to make them adjustable height wise, and use something a little better than my racing beat springs. Any idea what people are talking about?
Thanks! Joey
They're referring to the cheap/junk coilover sleeves that are typically sold on eBay under a bajillion different names. Usually with terrible springs.
I have some on my '94 paired with koni's, they're just a set of threaded sleeves that go over the shock. They also came with some crap unknown rate springs, so I found my own. I've had mine on for 15k and not a single issue.
Interesting. Which springs do you use? Is it more cost effective than going with ground control setup?
Joey
I found some used 450# eibach ERS for like $40 and then bought some summit racing 325# for the rear. All in, I spent less than $150, which is less than half of the GC (last time I checked). The threaded sleeves came with some O-rings to center the sleeve on the shock, but some use duct tape or bike tubing to ensure a tight fit on the shock. Also, the threading isnt the highest quality, they didn't seem to thread up and down very easily. I set mine when I first got them and haven't messed with the ride height since so I can't say if they've seized on there 
I mean, they work. I'm not sure there's much more you could ask for. I guess if you were constantly messing with ride height, they might not be ideal.
I'd be afraid of this.
Every one of those pictures I've seen, I've noticed that the bottom of the sleeve was resting on a curved surface instead of a flat surface like its supposed to. I've seen pics floating around of GC sleeves that have done the same.
I'm not saying they're 100% safe, but its a risk I'm willing to take. If I had more money, I'd probably have bought the legit ones.
I used a similar set up on my MK2 Golf. I got the adjustable sleeves with no name springs for free and spent $100 on used Eibachs, so 1/3 of the cost of GC. There weren't easy to adjust but I only did that a couple of times a year. Follow the installation instructions for Ground Control sleeves. I didn't cut the perch off of my front struts and left the perch on the rear too so I could go back to a stock style spring if the sleeves didn't work out. I did some testing in the neigborhood and 2 years of autox duty with that set up without issues. The complaints come from people who don't upgrade their dampers and slam the car so its riding on the bumpstops which causes bounciness and blows shocks. The pic posted above looks like an incorrect installation - I don't see the second lock ring.
Run_Away wrote: I'd be afraid of this.
Thank you for posting that. For some berked up reason it made me smile.
I've had good luck with them, used with Eibachs and Konis. Never went above 300# rates on corners that never saw more than 650# static weight.
I too have had great luck with cheap ebay sleeve kits. It just so happens that the 350/275 rates most of them come with work great for A1 VW's.
Hell I even used them on my fiat with 550in/lb springs
Run_Away wrote: I'd be afraid of this.
its installed upside down....See the non treaded part at the top should be at the bottom, or at least that's how real coil over kits work.
^^ I knew something looked weird.
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