Blown shocks

[<rollin>]

Hey Guys,

Please let this be a warning about installing lowered springs with the OEM struts. I was (being naive and all that) talked into re-setting the factory springs (1 1/2 inches) rather than purchasing an aftermarket brand such as King, Lovells etc.. Of course this caused an unbalanced setting between shock and spring and it did not take long for the shocks to wear (approx 3-4 months) Pedders shock tested my car and found that both front and rear shocks were rooted. I am now driving on worn shocks which is not pleasant and to rub salt into the wound i had voided the warranty when i lowered the car originally so they will not replace them. :(

I realise that most of you are choosing Eibach and that these springs will probably not effect factory struts as they have been designed to work with them.

Riding on 18inch rims probably did not help either

Safe and happy motoring ;)

[BlackRolla]

That is F*&^*% !

Are you saying that wether we choose to reset the springs or get King or Eibach that this would happen to our shocks?

What if we just get a set of after market spring, would this stilll happen???

I was thinking of getting King Springs. Makes me think twice now. <_<

[shaohaok]

it happens to most cars anyway. lowered springs would accelerate the wear of a shock. even when i drive around with kings and stock shocks i found that the rebound of the stock shocks weren't quite up to it as the car keeps wanting to push upwards. i didn't have too much confidence on cornering esp when there are bumps midway as it unsettles the car very easily.

after installing the yellow konis, the ride was much better. the car sucks itself down and bounces once or twice after a bump and stays very settled mid-corner. from my previous experience, lowered springs and stock shocks usually lasts about 4-5000km, depending on how u drive.

oh and one last thing, if u get something like konis, only the inner strut gets replaced. the oem housing is re-used.

sorry about the long post

[illuminati]

thanx for the info guys ^_^

so if we want to lower a car we need to not only change the springs but the shocks too? this is gonna start getting xpensive.

[xTiGeRx]

if then..you might as well get Coil Overs. Straight Talk Suspension can do coil over for $2,100 supply fit for the stivo.

[126]

i disagree with the need for aftermarket shocks when you install lowered springs. of course you can purchase aftermarket shocks but good manufacturers produce lowered springs for specific cars.

if you purchase TEIN for corolla the springs are matched to the factory suspension. there is no need to replace your shocks. if you purchase lowered springs from a manufacturer that did not match the springs to the factory suspension it was sold for then you will have problems.

progressive springs get firmer the faster you drive. you should not cut progressive springs. on the otherhand lovells have the same spring rate throughout the spring (top-middle-end) these are great if you want to cut the springs to have your car lowered a lot!

if you are worried about spring sag you should use pedders because they have very little sag whereas king springs sag a lot more. you could be roadworthy for lowered height when your springs are new but a few months later you could be too low. having said that i do not think this is a big problem for the corolla because it of its unusually high height, therefore the extra sag could be an advantage.

[<rollin>]

Guys,

I am getting a full coilover setup in the coming days so i will keep you posted as to the differences and so fourth...I still believe that even though a lowered spring might be designed to work with the factory shock, the oem struts that we have were are not valved accordingly for the reduction in height...of course the difference in height between factory and aftermarket spring has a major bearing and obviously the design of them, progressive, linear etc.. The demise of my shocks was mainly due to 40 profile rubber on 18's.

You live and learn :) but lose a whole lot of money in the process :(

[126]

can you please tell me what coilovers are for? i thought they are primarily used for racing, for quick ride height adjustments. thanks.

[<rollin>]

orrock, your right, these babies belong on the track as they can be adjusted and tuned perfectly to suit track conditions. There are three main reasons why i am getting them 1. ride height adjustment 2. both spring and damper are matched correctly 3. fully servicable and re-buildable.

[influx]

guys i went to peders a while back with my old car and they said the saem thing and it was bull ****, they told me my shocks were goen due to lowered springs and my springs were factory KE70 setup with original shocks, i went to 3 othe rreliable mechanics and they said they were fine, unless the ride is totoally f@#$ed i would sek a second opinion.

[E-Gene]

Hmmm, making me rethink whether I should lower my car of not. I wouldn't want my shocks to wear out in just 4 -5k. Maybe I should CAI the car first...hmmm.

[126]

shocks on NEW cars often leak/fail prematurely.

every time your car is serviced the mechanic probabaly checks your shocks for leaks. my shocks were checked in january 04.

last week my car was at toyota service department just for a shocks TEST. my shocks are ok. this is now and i know they can leak anytime even with stock suspension as shocks on NEW cars often leak/fail prematurely.

if you organise a shocks test for your car and your car is under warranty please do not accept to pay for the test.

[influx]

i have had min lower by city suspension with kings spring sif it was going to ruin my factory shock they would have tried to sell me after market>>>>>makes sense yes, i have now had my car lower 2" for approx 10000 kms and it is fine the shocks are settled nil extra sag like some people say about king springs

just lower it and stop driving the roller skate, the suspension is the only thing that the Civic type R beats our car with.

[stoopid head]

i had my tivo lowered on king springs (just the low springs) and i dont have any problems as yet, the car has done 6000k on the new springs. When purchasing the springs i spoke to the guys at Kings, who are located on the gold coast and they confirmed the fact the the shocks will wear a lot quicker with the lowered springs but the time this takes to occur really depends on the way u drive the car. if i purchased the super low springs my car would look sh8t hot however the shocks would last 5 - 8k. The low springs should keep the shocks intact for around 20k, unless i take my car racing on weekends and drive real hard during the week, if this was the case the 5k survival is accurate.

cheers

[E-Gene]

So what happens after 5000kms? You've got to change your shocks? That's a high price to pay for having a lowered car ain't it?

