Rear strut brace

Post by **Ali** » 07 Apr 2006 11:08 pm

Thought i'd show some pictures of a new strut brace i've made:

Post by **340GLT** » 07 Apr 2006 11:17 pm

Awesome work there mate!!!
Adam

Post by **petefarrell360** » 09 Apr 2006 09:47 pm

I've been kept up to speed with Ali's rear strut braces and the development of them, good work. It'd be interesting to see what difference they make, as with speaking to Ali, with his uprated suspension, it's hard to tell.
Pete

Post by **Ali** » 09 Apr 2006 10:24 pm

Yeah this is the other one, I changed my original one a bit more as i'm not keeping the one pictured above

Post by **340cbr** » 17 May 2006 05:35 pm

Nice

What differences have you noticed?

What more mods do you have in your car suspension... If you have any suspension (it's sooooo low)

The front springs are the original ones cutted? And the shocks?

Post by **Ali** » 18 May 2006 11:00 am

To be honest I haven't noticed any differences with the strut braces because I already hardly have any suspension travel left, need to get it on a track really. I've got 1.4 springs at the front with two coils cut off and standard front shocks, 40mm lowering blocks at the rear with koni adjustable shocks for a Escort mk2

Post by **340cbr** » 18 May 2006 01:38 pm

No suspension travel.. It's that what I need..

I've cutted half of a coil in my front springs because I am affraid that with the stock suspension, if I cut more than that the whell touch the inside of the wheel arch

In the back... 40mm blocks... and haven't got any problems with the exhaust?

Post by **Ali** » 18 May 2006 02:33 pm

Well my tyres are R14/60/185s and they've never scrubbed once and i've hit some VERY big potholes which you feel right through the chassis so i'm pretty certain you'd hit the bump stops before the arch scrubs. Just ask Steve about the gap between my tyre and inner arch! At the rear i've used 40mm lowering blocks but my car was already fairly low as the glt springs are lower. The exhaust is the lowest point with just less than a coke can height clearance:

And surprisingly enough I haven't had any problems with speed bumps yet and i've been over quite a lot. The plastic sump cover scrapes though if I try to park up curbs but its hanging quite low. I'll get pictures later when im able to get my car to my house (bloody workmen!)

Post by **340cbr** » 18 May 2006 03:09 pm

Well... maybe I'll do the same to mine... I want it as stiff as possible.. without spend to much money. First I'll put the 40mm blocks in the back... to see.

If it goes ok... cut a little more of the springs

Post by **Ali** » 18 May 2006 03:38 pm

Well if you can do it yourself i'd say try cutting 1 coil off, put it all back together and see what its like, if its not enough then take it back apart and chop another off. I know its a pain having to fit it all back together but it'll be worth it in the end

I didn't mind experimenting as I used an old set of springs so might be worth using your original ones instead of the lowering springs you bought.

Post by **redline** » 18 May 2006 03:49 pm

cant you just jack the car up , support it on axle stands to take the pressure off of the springs and cut it in situ ? why do you have to strip it all down

Post by **340cbr** » 18 May 2006 03:58 pm

Ali wrote:Well if you can do it yourself i'd say try cutting 1 coil off, put it all back together and see what its like, if its not enough then take it back apart and chop another off. I know its a pain having to fit it all back together but it'll be worth it in the end

I didn't mind experimenting as I used an old set of springs so might be worth using your original ones instead of the lowering springs you bought.

I can not do it because Ia can't take the springs out as I don't have the tool needed.

I've already cut half of a coil on these springs... Maybe one more coil

Post by **Ali** » 18 May 2006 04:09 pm

Nah even when the pressure is off them the coils are still compressed. Otherwise you'd just be able to change springs without spring compressors

(which I can actually do now because my springs are so short theyre not compressed when you lift the car). There is still a fair bit of compression on normal springs when the car is jacked up which is what holds the spring in place to stop it from rattling and spinning round. I'm not sure what you mean about cutting half a coil off but the end of the spring sits into a recess in the plate at each end so as far as I can see you can only cut of coils 1 full coil at a time.

Post by **340cbr** » 18 May 2006 04:29 pm

The guy cuts something like this:

The blue marked is what he cut and what I call half of a coil

Post by **Ali** » 18 May 2006 04:38 pm

Ahh yeah I was forgetting that you could spin the top plate around so it doesn't actually matter. Did cutting that much off make a noticeable drop? I'd say next step is probably to remove this:

If the blue bit isn't enough when you put it back together then you could try removing the green bit, depends how low and stiff you want it really. I've done 230miles since monday and with my suspension and seat i've got no feeling left in my arse!

edit: Another thing to note, without jacking the car up try to get a tape measure in to measure the distance between the coils. That way you can get an estimate of how much chopping off coils will make but also note that the stiffness will increase so it might not drop quite as much as the gap between the coils now.