Nath

Made some more inquiries. I know ACL doesn't make stuff anymore but it's not what you know it's who you know I can get my hands on an ACL rebuild kit for around 500 bucks. Not entirely sure (guy was unclear to my mate on the phone) but I think he said they only had pistons to suit 60 thou...using 200 rods. So there is a chance that I could be the luckiest son of a bitch ever. 60 thou was more than I was intending but I guess I have to roll with what I can get my hands on. Need a list of part numbers to bring to them for the specs I want. http://www.aclperformance.com.au/EU/tech_er_kits.htm I was gonna use 9412xxx2 (xxx is the variable parts). If anyone knows what bearing sets out of those offered I will need that'd be massively helpful as I don't want to order the wrong ones. I need to give the guy a call back and get an exact part number for the pistons though so I know what I'm working with, which is what I'm about to do now.

Potentially stupid question... Looking for parts. Had a look at the ACL website and they sell whole rebuild kits. Looks like you can mix and match bits for the desired application as well. Anyone used these and recommends them? Can't really find a price on there though which is a little ominous.

Nice to see you've joined the darkside.

I shit you not I was just watching that before you posted it

Looks like the crossflow fairy has been for a visit while I was away... Must be a strong bastard, engine blocks are pretty heavy. Gonna be away most of the week but I will see if I can order a bunch of stuff and figure out a plan for the machining before I leave so it will hopefully be here by the time I get back. Hope you guys don't mind the inevitable "in way over my head but trying to fumble through it" questions

Yeah just make sure you sort out some sort of ventilation for the tank. Don't just remove the hole and plug the fitting (that's bad mmmkay). The guy that owned my XD before me just cut the lines about 30cm from where it comes out of the tank. Does the job but if you fill the tank past the first click you end up standing in a puddle of petrol

You can disconnect them without any negative side effects (other than the environment, but fuck mother nature, bitch has been getting away with stuff for too long) as far as I know. However you'll need to actually have one there and looking like it's actually hooked up for the car to be roadworthy. IIRC it's just a bunch of vapour lines from the fuel tank (without them it just vents to atmosphere, yay!) and a couple of vacuum lines inside the engine bay. I could be wrong though. It's been known to happen... A lot.

Just been doing some hunting for parts and stuff, this popped up. Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for (except for the fact I don't know the ratio yet), but it looks pretty manky. http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/elanora-heights/brakes-suspension/ford-falcon/1076439471 I'm assuming this won't be a "sand it, paint it then throw some new oil in it" kind of job. Anyone know a rough ballpark figure of what it'd cost to get all the guts of it done if they're bad? The rest is easy enough. If it's gonna be a massive money sink I'll just look for a better one though. Also found some tramp rods (as discussed in another thread) from the same dude. Might be worth grabbing? http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/elanora-heights/brakes-suspension/ford-tramp-rods/1076442733

So I've been trying to sort out the fact that going over a bumpy road in my XD is a spinal injury waiting to happen... Current suspension specs are: Front: Kings Low Springs, crappy old rubber spring pads, Monroe GT Shocks, Nolathane upper and lower control arm, old rubber spring saddle bushes Rear Stock Leaf Springs, 1.5Inch lowering blocks and shitty old rubber bushes, Monroe GT shocks Biggest sway bars I could get my hands with all Nolathane bushes too. Even though I'm still yet to do a few of the bushes, it corners really, really well. I just did what really needed doing for roadworthy as I was on a deadline, but now it's about time I worked out some of the gremlins. I cut the bump stops at the front as there wasn't much clearance (about 2.5cm) and that helped, but there's still quite a bit of jarring and you feel absolutely everything. Goes over speed humps and even some potholes very smoothly but as soon I hit even a slightly bumpy road I'm expecting the screws to fall out of my dash and the glass to crack. I know Nolathane makes the ride harsh but it's just ridiculous at this stage, no way that's the only issue. In hindsight I think I'll do steering and sway bars in Nolathane, and anything that involves up and down in rubber... But for now I'm stuck with what I have so I need to look at other stuff. I heard Kings were like 15% harder than stock springs or something so maybe that's a big part of it... Would it be worth swapping them out with pedders? Should I be looking at the shitty old spring pads and saddle bushes at all? Also, on a slightly less urgent note, I also get pretty brutal axle hop under very hard braking or stupidly tight/fast corners. Not really an issue in everyday driving but I'd like to fix it nonetheless. I know the lowering blocks probably make it worse. Someone mentioned tramp rods but I'm not sure where I'd get a set (next to the rocking horse shit and unicorn meat at woolies?). My spine, and the screws in my interior would be grateful for any advice.

