Lowering A Ke30

[ROLLN'03]

My corolla is low as it is, but not that low, so i would like to be able to get it to sit just right...... :y:

 

The rear leafs arent really a problem, because i know a guy who can re - set them and add an extra leaf, so that doesnt worry me....

 

What concerns me is the front springs. I have searched through old topics and someone mentioned that if you use eb ford falcon front springs and cut them down it should be fine.

 

I'm not too sure whether you would have any problem with wheel alignment or would you have to chenge the front shocks or strut tower....??? :P

 

Thanks...

[demuire]

Why wouldn't you just get lowered springs for a KE30? They do sell them off the shelf...

[Super Jamie]

don't cut springs. dodgy and illegal

 

i would change to ke70 front struts (better brakes, smaller diameter spring so you can lean struts in for camber if you get/make adjustable tops) and get custom springs made up to suit

 

think twice about adding a leaf in the back, i've done it and if i did it again, i'd just reset a stock sedan pack to keep the spring rate soft

 

yes, if you change anything on the front of the car, you'll need a wheel alignment. 2.5 to 3 degrees castor, even setback, 1mm toe in is how i like it

[ROLLN'03]

Like Demuire said, i COULD just buy lowered springs to suit, but i was just concerned about the front struts.....

 

My mate in a datto had big issues with that. Key word in that problem, DATSUN! :P

 

Thanks Jamie, a set of ke70 front struts sounds good, + the better brakes would be a big bonus.....!

 

So if i did just whack in a set of lowered springs, nothing should really be upset by it! What brands make these for ke30s?

 

As for extra leaf in the rear pack, i like my suspension HARD! But thats just me! :y:

[ROLLN'03]

So what brands make the ke30 lowered front springs???

 

Has anyone actually ran these, if so how hard are they.....?

[demuire]

Most all spring companies make some sort of springs for KE30's, look up their catalogs. Lowells, Kings, whatever. You can find out the rates from them too.

 

You also want to preferably balance front and rear spring rates. Front should always be stiffer than rear in a RWD car.

 

If you run KE70 struts I don't think you would be able to run KE30 springs. At a guess you'd need KE70 springs, lowered ones I guess. Which may or may not drop your car to the desired height, I'd say more likely even lowered springs would be too high.

[demuire]

On my red KE55 I was running 125lb springs on the front, stock rear springs, felt pretty good. Was running Corona struts with lowered AE86 front springs (which drops the car to stock height). Was running about -1.25 degrees camber on the front too, max castor which I think was about +2.25 degrees. Corona struts gave slightly wider track on the front, all else was pretty much stock.

 

On my white AE35 I'm running 250lb springs on the front, 200lb springs on the back. Feels pretty good. Car has been lowered, running whiteline swaybars front and rear. Running -3 degrees camber on the front, about +3 degrees castor. Approx 140mm extra track on the front (IIRC), approx 50mm extra track on the rear.

[ROLLN'03]

Awesome, yet, would running lowered ke30 front springs with the standard struts / shocks, would it affect the camber on the front or would it be just fine.

 

OR

 

Should i get new shocks and say, a different offset for the top of the strut tower with the new springs?

 

Thanks

[demuire]

On MacPherson setup, raising or lowering the car doesn't do much in camber change. A little, but not much. Lowering will give you slight neg camber which is what you want.

 

You can change your shocks if you want, up to you.

 

You can get adjustable strut tops if you want. But with standard KE30 style springs (lowered or otherwise) you won't be able to dial in much neg camber before the springs hit the suspension towers.

 

On my KE55 I got Pedders to bend the strut tubes. Went from about +1 degree camber to about -1.25 degree camber.

[ROLLN'03]

Thats all i needed to know.

 

Thanks muchly for your help Demuire! :y:

[ROLLN'03]

Just talked to a suspension guy, and depending on how low i go depends on what i have to do....

 

Lowering it a little with lowered springs should be fine to just keep the rest standard, but getting REAL LOW, i will have to start with different shocks and a complete new strut top, with a different offset!

 

CONFUZED???

[demuire]

If you want to go any lower than the "normal" low, you'll end up with not enough suspension travel, and/or uncaptive springs. To solve the suspension travel problem you'll need to get struts shortened, which would mean finding shocks that are also shorter and modify to fit. A lot of work just to make your car low (and probably illegal anyway). To solve uncaptive springs you'll need to get short stroke shocks, or get helper springs, which are expensive and you can only really get them in coilover sizes anyway.

 

In any case, I wouldn't bother going any lower than your "normal" low. It generally makes the handling worse, and it gets expensive rather quickly. If you want a car that looks low but isn't all that low, get a Datsun. To get a Corolla to look very low you have to basically sit it on the bumpstops.

[demuire]

This is probably about as low as a Corolla goes. Corona struts shortened 40mm, AE92 shocks, no springs (sitting on bumpstops). The wheels aren't even "tucked".

 

 

[demuire]

This is a Datsun 1200, with IIRC about 2 or 3 inches of travel left. If the tyres were to clear the guards and you dropped it on the bumpstops, it would look extremely low.

 

Edited September 14, 2005 by demuire

[ROLLN'03]

Thanks guys.........

 

Got it now! :y: