Alignment / Lowered Suspension Question

[munter]

I'm in a bit of a fix!

Having had the outer rod ends and outer rods replaced last week I'm needing to get alignment done asap as its well out. Trouble is I'm really struggling to find somewhere that can do it due to the lowered suspension.

A couple of places can't even get the car on the ramp, another couple can't get the gauge on the wheel as there isn't enough height in the wheel arch above the wheel. Right now I'm running out of options.

I remember I got it done previously at ATS, but it wasn't laser alignment and I wasn't convinced they'd even done that properly. I wont be taking it back there.

I had been thinking I'd like to raise the suspension by 15-20mm as I'm not a massive fan of the super low look and I'm fed up of scraping the bottom of the splitter all the time. The roads round here are pretty bad. The car has unknown coilovers on it which are adjustable, however they look fairly old and I don't have the adjustment tool. I'm sure with some shock/unlock spray I can get them moving ok though, assuming I can get a good grip on them.

What will I need to adjust the ride height? Having not done this before how accurate do I need to be in ensuring all corners are raised the same amount?

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks

[elbon50]

You need a pair of C-spanners to adjust the coilovers

Something like these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-SPANNERS-SH ... 3a5772b277

Cheap enough on the Bay as you see and available in various sizes to suit your spring collars

You may need to remove the coilovers & soak them in diesel to free off the threads

[munter]

Thanks Peter.

Might be a bit of a challenge soaking them in diesel as I need the car as my daily driver!

Anyway to loosen them off in-situ if needs be?

P

[elbon50]

Thanks Peter.

Might be a bit of a challenge soaking them in diesel as I need the car as my daily driver!

Anyway to loosen them off in-situ if needs be?

P

You could try giving a thorough wire brushing across the threads and then soaking with Plusgas or Shock & Unlock Paul

Would suggest that you do that first anyway

The collars may shift easier than expected

[Lauren]

Is there no way of identifying the make of them?

I only say that as getting the proper tool might be easier then to shift the collar nuts.

[aw11rally]

Clean the threads and spray on some lubricant. Then take a large flat headed screwdriver and a hammer, use these to tap the collars around. You may need to give them a good few whacks before they budge but they will free off.

Things would be much easier if you could get hold of a spring compressor rather than fighting against the force of the spring.

Alternatively you will be able to get the alignment pretty damn close yourself using a few blocks of wood and a piece of string. Who needs lasers!

Regarding height accuracy we're talking cm rather than mm. Probably best to count the threads up from the hub and make sure it's similar side to side. Front to rear is entirely up to you, I'd go for sills parallel to the ground.

[alex_evo]

I had the same problem too with my lowered aw11, there's a few places that will have the gauges to fit. Normally the gauges clamps onto the tire but some are attached to the wheel so it doesn't matter how low the car is. Have a search around

[munter]

Took the front wheels off and had a go tonight but totally under estimated the amount of rust and crud on the threads. They are a real mess. Tried the C spanners and a combo of shock/unlock, wd40 and hammer with no signs of movement!

Looking at the springs and struts I don't think there is much life left in the coil overs really. They look like they've been on the car for most of its life! Might be need to be thinking of replacements fairly soon.

Will try phoning around again to find somewhere that has the side alignment tool.

P

[Donato]

Take it so a specialist place that looks after modified cars. There are a few round my way who have flat bed ramps you can drive on. So no bumps / drops etc.
If you can find a place that uses Hunter alignment, they won't need to rest the hooks over the tyres as it rests on the alloy.

[elbon50]

A quick & dirty method of DIY approximate alignment :

Piece of string sufficiently long to go all around the car resting on the tyres

Join the ends using an elastic band to tension the string

String should touch the sidewall of all four tyres at the back of each tyre and be very close or touching at the front

Coincidentally there is a string around my car at the mo as I have more suspension work to do & not ready yet for a full professional geo setup

[SuperRedMR2]

I've done the alignment the best I can on mine, since changing the tie rods and taking the rear suspension apart.

I'm taking it to a specialist 10 miles from me. They only want £89 for the entire alignment procedure and they don't have an issue with lowered cars, so it's happy days.

[synXero]

I see you're in Dundee. Is the car drivable? Strongly consider going to CLCM in Edinburgh. He will definitely be able to sort you out and his kit uses alloy mount not tyre mount.

[jimi]

Other that from a cosmetic point of view, for a road car I really do doubt the effectiveness of lowering, coilovers etc. as soon as you alter the ride height you alter the complete suspension geometry (and not necessarily for the best, in fact almost certainly not for the best)
Mr t put an awful lot of time, effort, money, and experience into the MK1 suspension to get the best set up for road use by the majority of drivers (I do realise that it's a compromise set up and could obviously be better if set up for an individual).
To think that chucking on a few hundred pounds worth of components and getting it set up by a high street garage/tyre place is going to be better seems to me to be a bit naive.
I can see the point for track/race cars but for a everyday road going MK1 .... no, just don't see it.
I've driven lowered MK1's and found them to be less comfortable and not any better handling than a good condition standard set up. Which is why I have stuck to standard with mine, it handles way better than my abilities and it's a firm but comfortable ride.



The only thing I have thought of doing is replacing the standard rubber bushes with TRD rubber bushes.
If it was my car I'd bin the coilovers and go back to standard. If you've have never in a MK1 with standard suspension, pop down and I'll take you for a spin

[AW11mike]

if thats your car on the photo, looking at the body roll,dont look to good to me! ive driven race spec coilovers and fast road. they handle so much better than standard,and dont look like a 4X4! my coilovers are better on the road than my old Koni set up.so long as you keep the threads greased they will last! but everyone has there own opinion!

[jimi]

Yes it's my car and yes the body rolls a bit (compared to a car with rock hard suspension) but no more than it was designed to do. Up to a point the body roll is irrelevant it's what the wheels are doing that matters and they were staying in contact with the road. That picture was taken on a pretty tight corner, roughly where the furthest right black arrow is in this picture

Given that the majority of my driving in the 2 is done up here in Scotland on public roads that are neither flat, straight, smooth or well maintained (oh and with a fair selection of speed bumps thrown in) I'm perfectly happy with the way the car behaves (and looks) on well maintained standard suspension
Only my opinion of course, each to his own

[munter]

Yep even if the coilovers weren't near the end of their life I'd be strongly considering a return to a stock set-up - although I do like a slightly lowered car visually.

I know this is a can of worms, but given I'm going to be starting from scratch and taking the coilovers out what do folk recommend? New coilovers are possible but very costly so I'm not sure thats going to be the best route.

Ideally I'd like to get some second hand stock struts/top mounts and put new springs/dampners in. The Fensport lowered springs seem to get good reviews with Koni dampners is that a good route to go?

Thanks

[Lauren]

Fensport lowered springs and Koni's isn't a bad way to go. This is what pretty much everyone used to run 10-12 years ago.

I'd say avoid KYB's way too hard for the road.

Other option is BC Coilovers. Yes, they're made in Taiwan, but seem to get good reviews and can actually ride pretty well. I would estimate there isn't that much choice for coilovers for a MK1 given it's age.

[mark35]

I have just replaced my rears with standard springs and Koni shocks and polybushed. Noticed the difference striaght away in handling.
Just need to save up some money to do the front end and it will be like driving as it was meant to 25 years ago.