Haha that's awesome. Definately gonna happen on both our cars one weekend. I'll hit up the wreckers for a new assembly then. Cheers Dave.

Fitting of any drive axle assembly (including differential and brakes) from a different make or model vehicle. Example requiring certification: • Fitting a Ford 9 inch differential into a Commodore. Example not requiring certification: • Fitting aftermarket internal drive axle components eg differential locks. Technically it needs engineering I think but 99% chance no one would even know on the off chance they bothered checking it.

Can't be using logic when it comes to the RMS man. Could be wrong (hopefully I am) but unless the diff originally came on an XD I think it needs engineering. Having said that I'd probably just put the tag from an XD on it and no one would ever notice, it'd just be nice not to have to worry about it.

Yeah no doubt. The lowering blocks probably don't do much to help either. Probably will end up getting new rear springs at some point anyway, but if I can fix it for 100 bucks as opposed to 600 that'd be cool.

Nice! That looks way less ghetto than the other picture. Could be wrong but I think the rule is that you can't have any suspension components hanging lower than the outer edge of the rim.

Ahk. My understanding of it was that the axle hop is caused by the spring twisting, so stopping that will stop the hop. I'm pretty sure the rods in that photo wouldn't be street legal... Hanging down wayyyyy too low. Will look into summit though.

There is no way that's even halfway legal on the road... I thought that they connected to a bracket thing on top of the U bolts holding the axle, and that the other end went through a hole in the chassis.

Found some tramp rods/hens teeth. Will these mount right up or are there parts missing? Was a bit hard to hear over the phone but he said something about using U bolts. http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-view-details.html?adId=1076442733 Not gonna lie... No idea how the hell that is supposed to mount. Isn't it meant to have a bush either end?

Ahk fair enough. There goes that idea. /thread.

I reckon I'd be in that Dave. Always better to stop before you reach the back of the semi rather than halfway through it.

Good posts guys. I was under the impression that it could be a combination of 3-4 different things causing the problem, which means I can improve it a bit. Cutting the bump stops helped, for example. I will try dropping the tyre pressure a bit. The car still has body roll but it's quite minimal. Feels really good through corners. The back I don't really give a shit about. It's going to suck regardless because it's leaf sprung. Besides that I'm not one who has to sit back there so I really don't care Since you asked, the leaf springs are old but only have about 90,000km on them. I was hoping to be able to do more about the axle hop than the ride quality at the back. I think it might be both the gas shocks not compressing enough over small stuff, and the springs being too stiff. Might see if I can find a decent second hand set of each and see if it makes a difference... Cheers guys.

I'd assume they were meant to be paired with the springs as they were sold together with them... Doesn't feel like the shocks are bottoming out, although maybe they're too stiff so they don't do much on the little bumps? I cut the bump stops about in half and it helped a lot. Went from "holy shit I just put the control arm into the engine bay" to "well that sucked" when you hit a pothole.

I get that it'll be a bit harsher but is it seriously meant to rattle the glass and send shit flying everywhere on anything except the smoothest of roads? What gets me is that it goes over potholes and speed humps ok but as soon as the bumps and small stuff starts it's like driving a washing machine.

Could try soaking it in vinegar overnight. The rust will just wipe off.

Still can't help you... But still admiring the car