[126]

nil extra sag like some people say about king springs

pedders has 2mm sag whereas king springs has 10mm sag. i have seen street cars returned for raising because of too much sag they received unroadworthy.

[Skitzo]

So how much do shocks cost to replace? Is it worth buying shocks and suspension all together at the same time?

I was looking to get some kingsprings but now im a little unsure! I just hope my 17' wont raise my car too much

if the shocks wear down after 20,000... thats terrible!

Also, is there a legal aspect to lowering? Can your car be too low? (legally)

[126]

So what happens after 5000kms? You've got to change your shocks? That's a high price to pay for having a lowered car ain't it?

even if you leave your suspension completely stock your shocks can fail at anytime. i say this because i know that shocks on NEW cars OFTEN leak prematurely.

if your shocks are not leaking they can still fail because of your driving style and your wheels/tyres.

do you drive rough and fast over speed humps?

do you have low profile tyres?

do you frequently drive of rough roads with small pot holes?

if you answer yes to any then your shocks will work hard thus added wear and tear.

if you have $$$ you should lower your car with full coilovers or lowered springs with matching shocks. when you do NOT have big $$$ you just lower your car with lowered springs.

shorts cuts have disadvantages but is cheap. stop driving a roller skate (thanks influx).

if your car has lowered springs and they last a long time you probably have good shocks and you drive well.

if your car has lowered springs and they fail in a few months you probably have bad shocks (premature leaking) OR you drive rough. if you drive well then you would think your shocks were bad all the time from the factory and these would have failed with OR WITHOUT lowered springs.

[126]

So how much do shocks cost to replace?  Is it worth buying shocks and suspension all together at the same time?

I was looking to get some kingsprings but now im a little unsure!  I just hope my 17' wont raise my car too much 

if the shocks wear down after 20,000... thats terrible!

Also, is there a legal aspect to lowering?  Can your car be too low? (legally)

>> Is it worth buying shocks and suspension all together at the same time?

yes if you have $$$ and your car will only be serviced once.

no if you do not have $$$. if if if if your shocks fail then go and purchase aftermarket shocks. your car will be serviced twice.

>> I was looking to get some kingsprings but now im a little unsure! I just hope my 17' wont raise my car too much

pedders is choice.

your car should not be raised but it will be if the tyres you have are large profile. you should have 40 or 45 series.

>> if the shocks wear down after 20,000... thats terrible!

unfortunately factory shocks often fail prematurely.

>> Also, is there a legal aspect to lowering? Can your car be too low? (legally)

for victoria happy reading. good to have a copy in your car.

]http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/vrne/vrninte.nsf/alldocs/7D80B1AB5D67AAFCCA256D7F0017A659?OpenDocument&Area=[Road+safety+hidden+documents]

[xTiGeRx]

quoted $440 for king springs (first stage) 35mm drop...supply fitted and includes 4 wheel alignment.

is that a good price?

[126]

quoted $440 for king springs (first stage) 35mm drop...supply fitted and includes 4 wheel alignment.

is that a good price?

how many dealers did you receive a price quotation from? just one dealer? you should contact a few dealers.

which part of australia are you from?

can i please ask you why you want king springs? has anyone contacted mechanics to find out whether they install more king springs or pedders?

[CHA54]

King's springs dont sag, out of the last 10 set's I've personally installed over the last two years none have sagged yet, which is unfortunate as a couple of the car's would look good a little lower. I usually use KYB gas struts with Low king springs as they are best suited and the car's all handle very well. The KYB shocks last a lot longer than the monro GT Gas aswell. Standard shocks are fine with up to a 30mm drop, when you go more than 30mm your shocks are working too far out of their range and will wear faster.

If you like I can get a friend of mine work works for Kings to jump on here and answer some questions for the uninformed...

Pedders will always tell you your shocks are stuffed, because that is how they sell you new struts. Always ask to keep your old struts if they con you into buying new stuff as the front toyota struts are usually rebuildable with inserts. Then you have your old struts to fit some Koni yellow inserts into in the future if you want a good shock to go with your springs.

If you know the right people, you can get the King springs for under $110 a pair which is dirt cheap and you can see what a rippoff most retailers are, some charging in excess of $180-200 a pair.

The progressive rate king springs were better in my supercharged ae92 sedan than the japanese Apexi progressive rate springs. I've got cusco coilovers in my other ae92 blacktop 20V hatch which **** all over any of the standard coilspring setups you can get

I'll be finding out just how good the Tein springs for the new rolla's are this coming weekend when I install the set for my brother who purchased the Teins from orrock on Ebay. I dont expect the world from it because the new rolla's have a crap suspension design anyway, but we'll see what an improvment it makes. The change is being done for looks as the new rolla's are never going to be a track weapon.

I'll post some pics of the swap after it's done and a guide on how to DIY.

[Captain Upsidedown]

very much agreed on the note of Pedders/Jax/most places will tell you that you have worn shocks so that they HAVE to replace the entire strut.......

The number of AE82, AE92, AE101 and other corolla's that i have seen with munroe struts is unbelievable - considering that all those struts are very easily rebuildable with a new insert.

If you lower a car - you should definitely get shocks that match. Else disaster will follow.

[Captain Upsidedown]

read here:

http://forums.toymods.org.au/index.php?t=m...1661991d9612ab9

[80OZT]

classic