The Carrera Coil-Over Kit For Steel & Aluminum Shocks

The Carrera Coil-Over Kit has been designed and manufactured to provide you with the BEST method of mating Carrera shocks and springs into a coil-over unit. The materials are strong but lightweight and are supplied in many different design configurations to accommodate various shock sizes and spring diameters and lengths.
COIL-OVER KIT Installation
1. Make sure that the kit is the proper one for your shock/spring combination. THE KIT CANNOT BE INSTALLED WHILE THE SHOCK IS MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE.

2. Each kit contains a threaded tube, threaded nut, upper spring seat, a pair of tie-straps and a snap-ring. Tapered "CONE" kits will additionally contain a "diaper-pin" and tie-wraps.

"C" suffix kits will additionally have a Jam Nut and an 'O'-ring (that goes into a groove on the bottom of the Adjusting Nut). This Jam Nut can normally be tightened by hand – no spanner wrench is required.

"RV" suffix kits have a chrome plated tapered "CONE" spring seat and NO tie-straps nor "diaper-pin".

STEEL Shocks ONLY! (Aluminum: go to #7)

3. The shock must be grooved. All Carrera steel coil-over shocks are factory grooved.

4. The threaded tube must first be installed on the shock. THE TAPERED COUNTERBORE MUST BE TOWARD THE SNAP-RING GROOVE.

5. Use snap-ring pliers to install the snap-ring into the groove. Do not spread the ring any farther than is necessary to slide it over the shock body. OVER-SPREADING MAY MAKE THE SNAP RING LOOSE IN THE GROOVE AND THE ASSEMBLY WILL BE QUITE DIFFICULT.

6. Slide the threaded tube over the snap-ring and seat it firmly, THE SNAP-RING MUST GO COMPLETELY INTO & BE COVERED BY THE TUBE. When properly set, the tube will "lock-up" tight on the snap-ring and cannot be rotated by hand.

Note: If the snap-ring is spread too far when installing it, it may be difficult to get it to enter the counterbore. You will have to squeeze the snap ring down into the groove at the same time you drive the tube over the snap-ring.
7. Thread the Jam Nut (if used) then the Adjusting Nut (with the O-ring installed in its groove for use with a Jam Nut) all the way down to the bottom of the threads and place the floating washer (if used) on the adjusting nut.

8. The spring is supported by the threaded Adjusting nut (and floating washer, if used). The smoothest side of the washer is to be against the nut. DO NOT install the floating washer on the spring seat, which is on the shaft end of the shock.

9. Fully extend the shock.

10. Slide the rubber travel indicator and bumper, if any, down the rod until it contacts the top of the shock body. THE INDICATOR AND/OR BUMPER MUST BE FREE ON THE ROD BETWEEN THE SPRING SEAT AND THE SHOCK BODY.

11. Slide the spring over the shock and rest it against the adjusting nut (or floating washer).

Important Recommendations

Two 1/4" holes are drilled in the top of the spring seat. It is recommended that the two nylon tie-straps be used to attach the spring to the spring seat. On the tapered spring seat, a smaller 1/8" hole is drilled across the slot for the use a "diaper-pin", which will keep the seat centered on the rod even if the spring is totally unloaded (provided it is "tie-strapped" to the spring). Chrome plated seats have no holes for a "diaper-pin".
12. Slide the spring seat’s SLOT over the rod & then down onto the spring. Be sure that the Travel Indicator is not caught above the spring seat – it must be "free" below the spring seat. If the spring is too long to do this by hand you will need to "preload" (compress) the spring with a Spring Compressor.

Normally, Race-cars do NOT have "preload" (if the spring is too long you might consider a shorter spring) & street machines DO have "preload" (which allows softer spring rates).

13. Install the unit on the vehicle and adjust the ride height by turning the Adjusting Nut up or down as required. ALWAYS jack up the car’s chassis to totally unload the spring BEFORE adjusting. If unloaded the Nut can usually be turned by hand. If it has "preload" you will probably need a spanner wrench (Carrera part number 1880C) to turn it.

In either case: Do NOT make Height Adjustments with the Car’s Weight on the Coil-Over unit.

