Varishock Coilover=JUNK

[staged67gspwr]

Anyone recommend any other coilover for the front of a GM A-Body,i currently running varishock coilovers,my drivers side blew out a month ago,sent them back to get fixed got `em back about 2 weeks ago and yesterday i noticed the same one blew out again,i didnt go racing just local driving so its not like they were pounded or anything,it seems my drivers side keeps blowing out i dont know if its just defective or what?but i`m not gonna keep having to take apart my front end because of this stupid coilover,a buddy of mine has QA1s in his car for the last 5 years without any problems,i bought these because everyone was saying these were better but it really does not seem like it,i think its a ripp off for what we`re paying for them,does Koni or Bilstein make coilovers?

[Lowend]

I would frankly consider the Varishocks more durable than QA-1

I don't much are for any conical coilover design

[1969CamaroRS]

Usually people seem to complain about the QA1s more than the Varishocks. I wonder if something is off with the geometry on your suspension and that is causing problems with your shock on that one side.

[staged67gspwr]

What can possibly be off on the geometry? both sides upper and lower GW tubular a-arms i dont see how or what would be different??

Thanks

[6'9"Witha69]

What can possibly be off on the geometry? both sides upper and lower GW tubular a-arms i dont see how or what would be different??

ThanksAre all your bumpstops in place? How much bump travel is in the shock at the height setting you use? What is the spring rate? Are you a big guy?

Sounds like something is causing the shock to bottom out or work too hard. Do you adjust your settings at all? Are they set at the highest or lowest settings?

These are a few of the types of ways that the car and driver alone can cause a shock to fail. I am sure Tom and a few others can give a lot more examples.

[staged67gspwr]

Dude it does not make sense to me either,both fronts are adjusted 6 clicks i dont see what or how the one would blow out and the other wont,i didnt exactly go off roading with the freakin thing,maybe a defective coilover?i dont know i really dont know??

Thanks

[shmoov69]

trade sides before you dump them and buy more. Or I guess just spend the money on different ones and hope that fixes it!!
I haven't had any probs with my rears (me knocks on wood!!)

[staged67gspwr]

Dude it does not make sense to me i cant see how the drivers side gets screwed up,unless they didnt repair it right when i sent it back the first time?its my front i have no issue with the rear.

Thanks

[6'9"Witha69]

You don't have to off road to blow it out if the bump stops aren't there or working properly. Also, working independently or in conjunction with the previos sentence, if the ride is set low enough that it only takes <1" of bump travel (EASY on the street, going up a driveway, etc) to bottom out the shock then that will blow it out as well. The fact that it affects the drivers side more than the pass is that you are in the car and adding more weight to the drivers side. The drivers side already has more weight anyway with the steering box so adding even more weight (driver) makes it much more likely to go than a pass side.

find out what the overall min and max lengths are suposed to be and measure yours @ ride height. That will tell you how much remaining bump travel you have until the shock bottoms out.

[ironworks]

Swap the coilovers side to side and see if the problem changes location. That will tell you if it is the shock or the suspension.

[79T/Aman]

you have to stop saying it does not make sense or I don't know, you posted a question and others are trying to help, 6'9"witha69 gave you great info as to where to start looking.

[staged67gspwr]

it seems like it over extends and it pulled the top cap off the coilover,it cant bottom out cause my bump stops are almost right up against the frame.

[ProdigyCustoms]

Hotchkis coils and shocks of your choice! We are a QA1 and Varishock distributor and I am not a big fan of any coil over conversion. There is hardly any stored energy, the car can only be lowered 1 1/2" MAX. You need a real spring, especially on a big heavy car like that. I never blow QA1 or Varishock in regular shok application, only in the coil over design.

[staged67gspwr]

I think you are right Frank,those coilovers looked too short to me from the getgo,the thing with that now is that i`d have to buy another set of lower GW a-arms for a coil spring.

Thanks

[staged67gspwr]

Well i spoke to Marcus from SC&C and we came to the conclusion that maybe when they repaired it they didnt do it right so i gotta take it off and send it back again but this time it will be replaced with a new shock body hopefully it will never happen again,i tell you Marcus has great customer service thanks Marcus.
Thanks

[juiced]

Afco and Koni's have never given me an problems even when going to a front coilover conversion.

[WILWAXU]

Is it possible that it's getting over extended?

[juiced]

Is it possible that it's getting over extended?

unlikely unless he's jumping it, lol

[Damn True]

unlikely unless he's jumping it, lol

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/09/1969DodgeChargerGeneralLeeDOHJumpSwamp16-1.jpg

[BonzoHansen]

Lol

[WILWAXU]

unlikely unless he's jumping it, lolDepends on the angles he drives across. I've seen rear springs fallout of cars going through a steep driveway entrance.

[staged67gspwr]

Well they took both back,the other one(pass.side)was in good shape but i guess they wanna double check that one also,the first time that same one failed mightve been my fault because i had the setting on them at 0 but its just too ironic the same one got screwed up again and this time the setting was 6 clicks up,well anyway lets hope they get done right and they get sent back quick i hate leaving the car up on jacks for a while and plus i`d like to make it to a few car shows coming up,will update. and no i wasnt jumping any steep hills like dukes of hazzard.

Thanks