Drift upgrades - help please!

[Nosher]

hey all...

i am planning on using my '89 1.4 340 to learn to drift in, and would like some help getting my basic drift setup started...

i already have a welded and plated diff, 2 coils off the front and 3 inch lowering blocks on the rear, as well as stripped out the rear and 2 bucket seats and harnesses...
however, i have heard you can change the oil in the front shocks to stiffen them up, is this possible? if so, what will i need?
also, what is needed to swap for the land rover shocks on the rear?

are there any upgraded clutches available for these, or would i be able to use something a bit more heavy duty from another model, etc?

what else would i need? many thanks!!!

[volvodspec]

personally i'd toss away those springs, wouldn't change the oil in the dampers and forget about the landy's.
i can't drive on that kind of setup anyway; last time i did it with a 360 (not mine) i managed to get a front wheel locked into the wheel well and spun out; nearly crashed the thing in the process. coil cutting, randomly swapping oil on worn shocks and dampers that are designed for a 2ton vehicle aren't the ingredients for a proper handling drifter if you ask me.

save some money for a set of 250lbs springs (and specify how much lowering you want) and front and rear adjustable dampers from Dai; that completed with a polybushed suspension gives a really, really nice setup that compared to other cars doesn't even cost that much!

[Nosher]

fair play... im just running on a very tight budget so the cheaper i can do things the better...

do you know how much (ish) that would all come to?

cheers

[jon-ovlov]

I'd second Anjo. I've got front and rear shocks, and most of the polybushes from Dai on my car. They are fantastic. Because there so simple to adjust, you can set them up pretty perfect, as well as winding them down for road use. You can then stiffen them up for the track, and soften them again for going home. Landy shocks are designed for 2 tonne +, so the car is waaaay over damped if used. Good for budget, but I definitely wouldnt use them daily. They'd be too stiff for the road personally.

The front and rear dampers together come to £315. For both front and rear adjustables, its bloody good!

Everything he sells is here: http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... f=8&t=1804

[samueljon]

just drive what you have, at the end of the day its a 1.4 340 its never going to be a monster to control

go and have fun init learn the basics then spend out.

[Nosher]

im still getting to grips with it, its just rather floppy and saggy at the moment, and want it a bit stiffer...

just wanted to know some budget upgrades, as the car feels like its about to tip over when its going sideways

[volvodspec]

at the end of the day its a 1.4 340 its never going to be a monster to control

try mine

even std 1.4 will definatly be a lot of fun on a proper suspension. if you practice a bit you'll learn techniques that you wouldn't learn in a higher powered; similar spec car. eventually those skills can make a whole lot of difference to your drifting if you trade the std 1.4 for something else; or turbo it

[Nosher]

in the end im thinking of f7p power, but for now mr. insurance wouldnt be very happy (though i am working towards my 2nd year ncb )

although so far this car as it is has been excellent fun, i would just like it a tad stiffer (oo err)

[Bossie]

I would purchase some 250lbs springs from Dai, some polybushings for the front end as well. I´d use some differential oil or some shockabsorber oil from a motorbike which will be better but more expensive. Problem with using other oils is that the shocks become so stiff that the lowering springs available do not match. With std aftermarket lowerings springs it will be bouncy. You need something quite stiff from Dai. With this setup I would not lower it a lot by using shorter springs, raising the strut tower would be wiser. You are using worn shocks which are not suitable for a lowered vehicle, I´d reduce the suspension-strut travel as little as possible, or if you have acces to a lathe shorten the strut. Think another boardmember has also done this, brick340 or turbobrick or something like that. He has a very neat +Ted 340.

I´d fit an extra leafspring, half would be fine. With some more spring in the back you will be able to run the Landy shocks. Which are not that bad but just take some time getting used to, and they are so stiff you need a matching springrate.
I have driven almost 20k klm with landy shocks.

Maybe find a GLS swaybar which can be up to 23mm´s thick. Although to drift with little power you need a stiff back, not a stiff fron end.

Don´t see why a budget drift suspension setup should cost over 200 GBP, excluding wheels.

Tyre choice and pressure will also make you car a lot more or less tailhappy.

[Nosher]

many thanks for your advice

for now im gonna go with what i have at the front end, untill i can afford some new shocks and springs from dai...

about getting an extra leaf on the rear, how would i go about doing this?

cheers!

[Attack2001]

Take the front damper inserts out and re-oil them with gearbox oil, get some uprated front springs, lowered aswell, cut springs aren't enough. Land rover shocks on the rear and get another leaf spring, cut a leaf off and using a metal 'strap', put it on the leaf on your car, do this for each side, so your technically adding an extra leaf to each side, this will stiffen it up, and be able to control the landrover shocks. Dont lower the rear of the car as your shifting weight backwards. Stiffen both ends, lower the front and you should be good to go Thomas..........

[Speedy88]

I've got to be honest, that sounds really dangerous for road use. Perfect for track maybe but asking for trouble on a country lane.

[Attack2001]

Not dangerous at all for what he wants, he wants to drift, just gets the weight off the rear wheels. The other way to do it would be to lower the back 2" also, and then pump the rear tyres up to 70psi or so. As its just a 1.4 it needs help to make it step out. Obviously the best way is coilovers all round, big brakes, wide tyres and 300hp. That would be fun

[samueljon]

why would you need big brakes to drift?

70psi?! would like to see what tyres your running!

[Attack2001]

Big brakes are for when your tearing through the country lanes and need to stop. I've heard of people pumping tyres up to 70 but i think the general thing is around 60-65