Lowering KE1x Front using KE2x parts

--Philbey 23:15, 21 May 2008 (EST)

This article is not all my work, it has been pieced together with info divulged from regular contributors such as camerondownunder, ROL-110 and Felix. I've done an upgrade based on what I pieced together from digging through, but most of the info comes Scotts post: http://www.rollaclub.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7435&hl=lower

Background

So lets begin with a little explanation of KE1x front ends: They have Macpherson struts, a typical integrated coil spring/shock absorber combination. BUT they also have a leaf spring that runs through the front engine crossmember that connects to the lower wishbones.

Its apparent that the leaf spring takes the bulk of the car's front weight (~50%), and the coil springs a little less (~25% each). This should create a progressive spring rate effect, like those fancy race springs!

Because the front springs are quite short and soft, shorter springs (ie Superlows etc) and cutting out coils leaves your spring perches very close together and will likely clash under hard cornering. But there is a nice solution to get an easy inch out of your suspension.

Shopping List

All you need to get your hands on are: - Upper spring perches from a KE20 corolla

- Ring Spacers, 15mm internal diameter, 21mm external diameter, 8mm tall

Thats it. I got the spring perches with KE20 Springs and strut tops for less than 20 bucks at a wrecker. The ring spacers I got made by a mate, he knocked them up in less than 20 minutes on a lathe. There are other items you can use, I will explain later.

Here is a diagram of a KE1x strut (most of it) to assist those who aren't too familiar: 1. Strut top, the 3 studs are what poke through your strut tower, accessed from under the bonnet

2. Upper Spring perch "top hat". This is a KE1x strut, which have 2 piece upper spring perches.

3. Upper spring perch "hat brim". The other portion of the upper spring perch.

4. Shock absorber rod, also known as the bit that goes in and out......

5. Strut body.

6. Lower Spring Perch, welded to the strut body.

Note - spring is removed in this pic.

Deconstruction!

I'll skip the bit on how to pull the strut out of the car, thats fairly self explanatory. Unbolt things and pull it out. Hurt self, swear, etc.

Once the strut assembly is on the bench, you'll have to get the spring out. Like we mentioned earlier, its quite a soft spring, and you will be able to grab it with your hand and compress it enough to pop the bottom end off the perch:

Once this is done you just need to wind the coil down off as far as you can get it:

Now comes what can usually be a tricky task, undoing the large nut at the top of the strut that holds the upper perch and the strut top onto the shock. I used a piece of old bike tyre tube wrapped around the shaft with multigrips. Hit this with a rattlegun and its all done. This same method should work with a vice and a ratchet too.

All apart: