Hitting bump stops!

[broken-wheel 659]

if you download the King Springs catalogue from their website they'll tell you the minimum damper you should use.

 

Again the S/L is not a road spring, it's not on the catalogue as it's not legal to use on the street but more importantly it's too dangerous to use on the street. You see others using it which is at their own peril. 

 

If you do want to lower it properly it's not cheap. You will need to get aftermarket upper control arms which give you about 1 inch, then ring Kmac or King and ask them for 900 pound spring, they will ask you to measure centre of hub to guard and you will give them this measurement and they will make the spring for you, you then buy some adjustable dampers (koni/bilstein) and tell your damper guru the spring rate and weight of your car and they will put the right valve in, you then install the shebang and get a wheel alignment an happy days..... it won't be as low as you want thou! but pending you do the same with the rear it will out handle a Bx/FG

[Nath 1,975]

Never understood why people have stupidly low cars. I keep hearing that it looks good but it just makes you look retarded when you scrape it, have to go over speed humps at 3km/h and can't make it up driveways without going sideways.

[Squid 55]

I don't want it ridiculously low, just to maybe fill the guard and not look like a 4wd!

 

Seems like the above is the go! Couple it with new bushes? And anything else I should replace?

Any brands to go for with control arms?

 

In the rear I've got s/l leaf springs from kings and pedders shocks, that should be alright? Maybe a sway bar? And if I want it lower blocks/reset?

[winton 399]

I understand why people have stupidly low cars. Because it looks awesome good and it just makes others look like retards when they don't scrape it, have to go over speed humps at 3km/h is cool and can't make it up the road without going sideways.

Fixed

[winton 399]

I worked in a suspension place years ago and it was common practice to cut the bump stops in half when installing sl's.

I think there is a minimum length for a bump stop something like 2".

Id just cut them down to 10mm and live with it. That being done they may split from the constant pounding but it is what it is.

[Squid 55]

 

If you do want to lower it properly it's not cheap. You will need to get aftermarket upper control arms which give you about 1 inch, then ring Kmac or King and ask them for 900 pound spring, they will ask you to measure centre of hub to guard and you will give them this measurement and they will make the spring for you, you then buy some adjustable dampers (koni/bilstein) and tell your damper guru the spring rate and weight of your car and they will put the right valve in, you then install the shebang and get a wheel alignment an happy days..... it won't be as low as you want thou! but pending you do the same with the rear it will out handle a Bx/FG

If i do this, will i need to cut the bump stops?

 

 

And should i still drive it like it is? just to work and back?

[Squid 55]

i.e http://www.cfcomponents.com.au/uca.html

[wagoon 2,429]

If you want lower while retaining suspension travel have a look at the lower control arm drop, it's just drill a couple of holes in the right place and it will improve your handling and lower your car a bit.

As said above though you can lower your car for handling or you can lower it for looks you can't do both. Lowering your car for handling will lower it about 50mm from standard, lowering for looks will lower it by 80-100mm. You could try and fix the problem by getting better shocks and trimming bumps stops but at the end of the day you are only trying to patch a bad idea. If Australian roads were better you could probably get away with very low suspension but reality is you will always have compromises with very low suspension. And in regards to other people putting up with very low suspension, don't forget that there are still people out there that cut standard spring with a grinder to lower their car. This is the most stupid idiotic thing you can do as you are changing the spring rate and the reducing the working range of the spring, but they think their car is cool bouncing over a tooth pick shoving their spines through the roof. So don't assume cause other people have done it and it looks cool that it is safe or a good idea, as there are plenty of things that make your car cool that are far from safe.

[wagoon 2,429]

The other option to very low suspension is to spend bucket loads of cash on expansive aftermarket gear which doesn't meet Australian standard and is just as illegal as the stupid low suspension. It may well handle very well and be very well designed but if you get stickered for it no matter how good it is you will have to remove it to get your car back on the road

[broken-wheel 659]

I don't want it ridiculously low, just to maybe fill the guard and not look like a 4wd!

 

Seems like the above is the go! Couple it with new bushes? And anything else I should replace?

Any brands to go for with control arms?

