My New Ke30

[rad32]

hey all,

 

well yesterday i purchased my first ke30!

 

straight overrated body, fendor mirrors, overrated interior, 5k engine and 4spd box.

 

few questions as i have never had a car with leaf springs.

 

1- how do i go about lowered the rear 1.5inches approx?

 

2- what front shock/spring setup can i use for the front? coilovers?

 

3- engine is a 5k, what carbie setup should i look at?

 

4- what gearbox should i look at for a 5speed?

 

i don't really wanna change much as i wanna keep it as original (body and inside) as possible.

 

gonna hit up some r31 chaser wheels with white walls for a clean old school look.

 

cheers

 

Edited December 5, 2010 by rad32

[Evan G]

nice find. search the FAQ for your lowering needs

[Ke30Liam]

very nice find. are you looking for better handling or just want it lower?

myt

also if you get yourself some new rims let me know about the ones on there, look like they'll suit my car just nicely

 

more pics? wanna see more of this car.

[Ke30Liam]

also look for a k50 gearbox, will bolt straight in. if you can find one.

 

i spent a whole day driving around western sydney and making phone calls trying to find one.

only one came up and they wanted $600 for it.

 

i found one a few months after that on the south coast for $100.

 

you'll tend to find them in liteaces, townaces, etc.

 

good luck, looks like your going to have a fun little car when your done.

[rad32]

thanks.

 

ideally i wanna drop the car abit lower (not too much) but also try and improve handling in the mean time.

 

i had a ke70 which ran ajps coilovers in to front and falcon cut springs in the rear, but don't wanna spend 950 on front coilovers!

 

and i have never had a car with leaf springs!

 

PS. where is the FAQ thread?

[Ke30Liam]

if you wanna go cheap and nasty, you can do the dodgy thing

 

put lowering blocks in the back and either cut the front springs down or stick some blocks of wood under the body at the height you want, then hit the springs with a blowtorch...

 

i highly suggest you don't do that tho unless you planning on getting better stuff in the near future and just want a quick fix untill then.

 

lowering blocks arent so horrible but some time they're not so great either.

 

i saw some king srings on ebay for 150 i think it was a 1 1/2" drop?

 

 

 

 

go to the top of your page click on the link that says FAQ/Wiki

[Ke30Liam]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Toyota-Corolla-KE-1975-1981-Front-Lowered-King-Springs-/190474073806?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c5923b6ce#ht_3313wt_1139

[rad32]

i don't want dodgy shit..

 

i would rather buy a good set of springs and fit them!

[rad32]

also,

 

can u lower the rears by using lower shocks or do u need to mod the leafs?

 

i read in the faq that block give u more axle tramp and shit..

 

hmmm..

[Ke30Liam]

like i said, it's only a quick fix. but nothing special.

 

i'm not sure about different shocks, usualy you need to do something with the spings.

 

if you have money/time, theres plenty of options leaf springs have been around for a long time, so many things have been tried and tested.

 

you can invert the eyes to get the desired effect but i'm not sure on prices and where to do it.

 

buy a new leaf pack, add/remove leaves etc. like i said, many options, suss them all out and the choice is yours.

[Undertaker_is_the_best]

well i will offer my 2 cents to you mate

i own a 55 coupe and its got 2 inch lowered leafs in the rear if you can soure a spare set of leafs for your car then you can take them to a place that can carefully press the leafs down in certain points on them this in turn will lower the car to your desired height which is a lot more safer than blocks in my opinion

[rad32]

thanks guys,

 

ill try sus out some new leafs! might just grab some blocks in the meantime to get the car sitting right and then smash out some decent front shock/spring combo!

[Chillin]

Congrats on the purchase, I'd been watching that particular vehicle for a while wondering when someone would snap it up. Welcome to the forum!

 

I'm not sure how some members come to the conclusion that lowering blocks are 'unsafe', But I do not find this a problem if installed and maintained properly.

 

Currently I run flipped eye with extra leaf added to the pack, plus 2 1/2' blocks. Up front I run a Subaru brumby short stroke shocks with standard springs shortened under tension. The package stacks up quite nicely and is firm through the hills. The front travel has been reduced a considerable amount causing a fair amount of camber too, this gives the extra little stance to grip through the windy stuff. Running 14's and it rides around the 94mm from the sills with full fuel and driver. *I know that is 'too low' for the law but if your a sensible driver and keep the car nice and clean the :fuzz: will keep of your back*.

 

 

Hopefully some of the older and well educated members of the forum jump onto this thread as they would have a few tricks ans suggestions to share in regards to suspension.

 

Cheers Hayden

[rad32]

thats perfect champ.

 

I'm gonna have a crack and continue reading, have read slo030 build threads top to bottom.

 

:)

[Taz_Rx]

you'll tend to find them in liteaces, townaces, etc.

 

Incorrect. Only corollas and starlets had K50's. The gearboxes in liteaces are column shift things that you don't want for a corolla. And you be looking at about $800 for a townace 5 speed.

 

Just keep your eye out for a KE30/55 style K50. :wink: