Silverbullets' resto: Engine, gearbox, suspension

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 7:03 pm

Time for a new thread documenting a completely separate area of the rebuild of my wagon, since none of this applies to my "Bodywork" thread I plan on making separate threads relating to separate sections of the rebuild to keep things simpler, easier to find and more topical. I've also put it in a different section of the forum, I'll try and get the bodywork thread moved here too.

Anywhoo back on topic! The first thing I'm working on in the suspension area is getting the lift kit installed. I'm going for 2 inch body lift which is the maximum permitted I think to stay registerable...plus I don't want any more than that. I've got some bits and pieces from a lifted car at a wreckers I found, but half of it was un-usable and some of it I couldn't even remove from the car (rear shock spacers) I've got the material to make what I don't have, and the most complicated parts were always going to be the front strut tops.

Because I had always planned to use L series struts (with the top bearing for lighter steering) I needed to make the strut block as an adapter as well. So the bottom plate was hardest to make because it matches the L series 3 bolt pattern and the top plate has 2 studs sticking out for a seamless match of the two generations

Also I had to work out the offsets required for camber and source some 115mm OD pipe (got extremely lucky at work, found a small piece) Today was a public holiday and for some reason public hols put me in a productive mood so today I planned to have the front strut tops made. First I had to mark out, drill and cut the 2 plates for the MY side of the block so I welded 2 plates together to halve the work, cut them out together. A bandsaw would have made life so much easier here

Good thing I have a decent angle grinder.

L series strut top plate, correct PCD and hole for the strut top to poke through.

Ready to cut out the two MY plates, for this kind of work I like to witness mark the outlines with a center punch, you quickly loose the scribe lines with bright sparks everywhere.

All finished up

Component parts of one strut block

All tacked up with the correct offsets, studs welded in

Bolted up to the L series strut

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 7:06 pm

Test fitted to the car, looks a bit too high

Yeh, waaay too high! found out the L series strut is about an inch or more longer than the old MY strut, shorter springs will be required and once the car is loaded up with engine etc hopefully it will drop down a bit more.

So does anyone have suggestions on where I should look for replacement springs? Or do I just cut down the L series springs. They would have to be the same height as MY springs and fit the L series strut etc. Also would I then need a different shock absorber?

I haven't fully welded anything yet since I only got as far as tacking the first lift block up before we had a long ass black out

It had been blowing gale force winds all morning up until this point...

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 7:33 pm

Its all looking really good now SB, you must me lovin every spare moment you have for this build

.

As for your front springs, I believe you can have them adjusted or re-wound by a specialist leaf and coil spring shop, or custom order some say example King springs. I have never done either so can't give more useful feedback or advice.

BTW nice work with the strut top modules. I could give you some custom jobs for my wagon if your interested

J.

Proton mouse · Post by **Proton mouse** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:17 pm

From my experience of having mates who worked in a spring works back in the 80's and 90's is NOT to get your springs
retempered as they are almost never the same and have a high chance of sagging in a short space of time.
Cutting is going to be the cheaper option, but it will ruin suspension travel, which you obviously still want in a 4wd, and
it will also give you a much stiffer and harder ride.
You should be able to order new LOWERED King springs to suit L series ,through 'Rip Every Poor Customer Off' or the like.
Bit of a pain but you need to do it last when it is sitting at its normal kerb weight and you can measure it properly.
John

BTW nice work on the lift kit so far

Post by **TOONGA** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:29 pm

Very nice work I can see people wanting these.

Do you still have the "MY" springs ?

I would put them next to the "L" springs on the bench and see how much difference there is between them. You might be able to use the "MY" springs in the "L" struts but remember I said might.

You could cut a coil off the "L" springs but do it cold ... in other words don't use an angle grinder.

I have 2 vortex front King springs here but both have had a coil cut from them hot

PM me if you want them.

TOONGA

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:45 pm

Well I was planning on getting new springs, I'm putting new gear in wherever I can for this rebuild. If lowered King springs are available they could be an option since they would fit right in. Since I've never played around with suspension/springs before this is all new to me, but I can see why I should wait till the car is fully loaded up before I start splashing out on new springs only to find they are wrong later down the track.

