hey people i got a wagon and am thinkin of upgrading the suspension and possibly dropping it little bit, has anyone dropped leaf suspension before and what shocks would you recommend to use,

Hi, there are two ways to lower the rear of a Wagon.

The easy and cheap way, is to use lowering blocks. Available in varying sizes and easy to install.

The other and more expensive way, and the correct way, is to get the leaves reset, or purchase the Kings Springs rear end.

I am using lowering blocks.

BenJ

Here is a pic of my brother's old EB wagon.
- King Springs super low fronts
- King Springs low leaf springs rear
- Ultima shortened struts and shim type camber kit up front
- Ultima shocks and new bush kit at rear
- Running 16x8 mags & 225/50 tyres, front guards needed rolling

 

 

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i know it might be a stupid question but what would the difference with lowering blocks and doing it properly? i have a 94 ed wagon and it handles well (for a wagon) but i get a lot of body roll. would lowering blocks be better in my case?

get the ute springs and use blocks = $80

reset leaves at suspension shop = $350

I have done both and am about to do ute springs again on my mont wagon conversion.

Ute springs? Interesting..... might have to look for a set of those

get better sway bars aswell make less body roll and steer sharper

Have a look at Fiend's budget buildup threads. He did the whole wagon ute spring setup after i told him what to get. He even found a nice swaybar which I am yet to find for my wagons.

http://www.fordmods.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=67005

What makes resetting the leaves better than using lowering blocks?

resetting the springs means they are stiffer so the car wont bottom out over small bumps

Pedders do a wicked job

Pedders quoted me $350 5 years ago.

then I spotted the ute springs at the wreckers.

HI again - Was about to say "blah blah, thanks Rick, once more for telling me about... blah blah" for the tenth time... etc etc etc


MATE.


I repeat, for the 100th time - I honestly tell everyone who has a wagon or leaf sprung rear end EA - AU about this...

THE BEST MOD BY FAR FOR HANDLING ON YOUR WAGON IS...

1 tonne leaf springs directly taken from the truck. Two inch lowering blocks (if not more if you're super cool).

That, with a swaybar fitted is almost... Well.. Dare I say it... SPORTS CAR like.

It also allows you to carry about 500kg in the boot without bottoming out - trust me - I did it for 1400 odd k's since New Years... Sideways on gravel roads, wheelspinning over humps, 170km/hour up three lane hills.... Keep scraping the mud guard on the left front, but that's just as I smashed it hard, it's cracked and dragging.

Had a bit of a race with a Porsche 911 this afternoon down the motorway. I promise you - there was no way in hell I would have ever got around that non-cambered corner at over 100mile an hour before doing this.

Just cannot say enough about it. Luckily I found a swaybar for $10NZ (about 1c aussie) on the back of an XR6'd ED wagon at a scrap dealer. Whitelines one was quoted at over $300 to me.

The 1 tonne leaves are hard to bottom out. I thought they would bottom out all the time when I put the 2.5" lowering blocks in... But I've had a close look at the axle and the bump stops just now to make sure I can back up my words with facts... And - guess what --- there's a layer of dirt on the right hand side, and a slight mark on the left. Which leads me to believe that I had bottomed the left, but not the right.


Without those heavy as truck leafs in the back, the lowering blocks would have cause carnage already.


You'll need longer U-Bolts so you may as well get a larger diametre units whilst you're at it...



By the way - The Porsche kicked my a*** from 120-170km/h. I kicked it from 100-120, but that's maybe as he hadn't got into the gap in the traffic as well as me... Was laughing my head off... Honestly... I drop down into second and hoofed it, and so did he. I think he actually should have gone for first or something, coz for a split second I had him I tell you! When we got to town the yuppie boys in it were cracking up, and so was it. Had a gearbox in the back and four or five wooden pallets from NZEA, and I'm saying to them "yeah yeah, bet you can't do that with four or five wooden pallets and a spare gearbox in your boot..." And they wheelspin off with two wheels leaving 265 wide black marks and wait for me. And say "yeah, but you can't do that with your motor in the back..."


About this point in time I decide to hand this thread back to people who can stay on one train of thought for more than two paragraphs.....

Cheerio - just go get some leaves from a big ute for $20, some lowering blocks for $40, u-bolts $40 and then the money you've saved on getting springs re-tempered could be used for a sway bar. Not only that, I guarantee you that your wagon will be more practical....


PS - With the XR6 sports springs in the front and the tough as leaves in the back, you start feeling all the bumps. The leaves are a lot stiffer. I recommend finding an old replacement shock for the rear. Find one that is easy to close, and hard to open (or get expensive adjustable ones)....

anyone know what the kings leafs are worth?

i wanna lower the back of my wagon more, but $350 to reset em seems excessive.

alreaedy got 2" blocks

If $350 is excessive, how about $485 with an extra leaf sound
Retail you would be looking about $225 to reset them down if u were to drop leaves in to a place loose- no extra leaf. Or $308 with an extra 8mm plate in each loose.

I paid $920 for all round in my EL wagon in '98.... I was stupid then. But the wagon handled awesome.
that was lowered 30mm fronts, GT GAS struts, adjustable Camber kit, extra leaf in the rears, GT gas shocks.

I now know that I could have achieved the same result, which I did for $144 doing it myself on my EF Classic. I got the ute springs for $34 at pick-a-part (must go there again and see what i can find) and $110 for GT GAS shocks(NOTE re-use the original rubbers the new ones are crap, mine disintegrated).
I may cut a coil from the fronts when I replace the struts soon. $180 for new Ultimate struts. I will have a hunt at pick-a-part for a rear swaybar which should be about $25.

I have carried many 1 ton loads since with no bottoming out.