shockers/strut braces/sway bars (information to maybe go in a sticky in the future)

[JiMi]

i'm looking towards improving the ride of my gvr4... atm is handles like a boat and also hits the bump stops reasonably easily as the shockers are screwed..

this is what whiteline offer

front

Brace-strut tower alloy adj *WSL
Camber adj bolt kit-12mm
Caster adj kit - control arm
Spring-coil lowering kit *WSL
Swaybar 22mm-heavy duty

rear

Brace-strut tower alloy adj *WSL
Bush kit-control arm innr *WSL
Bush kit-trailing arm front *WSL
Camber adj kit - uppr arm
Spring-coil lowering kit *WSL
Bush kit-univ swaybar link *WSL
Swaybar 26mm-XX heavy duty Blade adjustable


i'm thinking front and rear sway bars are a good place to start but then what next, i want to retain some comfort as i regularly drive the car melb-syd

adjustable coilovers would be ideal but possibly a bit pricey, i was wanting to get out of this for around 1k, 1.5 tops
these are the first 2 i found

http://www.rhdjapan.com/cusco-sport...oilover-kit-mitsubishi-galant-vr-4-ec5a-61420

http://www.eracingzone.com/D2-Coilover-Mitsubishi-Galant-VR4-89-92-p-44099.html

anyone got any suggestions?

i'm kinda hopeing to make this a bit of a faq on this thing that can then be stickied as it is a common question it seems

j

 

[GVR40]

whiteline don't make swaybars for the vr4 anymore. you will have to get some selby's bars

 

[VR-4Squid]

Most coil overs have spring rates that are much too high for comfortable daily use.

I've got king springs and kyb shocks in one of my vr4's and it handles pretty well and is still comfortable.
In my other vr4 I have Cusco Zero2 coilovers (modified evo5 ones) and it handles really well on smooth roads, but it's just too harsh for daily use and on bumpy roads it's a handful.

 

[JiMi]

whiteline don't make swaybars for the vr4 anymore. you will have to get some selby's bars

i got that info straight off the website today so they must have not updated it

 

[rob323]

Um, you say your shocks are rooted, but then you talk about starting off with sway bars :unsure:.

Fix the problem first. Fine tune the balance of the car later otherwise you will end up with a dog's breakfast.
KYB AGX's would be a cheap place to start, and adjustable too.
Otherwise, some basic Bilsteins or Konis.

Once you get the shock department sorted, then see how it handles and where it's downfalls are.
ie. Does it not turn into corners crisply - check alignment, maybe more camber up front, toe out on the rear, stiffer rear sway bar etc.
Does it understeer through corners - back off the right foot, get better tyres, check front alignment.
etc etc.

 

[TMAK]

Jamie, this is the cheapest new coilovers i've seen. Dunno anything about them tho..
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/G4-Adjustabl...ZAU_Car_Parts_Accessories?hash=item19b97fb955

 

[rob323]

Yes, get them, and you will then see why I recommended other brands instead.

 

[D3bb4]

"As this is a clearance special a 30 day warranty applies" from what I read when I looked at getting them... high spring rates, shit shocks, and the shocks still get busted.

Bad idea. At least the BC ones have a decent warranty!

 

[rob323]

"As this is a clearance special a 30 day warranty applies"

In other words, they have run out of spare inserts to replace the leaking ones, most of which leaked way before the original 12 month warranty was up and it was costing them a fortune having to send out new inserts for free so they are getting rid of the last of them as quickly as they can.

 

[Entaran]

I actually don't mind my BC ones and I have them turned up nearly to their hardest setting. Just email the guy first and get 6kg/4kg spring rates, Mine are way hard. Lack of travel is a bit annoying but it's getting better as they wear in a bit.

 

[rob323]

My Hotbits came with 8kg/mm springs fort he front and 4kg/mm springs for the rear and I found that the front shocks had to be almost at the fully stiff setting to control them. I swapped them for 6kg/mm springs and I found the shocks only had to be about halfway in their adjustment range to control them nicely and therefore didn't have to work as hard and ran cooler because of it.

 

[TMAK]

k.. my baddd.. but like i said i know nothing about them...

 

[Entaran]

I have rob's issue. I'm running 8/6's and I've got the shocks wound way the hell up to control them otherwise bumpsteer galore or just weird weird steering characteristics.

But BC's are too inexpensive to bother buying new springs for them and swapping them over, so in 2 yrs when the coilovers are cactus, i'll just get another set with different spring rates.

Yay for consumerist society.

 

[rob323]

60ID race springs are cheap as chips to buy, even 300mm long custom rate ones for my rally shocks were only $150 per pair from Kings. The Hotbits were only 200 long and the BC's are probably the same.

 

[Entaran]

I'll look into it if it becomes an issue

ATM I'm fine. Just finished driving a landcruiser ute. Even drift spec springs feel like a Mercedes to me now.

*FS: 1x Kidney belt.

 

[GVR40]

if they are too hard then soften up the damper settings a little bit

 

[trq-str]

My Hotbits came with 8kg/mm springs fort he front and 4kg/mm springs for the rear and I found that the front shocks had to be almost at the fully stiff setting to control them.

Why is this?
What is the downfall if the front shocks are not almost at the full stiff setting?
what do you mean by no control?

 

[rob323]

What is the downfall if the front shocks are not almost at the full stiff setting?

I didn't want to have the front shocks set to almost full stiff. If you have to drive on normal roads, and if you have to have the dampers adjusted really stiff to control the springs, then you have to put up with a severely harsh ride, or, you soften the damper and bounce along like a pogo stick (which I dislike even more).

What do you mean by no control?

The dampers job is to control the spring. If the valving in the damper is too soft, it will not control the oscilation of the spring (back to the pogo stick analogy).

 

[D3bb4]

60ID race springs are cheap as chips to buy, even 300mm long custom rate ones for my rally shocks were only $150 per pair from Kings. The Hotbits were only 200 long and the BC's are probably the same.

*All* king spring springs are 150/pair, or so they told me last time i rang them. length/spring rate you can pick, so long as they have them.