Anyone?
I'm thinking of building my own. I have done this in that past. Worked great. Cheap to do... so I can put bigger amount of money into high quality shocks. Probably double adjustable.

 

I think my question should also ask - is the shock body separate from the housing that bolts to the spindle, or is the shock body/strut housing that bolts to the spindle one in the same? Thank you.

 

The struts are all one piece.

 

Got it - thanks. I'll have to get a beater strut from the junkyard and tear it apart. It may be that if you grind the top off the strut, that there is a standard diameter shock inside. If that's the case, great, then you can make coilovers. If not - have to move on to Plan B.

 

You must have a lot of time available. I think you’re going to spend a bunch of time and money to get something that really isn’t much better than something “off the shelf”. There are double adjustable coil overs available that are relatively not that expensive. KW and Bilstein have readily available offerings in the $2500 range. Not sure what your DIY budget is…

 

Thank you. You're right that there's not much savings in building my own. In my head, I like Koni Double Adjustables. I have them on my other ride - and I made the coilovers myself --- whole thing worked out like a charm. I guess at the core, I wonder about the quality of the KW double adjustable shocks as compared to the Koni's? You're also right that I have more time than money - and that the cost of building my own isn't gonna save much (Koni double adjustables + springs + sleeves + camber plates, etc...). My thinking is that when I'm done I'll have shocks I believe in, and having built the coilovers myself, if I have issues, I'll know the insides & outs of how to fix them.
What are the thoughts of the KW or Bilstein or other comparable Double Adjustable shocks vs. Koni? Thanks.

 

I’m not a fan of Koni, so my option won’t match yours. KW and Bilstein are German brands. I’ve been a fan of Bilstein for a long time.

I just looked up, and didn’t realize you have an R53. Bilstein double adjustable Coubsports aren’t made for your car. I don’t think I’d have any issue with the KWs. the advantage to the KWs and Bilsteins are TUV certifications. In order to drive an aftermarket parts in Europe, they need to be TUV certified, which means certain level of build quality and durability. Koni, being and American product, doesn’t carry that certification. And, say what you will about Made in USA, in my opinion, doesn’t match German engineering and quality.