 

In the rear I've got s/l leaf springs from kings and pedders shocks, that should be alright? Maybe a sway bar? And if I want it lower blocks/reset?

 

I'm doing the front and rear on an XE at the moment and every bush is SuperPro, replacing all ball joints, all drag link bushing, tie rods, inner and outers as well as all the rear bushes and watts link bushes .... a lot of time and money really but never have to worry about it for a long time

 

with the control arms you're much better off pressing the bushes out yourself then paying somebody as they want stupid money for them off the shelf, if you got a press then it's easy, the way i see it you can get a new 6 tonne press for $200, the front lower arms are $200 so really the press pays for itself and it's another tool you have in your arsenal 

[SLO247 1,713]

Try any other pair of shocks and see what happens.

 

Feel free to order more springs and move the UCA. It'll still ride like shit, just harsh shocks.

 

The bump stop will clearance itself.

[broken-wheel 659]

Try any other pair of shocks and see what happens.

 

Feel free to order more springs and move the UCA. It'll still ride like shit, just harsh shocks.

 

The bump stop will clearance itself.

you don't need to try another pair of dampers, you just look at the dampers though the top hat, pop the bonnet and look at the damper though the top hat and bounce the suspension you will see if it hits, most of the time you can put some shims under the hat and give it 5mm or so of extra travel witch on a 400pound spring is fuck all

[Squid 55]

Try any other pair of shocks and see what happens.

 

 

I think this is the first option, and then if it's all good cut the stops a touch!

As well as replacing all the bushes

[Squid 55]

What do you mean by damper?

I'm still trying to understand all this

[broken-wheel 659]

If you want lower while retaining suspension travel have a look at the lower control arm drop, it's just drill a couple of holes in the right place and it will improve your handling and lower your car a bit.

 

 

 

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so you lower the upper control arm by 1" and move it back 3mm, this is going to give you extra castor which is good as you tyres won't hit the front bumper at full lock (if you got 245s), it will gain camber much better, and the steering will self cents and be a lot more responsive

 

 

damper=shock absorber .... the correct terminology is damper 

 

82-1742SP1 & 80-2513SP1<---- this is what you want for dampers

[Squid 55]

So by doing the above? And changing or not changing shocks?

[78xcgxl 241]

The shelby drop lowers the upper control arm 1 inch, not the actual car suspension ride height 1 inch. The shelby drop will lower the car only around a 1/4 of a inch and it's purpose is not designed to actually lower the car, just improve camber curve.

 

I would just replace springs with the correct king springs KFFl-0 and fit shortened shocks in, this will fix all the issues you are currently having.

[SPArKy_Dave 8,863]

I'm doing the front and rear on an XE at the moment and every bush is SuperPro,

 

Not a great idea for a road vehicle.

These old girls need the pliability of rubber bushes.

Going urethane will only make the NVH worse, and at a reduced bush lifespan too.

 

Never be tempted to run urethane upper front shock bushes.

They're known to tear the spotwelds from the shock tops, thus pushing the shock rod into the bonnet.

 

As a gauge, my XG ute has KFFL59's and is (only just) legal height running 18inch wheels,

and 90mm clearance running 16inch wheels with 225/50/16 tyres.

 

Because of that, KFFL59's should still be within 100mm on a 6cyl XD-XF I imagine.

 

Shocks also add spring rate,

and can ruin the ride of the vehicle -

 

 

[SPArKy_Dave 8,863]

[Squid 55]

Those videos are awesome! Makes more sense, so by getting new hydraulic shocks, I should be sweet! And maybe a bump stop trim!

[Squid 55]

82-1742SP4

This is the part number for some koni's,

Someone back me up here before I spend money on the wrong things!

[SPArKy_Dave 8,863]

Yes, those or some Bilsteins will make a world of difference.

 

 

 

 

 

[Squid 55]

Ill take that as a yes

[Squid 55]

I think I found the problem.

I got the 15-3101+ which states that they're not for lowered suspension...

Bloody Repco. They're normally good to me

[Outback Jack 6,352]

There's ya problem right there. Lol.

Still be careful with the springs, the shocks may be bottoming out but those shocks are too low.

Best of luck.

Jack.