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97EL Handling 

 

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 Post subject: 97EL Handling
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:11 pm 
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Location: Gosford
NSW, Australia

My parents EL which they have kindly given me as a second free car... (crashed the first one, and there's no parts in the country to fix it, f*cking french PoS) is the topic of conversation

She's 100% stock, automatic. Fuel consumption sucks something hard core. Though i'm working on that by driving better, filters etc.

The reason for this topic though is, she handles like a drunken hooker on her day off. The body roll in this thing is insane. I get understeer in a rear wheel drive straight 6 for gods sake.

Now I'm on a student's budget. ie. not a whole lot of money, but i have no real expenses so can put a large percentage of my wage in.. Right now I'm looking for a few hundred bucks worth of mods i can do..

I'm willing to use 2nd hand parts and am pretty handy and have some mechanically sound subaru groupies. SOOOOO.....

Tyres?
Suspension?
Strut bars?

What other mods am i looking at here. also for the above, what can i use and where can i source (i know where to get tyres).


Thanks a ton guys.
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:23 pm 
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Shocks - from SuzukiSuper on ebay. $230 appx for front and rear (ultima). They work well.

Bushes - Superpro or Nolothane. I prefer Superpro. Shop around you should get almost all of them for $520.

Then some time and weekends to throw it all in.

Additionally : Springs : Appx. $100-$200 for a set - try and get some XR6 lowered ones s/h. Suzukisuper also sells lowered springs at a good price.

Make friends with someone that has a press!. Its a bastard to get many of the bushes out, especially the front inner arm bushes.
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:28 pm 
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Ride: 93 ED sedan

Power: 161 rwkw

Location: Rockhampton
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On a budget, first thing is larger diameter sway bars front and rear, then go the shocks, then bushes. Nolathane are crap, and SuperPro are way better.
If you want better again, go the mags with low profile tyres ( lots of $$$$).

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:44 pm 
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i've always wondered if mags with low profile tyres actually affect handling??
there just doesn't seem to be any logical reason why in my mind.

so sway bars and shocks are the way to go..

are the xr6 springs a wise investment cos that seems to be quite cost effective to me..
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:11 pm 
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Ive actually always found that sway bars are last if the rest of your suspension is shot. Shocks and Bushes will make the most immediate improvement, and stop the Dive that you are getting under brakes/acceleration and cornering.

Wheels/tyres will also make a huge difference - not as much tyre to compress. Will turn an ok car into something nice.

for sway bars - if you get superpro bushes you will tighten the car up a lot anyway. Also look out for s/h xr6 and xr8 sway bars - you can pick them up at pick a part or similar if you get in early enough.
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:17 pm 
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thanks for all the tips guys. definately keen to hear anybody else's advice though.

cheers.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:36 am 
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Ride: EF Futura

Location: Melbourne
VIC, Australia

I had the same problem in my stock EF.

Handled like s**t, especially in the wet where it was just dangerous.

I lowered it, King Superlows and put some 17" alloys on it with Regal tyres and it was a whole new car.

This all cost $1500+ for the lot, though, so it's not a 'few hundred bucks' job.

Maybe you'd be better off saving some cash for a while, take it easy while driving and get the wheels, tyres and springs when you can afford it.

You should do the shocks while you're at it, though, which will obviously add to the cost and put you close to the $2000 mark. I didn't do the shocks and the ride is a bit rough. Shocks will be in soon and I'm hoping for a big improvement in ride comfort and perhaps a little more gain in handling.

In short, wheels, tyres and springs on my car turned it from being a washy nightmare to a firm and grippy drive.
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Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:48 am 
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as said before, if you fix the bushes and get larger sway bars, the car will start to handle. I have new bushes in bar car, along with whiteline sway bars.
My car also has King lows and new shocks, and it handles very well, even when it was on the stock 15s.

 

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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:14 am 
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injectors and vac leaks, oxy sensor and fuel filter first. plugs and leads too

get the thing running right. petrol costs too much these days

 

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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:54 pm 
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it runs fine though, gets decent economy and considerable power. the problem i have is i'm on my way to crashing into a tree the way this thing handles.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:55 am 
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i've got whiteline suspension in mine as it was HMAS Falcon before hand. :lol: definitely go the swaybars, makes it sit a hell of a lot flatter.

i would be doing mags last. the bigger profile tyres move around a bit more, but if you are on a budget (like i am) you can get f**k s**t hot sticky tyres for the same price as crappy 17+ inch tyres. a good 15" tyre will be better than a bad 17+" one.

 

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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:07 pm 
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Get some decent tyres whatever you do. Do not buy big flash rims with cheap tyres, buy smaller rims with the best tyres you can get. I would say understeer is normal too and more to do with driving style.

 

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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:17 pm 
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canis_lupus_a wrote:
it runs fine though, gets decent economy and considerable power. the problem i have is i'm on my way to crashing into a tree the way this thing handles.


slow down...

then get suspension upgrade when you can afford it.

phong =P~

 

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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:37 pm 
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haha, i'm not even talking when i'm speeding. like i go around a corner and i feel the car's body roll... let alone when i'm actually pushing the speed...

currently saving. lol
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