Ke20 Suspension Help!!! Need Detailed Info...maybe Photos.

[verde2002]

Hello all. I recently bought a 1971 KE20 Corolla 2-door sedan and need help on a few items. I am a novice at this so I would appreciate detailed responses with possibly photos if available. First, I want to lower my car and need to know what size lowering block you guys use, dimensions of the block, what is the size of the pin but also the length and width of the U-bolts. I want to lower the car between 30mm to 40mm. The front springs I want to cut as I am in Los Angeles and there are no part suppliers for these cars and to order from overseas will be very expensive. How much does cutting one coil lower the car? My second issue is it is very difficult to find 4x110pcd wheels. Are there any axles or front hubs that have a 4x114.3 bolt pattern that are a direct replacement? I think 1972 and later used the 4x114,3 but I may be wrong. I would appreciate solid advice from people who have experience rather than people just stating their opinion without knowing for sure. Thank you in advance.

Edited April 26, 2013 by verde2002

[Banjo]

Hi,

Welcome aboard ! A lovely little KE20 you've scored yourself there ! Looks like it is in remarkable condition, and a good starting point for a refurb.

 

Has it got much rust in it ? I would love to have started with one of these, but many Ke20/25s in Australia are riddled with "the cancer", and the cost & effort to bring the body back to roadworthy, is prohibitive, unless you are a panel beater by trade, (which I'm not).

 

I've got a granny KE30, which I acquired with 96,000 klms only, and a like new body.

 

 

My dream would be to own an SR5, something like this one in the USA !

 

 

Sorry, I can't answer any of your queries, but there are are others on here that will, no doubt, have the info you need.

 

Keep us up to to date with you progress with your "acquistion", and we wish you the best with it.

 

Cheers

 

Banjo

[verde2002]

Thank you for the kind words. The car is a Southern California car so it is basically rust free. Only minimal surface rust in the spare tire area but I sanded that off and painted it. I look forward to learning from the forum members here as there are only a few of these Ke20 Corollas here in the US and not much interest in them in the local forums.

[ke70dave]

I don't have too much experience with leaf springs, but i would stear clear of lowering blocks, find a place around you that does old hot rods or something and they might be able to, or at least know someone that can, manufacture lowered leaf springs. Old muscle cars etc are all leaf springs in the rear, so plenty of guys lower them, id be finding out how they do it. Then you definately need a short stroke shock absorber to suit, once again i can't suggest any of your local cars that might fit, but pretty much anything that fits an AE86 will fit your car, and i know these are popular on the US, so parts are available somewhere. Find some local ae86 forums and see where they get their parts perhaps?

 

As for the front end, i woudlnt go cutting springs, but if you do, just experiment, cut off 1 coil, check it, see if you like it, if you want more, cut off another. But its better to get shorter springs from the get go, but you run the risk of not getting the height you like.... Once again you need better shocks to go with the springs (when you cut a spring it gets stiffer overall, so you need different shocks). problem is you may have trouble finding better shocks that fit your car (if you have the same setup as our ke20s, which i suspect you do). perhaps it might be worth looking into putting the ae86 front end into your ke20, you get a brake upgrade then too.

 

anyway, nice car! any more photos? do you have a k engine or a T engine?

 

We at rollaclub love photos, especailly of cars that are a little different to ours.

[philbey]

Lowering blocks will be fine, if you can find them. If you don't want to go that way, plenty of workshops in the US should be able to help you with reversing the spring eyelets. It's a common mod for all the rodders and will get you about an inch or so lower.

 

I would suggest lowering blocks are the easiest way, even if you buy them from Australia.

[verde2002]

The car has a 3KC motor and is a 4-speed manual. I have also added a few more photos to the original post.

Edited April 26, 2013 by verde2002

[nomuken]

As for your 4x114 front hubs. KE35 ones are a direct replacement and offer the desired PCD. At the rear you can get your axles redrilled, no problem.

Lowering blocks work OK at the back. For the front, when you choose to cut the coils, make sure you cut both sides at the same time or to unhook your ani roll bar. If not you might cut too much on one side and you won't notice it until you cut the other side too.

You may aswell get slip on coilovers (ebay is full of them) and weld yourself an adjustable front suspension

[coln72]

Yep later Corolla front brakes will fit, but there are a couple of minor issues to overcome. From memory, you need the dustcover/caliper mount, disc and caliper from the donor car. The later models dustcover/caliper mount are help on with 10mm bolts instead of the Ke20 8mm bolts. You can either drill and tap to 10mm or use the 8mm bolts and make sure they are super tight. Also, we ran KE20 inner bearings and later outer bearings or vice versa - too many beers to remember stuff like that :) For the rear, you can swap the whole axle from a later Corolla into the KE20 housing if you machine a bit off the end of the axle.

Edited April 26, 2013 by coln72

[verde2002]

Can anyone tell me where to source the correct lowering blocks for my car? A website or maybe a link to a website? I checked Ebay Australia but nothing for the KE20.

[Banjo]

Have a read of a discussion about this on this site at http://www.rollaclub...owering-blocks/

 

I'm luv'in your car. The wheels look good !

 

P.S. Search our forums for "KE20 Lowering Blocks" and you'll find there are 4 pages of threads on this subject.

 

Cheers Banjo

Edited April 26, 2013 by Banjo

[coln72]

http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/12720-mytoy-ke20/ if you scroll down you will see the mods that I done to my rear leaves.

[verde2002]

http://www.rollaclub...720-mytoy-ke20/ if you scroll down you will see the mods that I done to my rear leaves.

 

 

Thank you for the link. There seems to be bits of information here and there but I have yet to find a thread that can offer exact information including measurements of the blocks, pin size and correct hubs for a 4x114 conversion. I was hoping someone that had done these modifications can give me exact materials and the correct materials needed.

[Banjo]

Here's a regular member of RollaClub selling off some lowering blocks for a KE. Maybe you could PM him and ask the dimensions.

 

http://www.rollaclub.com/board/topic/65716-lowering-blocks-and-u-bolts-1-12-inch-suit-ke-corolla/page__pid__655042#entry655042

 

Good luck !

 

Cheers

 

Banjo

[verde2002]

Interestingly enough I recently found some 13x7 wheels for my car that have the correct 4x110 bolt pattern. The are actually made in Australia and are ROH wheels. Are these wheels better quality wheels or not so much? They made a long journey at some point to Los Angeles I guess.

Edited May 27, 2013 by verde2002

[coln72]

Nice find on the wheels. ROH Hotwires by the looks. Reasonably common down under back in the day. Bigger sizes, 15x10's etc, are being remade.