Short Strut Inserts Foe Ae71??

[KeRoLLin]

Hey all i've chopped some after market kings in the front of my ae71.. total length is only about a small hand space :lolcry:

 

what short strut inserts from other cars am i able to use??

 

cheerbies!

[LukeAE71]

Unfortunately the strut insert diameter for AE71 is unlike AE86 or T18 etc so there are no short stroke options for this strut.

 

Best to change to T18 or AE86 struts and then your options will be much better :P

 

I ran into the same problem with mine :lolcry:

[930LLO]

are you able to put some picks up of your springs and the ammount of space left thanks

[-ollie-]

yeh, I'm not sure about the front, as there are very limited options with the stock struts. you could use the commodore wagon ones in the rear though. About $60 each?? part number KYB-343113.

[KeRoLLin]

Unfortunately the strut insert diameter for AE71 is unlike AE86 or T18 etc so there are no short stroke options for this strut.

 

Best to change to T18 or AE86 struts and then your options will be much better :wink:

 

I ran into the same problem with mine :P

 

DOH! :rolls: :yes: :yes:

 

heard VW golf inserts fit?? can't find em tho... :bash:

 

T18, ae86 struts bolt straight in bud?? Then what do i do?

 

rear end is sorted..

 

thanks fellas..

 

here a pic

[LukeAE71]

I'm pretty sure T18 bolt straight in, whereas AE86 require you to use AE86 steering arms and possibly lower control arms too.

 

pssst - there is a T18 at U Pull It Lonsdale and last time I was there Sunday it had the struts - might be an option :P

[LittleRedSpirit]

I'm pretty sure T18 bolt straight in, whereas AE86 require you to use AE86 steering arms and possibly lower control arms too.

 

pssst - there is a T18 at U Pull It Lonsdale and last time I was there Sunday it had the struts - might be an option :P

 

 

It doesnt matter.

 

T18/XT130/AE86/RT132 struts fit the balljoint the same way on the lca as all these other old macpherson strut toyotas.

 

Use the steering arms that came with the struts you want to use. You can swap the strut tops to your original ones from the AE71 struts and anything will fit.

 

Leave youre lower control arms alone, unless youre fitting XT130 ones which are longer but basically the same in how they fit and attach to the swaybar and car.

 

Once you have a set of 2 inch struts installed, you can look for TRD, Koni, Bilstein, Tokico, KYB, etc dampers that will be perfect.

 

You will also find that most short stroke shocks are shorter length inserts in both body and stroke. This means that you really should cut the strut tubes down and fit a coilover kit. You can have strut tube spacers turned up but its not the ideal situation.

[KeRoLLin]

hey.. thanks guys..

 

might ust have to head down lonsdale....

 

cheers :)

[curly]

just get someone with a lathe to shorten your original insert

[cerby]

Okay heres what i know. I swapped my ae71 struts for ae86 struts with ae86 power steering arms (which give you more lock). I originally used the ae71 control arms, but later swapped to xt130 conorna arms, which apparently gave me -0.75 degrees camber. I had been told that i should get around -2 degrees. I was after -2 and not any more and this seemed like the best value way to go rather than spend and $200 at least for adjustable strut tops. Also I had some ae92 Koni yellow adjustable shocks for the ae86 struts :P

I used the strut tops from the ae86 struts.

 

So the questions are is there any problems with using the ae86 strut tops when ae86 struts are put in an ae71? (I haven't found any yet)

AND Will I get more camber if i use the ae71 strut tops on the ae86 struts?

[LittleRedSpirit]

Okay heres what i know. I swapped my ae71 struts for ae86 struts with ae86 power steering arms (which give you more lock). I originally used the ae71 control arms, but later swapped to xt130 conorna arms, which apparently gave me -0.75 degrees camber. I had been told that i should get around -2 degrees. I was after -2 and not any more and this seemed like the best value way to go rather than spend and $200 at least for adjustable strut tops. Also I had some ae92 Koni yellow adjustable shocks for the ae86 struts :P

I used the strut tops from the ae86 struts.

