Need help with suspension

[Foxxtrott]

so I'm quite new to cars and i recently got a ke70 to try as a project car and i was looking around for what was available where I'm from and most of the adjustable coilovers are 2 bolt lower mounts is there any way i can get one of these and use them and weld the old mounts onto it or anything i can do to convert them most of them are the type with threaded lower part to use replaceable lower mounts 

[altezzaclub]

I've been researching this for a couple of months, I'm doing the same project over the rest of the year, and I'm looking at BCRacing coilovers with Manon racing brakes.

BCR make a coilover tube with adjustable shock and ride height, and camber tops if wanted. They sell two style of bottom cup for welding onto your own strut, a KE70 one at 48mm and a AE86 one at 51mm. I'm happy to go with the KE70 one, there is no gain in the AE86 one and I'd have to get AE86 hubs. I'm buying the V1-VA set, more road use and lighter springs than their semi-race BR-BA version, and I'm negotiating lighter springs than their 6-4kg/mm as AE86 and KE70 are less than 2kg/mm stock.

Another option would be find a complete strut off a Corona XT130, something we've done in the past, you get 52mm strut tubes and big, but non-vented, brakes. You'll still need to buy an adjustable shock and weld-on coil-over thread kit, but just the threaded tube with spring base and top. I was going to do this but the 'Rona struts are hard to find and its all very heavy.

Other companies that have weld-on kits include- Titan suspension, PSR suspension, Godspeed Max, Emotion Racing Taiwan, and Group D in Ireland. Any company that didn't list spring rates I figured was crap, and anything from overseas means Customs Duty/Excise tax & postage on top. BCR seemed the best overall.

Manon Racing have been easy to talk with for brakes, they offer a 13" wheel kit using Wilwood Dynalite calipers and vented disc, or 14" kits using WIlwood Dynapro calipers and disc.

This setup gives you an adjustable shock and bigger brakes while using your stock hub and steering arms. You can buy the whole AE86 setup from FLOS in Ireland if you're keen, coilovers, strut tubes, hubs, brakes, rotors and steering arms.

I'm budgeting on $1500 each, so $3k for coil-overs and brakes. You can easily spend $4k on coilovers alone.

Edited August 16, 2024 by altezzaclub

[Banjo]

Welcome aboard Foxxtrott !  I'll bet you didn't figure on getting such a detailed response, as Altezzaclub's advice; in such a short time.

I found his advice excellent, & a good read; & wish a lot of that aftermarket suspension accessories, were available years ago, when everyone on this site (including me), were trying to improve their suspension setups, with swaps from other Toyota vehicles.

You can still do that, if the professional kits, are outside your budget, but many of the swap items, are pretty rare to find at a wreckers these days.

Good luck !

Cheers Banjo

 

[Foxxtrott]

I appreciate the responses alot I'm in Thailand so part sourcing is a bit harder here I was looking at adapting some more  available suspension that is made for more modern cars but seems like that would be too hard for me to do right now

I'll definitely keep in mind all the suggestion you mentioned maybe save up and getting one of those is better option 

I recently started modding my ke70 and I hope I can come to you guys in the future again for more advice 

I'll post some pictures once I've done a bit of work to it

Lots of love for this community

[Banjo]

Keep the photos coming !  We love photos.  A photo tells a thousand words !

Cheers Banjo

[altezzaclub]

Yeah, I looked at adapting FWD Corolla struts a few years back, it would be great for a wide track and control of camber. Unfortunately nearly all the FWD cars went to a 100mm PCD so the wheels would all have to be changed as well.

The struts would have bigger (and ventilated) discs.

 

They would need longer lower control arms too.

 

A nice idea, but not worth the trouble.

Using a FWD strut wouldn't gain much, the springs are usually larger in diameter then our style and wouldn't fit in the tower. The FWDs are nose-heavy so the springs would be stronger too. Its likely the springs, being larger in diameter, would be shorter than ours, so you would weld a long FWD strut tube onto a KE70 tube and then a FWD shock absorber would be too short. It would take a lot of research, I haven't heard of anyone doing it.