Corolla Ke25 Project From Malta

[oh what a nissan feeling!]

on my ke30 it would have gained 2 to 3 inches i think, i still have 2" reset springs in there as well and a 2" lowering block built into my diff. if you just did the rear you would get 1/2 of what you cut out. not sure on the ke25 if the possibilities are the same.

Edited April 18, 2016 by oh what a nissan feeling!

[novaluke]

So a little update on the build. The Shocks have arrived and started assembly of them.

 

 

So the standard original shock length i had was 15 inches, the new ones are 4 inch shorter and a little thicker that is why i had to used struts from another car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Started on the escort mk1 struts to fit them in the ke70 hub

 

 

 

 

 

Ke70 hub cut waiting for the Engineer to bore the hub diameter so that the new strut can fit in to it.

 

 

 

 

[altezzaclub]

Are they just a press fit or can you weld them without the weld breaking off the cast hub?

[novaluke]

No as you can see the hub needs to be bored so that the strut will fit into the hub. They will be welded like the original ones.

Edited August 19, 2016 by novaluke

[novaluke]

So a little up date on the coil overs. The strut had a metal washer welded on the under neath so the shock will rest on it. Then they were pressed into the hub. All whats left is a metal perch to fit between the strut and the aluminium sleeves. In the mean time i had change of plans with the rims, sold the old ones and bought a new pair of ssr mkii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[V_NIkula]

Those wheels are pure gold :laff:

[novaluke]

Perches have been finished and had time to build them up. I installed temporary two jubilee clips to hold the sleeves so i can the correct right hight for the car. Once calculated they need to welded with the strut it self. Need to try them on the car once i buy tyres for the rims. I have made a comparison from the original strut i have to the new ones i made custom. They are 4" shorter than the original ones. I will upload some more photos later on tried on the car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[novaluke]

Finally got to install the shocks on one side with the actual rim. I installed a 185 45 15 tyre on an 8 inch front rim. At the moment the tyre is rubbing with the metal wheel arch (tub) when turning left and right, left on the rear side and right on the front side. Tyre needs as well a 5mm spacer from the hub to the rim. For now i just put the tyre for test fit later on i will have to put the car on a jack to see and modify were the tyre is rubbing.

 

 

 

 

 

[Doogs]

Nice progress mate, any reason you chose the Ford Escort struts and steering arms?

[novaluke]

Hi there thanks. Actually i used only the strut of the escort mk1, the hub is from a ke70 strun the lower part. I originaly planed to use a full ke70 strut but gaz suspension could not make a shorter shock with the diameter of the ke70 and it had to be a few milemeter wider. Due to the fact that escort mk1s here in Malta they are very popular and to find parts i went for an escort strut. It was a few mm wider and all that was needed is to bore a little the ke70 hub not that much to be in danger. So the hub and steering knuckled are from a ke70 and strut from a escort mk1 casing. To be honest if i was going to do every thing from the begining i would have bought a complete escort coil overs and would fit them in the ke70 hubs in stead of buying a coilover kit and ordering custom shocks. It would have been cheaper and more time consuming. Escort mk1 hubs have the steering nuckle on the front not as like the ke70 thats was on the back and i used standar steering and ford pcd is different from toyota. I hope i explained my self correctly. Thanks

Edited October 18, 2016 by novaluke

[Doogs]

No worries,

 

That makes sense, sorry I missed the bit where you used the KE70 lower leg.

It can often be tough deciding what parts to use, sadly old Corollas don't have the same aftermarket support as Escorts etc.

[novaluke]

In the 70s we were still ruled by the english people so it was more popular to have an escort mk1 than a corolla. From what i know of there are only 5 left ke25 on the road and a bunch more ke20s 4 doors. Toyota was not that popular at the time and was more expensive o buy than an escort so not so much of toyota parts.

[novaluke]

So got working on the car again no in better space. I arrange alignment of the steering to be in the middle and turned the steering. As anticipated i have to modify the rear part were the Tyre is touching the metal part (99% moved further back) After that i was thinking about the back which is a big hassle. I have to buy the tyres to be 100% sure what i am doing and get exact measurements, the car really need to lower from the back around 5 to 6 inches which is a lot with blocks. I was thinking for moving the mounting eye a further up but i am not 99% sure that the work involved is worth. Then i got another idea to turn the leafs up side down. I know it does not make sens a lot but i has really lowered the car. Has any one tried this and work like that? actually i think that how the car sits not from the back needs to lift up a little but i cannot be 100% with out tyres. Diff is all ready touching the body work so that needs to get a little bigger. If some one has a better idea how to lower that would help. Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[novaluke]

Started on the back end. Installed two rims with tyres and placed diff on the car to see how they fit. Originally i was going for a standard diff (the one that came the car with with a 3k engine) but the decided to go a little bigger due to chance of bigger engine and bigger tyres and did not want to finish the car and get back working on it. Dif came out of a corona and has to shortened around 5cm on left side. Had to make some room for the diff so there will be more room. In the mean time took the leaf to a guy here which is going to lower them the lowest possible and see how that turns out on the car. After fighting in and machining diff will go to blasting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test fit on the old diff with revers leaf springs.

 

Edited December 27, 2016 by novaluke

[altezzaclub]

will you have to turret the rear shocks if it is that low and you've already cut the floor for the diff??

 

Re-setting the springs is the best way to lower the car.