TOONGA you could be right the MY spring might go right in, would keep the stock spring characteristics. Whatever I end up doing to shorten the L series strut, would I then need a different shock absorber than the stock L series one? I'll be getting new shocks as well anyway as these are unknown ones from a wrecker.

As for quantities of my strut adapter blocks; unlikely since they are a bit fiddly to set up with the offsets and what not. I would need to automate the cutting of the upper and lower plates (probably outsource to a CNC plasma/laser cutting place) which would bump the price up. If I had say 10 pairs ordered I could do it probably, would then make a welding jig for locating everything properly and easily...wait what am I saying I don't have the time for this kind of thing

Post by **TOONGA** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:06 pm

You may find you could use vortex front struts or "L" FWD struts

Ebay isn't helping me at the moment.

But I do know both are shorter than the standard "L" strut.

TOONGA

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 4:45 pm

That is very useful info there TOONGA, thanks! Forgot Vortex stuff will bolt up now...since I have Vortex hubs, knuckles, bearings, brakes and maybe struts the front end of this car is going to be mostly L series

Running out of reasons to not swap to L series LCA's and just use L series drive shafts as well with the L series 5 speed

We'll see how I go for track width at the front, whether I can go that little bit wider.

Yarran · Post by **Yarran** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:46 pm

L springs will fit strait in the my series struts I have some in my adjustable Brumby struts atm

Yarran · Post by **Yarran** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:49 pm

But I I thought they were the same size as the l strut...

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:04 pm

why not just drill a couple extra holes in the strut towers and fit the L struts/springs with no lift blocks at all?

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:30 pm

Yarran wrote:L springs will fit strait in the my series struts I have some in my adjustable Brumby struts atm

So one would assume it would also work the other way around...I'm trying to get MY springs in an L series strut btw.

AndrewT wrote:why not just drill a couple extra holes in the strut towers and fit the L struts/springs with no lift blocks at all?

Call me pedantic/paranoid but I don't really like the idea; there's lots of reinforcement around the 2 existing holes that wouldn't be there on the 2 extra I drilled. And from now on I'm avoiding any welding on this car where I can because of the paint job. Plus I like it to look as stock as it can look with a lift kit installed, satisfy any coppers/inspectors that will be going over this car in the future.

Yarran · Post by **Yarran** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:29 am

Silverbullet wrote:So one would assume it would also work the other way around...I'm trying to get MY springs in an L series strut btw.

Yep same exact diameter spring. I've done the opposite to you as I could only get a hold of MY adjustable struts. But I modded the l series top hat to take the my strut. In the process of making and adaptor the opposite way around to yours ha.. Btw any chance you could forward your dimensions and offset measurements so I have something to work with?

Subydoug · Post by **Subydoug** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:50 am

Have you got anything heavy to stick in the front to simulate the motor? I know that when I've pulled the motor out of my wagon the front suspension looks ridiculously high. Expect at least 3 inches of static sag.

Regards

Doug

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:49 pm

Yarran wrote:Btw any chance you could forward your dimensions and offset measurements so I have something to work with?

Yeah sure, I'll have to get my CAD drawings from the computer at work since I can't remember it all off the top of my head. Watch this space.

Doug, well I think I weigh about as much as an EA81 so what if I just stand on the cross member?

It is amazing how much the front drops when fully loaded you are right. Still the L series struts are longer, I will look into shorter options as well.

Subydoug · Post by **Subydoug** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:53 pm

Engine and gearbox. If you took all the engine bits (long block and radiator, alternator, battery, etc etc) it would probably be closer to the 140kg mark.

Regards

Doug

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 5:25 pm

Well if it weren't for the power outage I would have had these done last week! 2 front strut lift blocks fresh off the welder. Just need a clean up and then a coat of paint.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 6:40 pm

So the front end is all lifted and finished, now on to the rear! Just 4 little blocks under the torsion bar cross member to make and the lift kit is pretty much done! With the lift in the front only, it does look a bit ridiculous especially since the L struts are longer. Jumping on the engine cross member makes no difference and the springs seem veeery very stiff to me

d_generate · Post by **d_generate** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 7:50 pm

Rear lift is easy, nice welding too ..................... on yours

Sorry if I stole this from here.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 12:07 pm

Wow someone wanted stiffer springs by the looks of it