 

COIL-OVER KIT COMPONENTS

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
Spring ID Body Size Spring Seat Coil-Over Kit Threaded Tube Adjust. Nut Spring Seat Snap Ring Diaper Pin** Jam Nut w/O-ring Jam Nut w/O-ring Spring Guide 2-Piece Spring Float Washer
1-7/8" Alum. Small Flat 1654c   1664 1666     1665c   1641e 1642e 1668
    Cone 1655c   1664 1667   1977b 1665c   1641e 1642e 1668
Steel Small Flat 1954 1936 1664b 1666 1930     1665d     1668
  Cone 1955 1936 1664b 1667 1930 1977b   1665d     1668
Cone 1955c 1936 1664b 1667 1930 1977b 1665d       1668
2-1/4" Alum. Small Flat 1652c   1660 1873r     1665c   1641d 1642d 1877
      Cone 1653c   1660 1874r   1977b 1665c   1641d 1642d 1877
Big Flat 1672c   1662 1873r     1665b   1641b 1642b 1877
  Cone 1673c   1662 1874r   1977b 1665b   1641b 1642b 1877
'GP' Flat 1675h   1662h 1873r     1665g   1641h 1642h 1877
  Cone 1674h   1662h 1874r   1977b 1665g   1641h 1642h 1877
Steel Small Flat 1976r 1934 1878s 1873r 1930     1665a     1877
  Cone 1975r 1934 1878s 1874r 1930 1977b   1665a     1877
Cone 1975c 1934 1878s 1874r 1930 1977b 1665a       1877
2-1/2" Alum. Small Flat 1650c   1661 1923r     1665c   1641c 1642c 1927
      Cone 1651c   1661 1870r   1977b 1665c   1641c 1642c 1927
Big Flat 1670c   1663 1923r     1665b   1641a 1942a 1927
  Cone 1671c   1663 1870r   1977b 1665b   1641a 1942a 1927
'GP' Flat 1675g   1663g 1923r     1665g   1641g 1642g 1927
  Cone 1674g   1663g 1870r   1977b 1665g   1641g 1642g 1927
Steel Small Flat 1950r 1934 1928s 1923r 1930     1665a 1641f   1927
    Cone 1951r 1934 1928s 1870r 1930 1977b   1665a 1641f   1927
Cone 1951c 1934 1928s 1870r 1930 1977b 1665a   1641f   1927
Chromed Cone 1951rv 1934 1928s 1870rv 1930     1665a 1641f   1927
Big Flat 1970r 1935 1929s 1923r 1931     1665 1641   1927
  Cone 1971r 1935 1929s 1870r 1931 1977b   1665 1641   1927
Cone 1971c 1935 1929s 1870r 1931 1977b 1665   1641   1927

***NOTES***

One-inch spring spacers are available for the 2-1/2" ID spring (Carrera part number 1872), the 2-1/4" ID spring (Carrera part number 1886). A ¾" spring spacer is available for the 1-7/8" ID spring (Carrera part number 1669). Spacers can be "stacked" for additional spacing.

Carrera Jam Nut Instructions

The Carrera Jam Nut is designed to prevent the coil-over adjusting nut from vibrating loose. Merely hand-tightening the Jam Nut is sufficient to keep the spring set where you want it. The "projection" on the locking nut goes into the recess of the adjusting nut against the o-ring. When tightened it squeezes the o-ring down into the threads ("locked") which prevents turning from vibration (even though it is possible to force it to turn "by hand"). When "unlocked" the o-ring does not touch the threads so the adjusting nut will turn freely.

1. – To make it easy: Take the adjusting nut off the shock! Insert the O-ring in the O-ring groove on the bottom of the adjusting nut. (Refer to Diagram A). This should be a little difficult, as the O-ring is larger than the groove (in order to keep the O-ring inside the nut while still clearing the threads as it is being turned).

If you have to do this on the shock: Press the O-ring in on two sides opposite each other. Use your fingernail (or a screwdriver) to push it down in the groove for about ¾" so that about ½ of the "excess" is on each side, then rotate it 90 degrees and do it again until it is in.  (as shown in Diagram B)

2. – Screw the Jam Nut on the threaded coil-over tube (or threaded aluminum body shock) with the projection towards the spring.  (see Diagram A)

3. – Screw on the adjusting nut with the O-ring toward the Jam Nut. Note: If installing on an aluminum-body shock that is threaded all the way to the end, the Adjusting Nut may be installed from that end, followed by the Jam Nut.  If installing on a threaded tube, the Jam Nut must be installed prior to the Adjusting Nut.

4. – When spring height is set, turn the Jam Nut up to contact the O-ring and hand-tighten to "lock" it in position.