 

So the questions are is there any problems with using the ae86 strut tops when ae86 struts are put in an ae71? (I haven't found any yet)

AND Will I get more camber if i use the ae71 strut tops on the ae86 struts?

 

 

AE86 tops in an AE71 will reduce caster by enough that its a bad idea. Just use the AE71 strut tops. With AE71 tops and lowered ae86 suspension running xt130 lower control arms I attained an average of around -1.5 degrees negative camber a side on the front.

 

The top bolt position in the AE71 strut top is slightly different to the AE86.

[cerby]

WOOHOO!!!!! Thats the best news i've had in ages.

But the lower it is the more camber as well right? Maybe i just need to go a bit lower. OH SNAP!! Dad broke the smaller grinder the other day!! I suppose i'll have to use the nine inch that always tries to sever your closest limb when you turn it on :P

 

yeah I didn't touch the castor arms but I had a feeling that the new control arms pulled the castor forward a bit.

 

When I went and got the wheel alignment done I didn't get told what the old settings were (other than the toe being out by 26mm i did it by eye :P )

but they told me that the settings were 0.75 degree castor, -0.75 degree camber and a slight toe in (I can't remember exactly)

 

I was a bit annoyed cos the last time i'd been they turned the steering wheel till one wheel was right the adjusted the other one which meant the steering wheel wasn't centred.

So I asked the guy to do it properly and centre the steering wheel and to give it 2 degree castor and 0.5 degree toe out. Spent ages explaining it and the tool went and looked up the factory specs and set the car to those.

Pity cos the guy who owns the tire place is with out a doubt the best guy i've ever dealt with, always beats everyone elses prices, remembered me by name after I'd been like three times AND started chucking any second hand tires in the sizes i use aside for me, unfortunately his wheel alligner is a dick!

Edited August 16, 2009 by cerby

[LittleRedSpirit]

WOOHOO!!!!! Thats the best news i've had in ages.

But the lower it is the more camber as well right? Maybe i just need to go a bit lower. OH SNAP!! Dad broke the smaller grinder the other day!! I suppose i'll have to use the nine inch that always tries to sever your closest limb when you turn it on :y:

 

yeah I didn't touch the castor arms but I had a feeling that the new control arms pulled the castor forward a bit.

 

When I went and got the wheel alignment done I didn't get told what the old settings were (other than the toe being out by 26mm i did it by eye :) )

but they told me that the settings were 0.75 degree castor, -0.75 degree camber and a slight toe in (I can't remember exactly)

 

I was a bit annoyed cos the last time i'd been they turned the steering wheel till one wheel was right the adjusted the other one which meant the steering wheel wasn't centred.

So I asked the guy to do it properly and centre the steering wheel and to give it 2 degree castor and 0.5 degree toe out. Spent ages explaining it and the tool went and looked up the factory specs and set the car to those.

Pity cos the guy who owns the tire place is with out a doubt the best guy i've ever dealt with, always beats everyone elses prices, remembered me by name after I'd been like three times AND started chucking any second hand tires in the sizes i use aside for me, unfortunately his wheel alligner is a dick!

 

 

I had 3.6 caster, approx -1.5 a side camber, and zero toe, it was great on the setup I had. Once I got cambertops i went to 2 degrees negative and streeted it heaps with lots of highway ks and had great 98 percent even tyre wear. You just have to hit the bends harder on the on and off ramps to even it out. Slight toe in could be them compensating for a slightly sloppy rack. Thats what my mechanic did when I had a sloppy rack. Hes a smart man. He tells me the good settings and we play around with it heaps. I havent payed him for a wheel alignment in a long while. Top bloke! Thats what you need. You just have to make it clear to the boss that aligner needs to set up what you ask for. And make sure he centres the rack properly or youll have more lock one side than the other and you don't want to find that out when you need the lock.