VT S2 SS suspension - price check & advice?

[TK]

Also consider KYB shocks which are more or less on par with the GT Sport.

You sure the KYB's are good?

I can get them for $268 pr for the front & $134 pr for the rear - cheaper than GT gas & that's not a 'great' price - just regular trade.

I'll be picking up a set of black powdercoated VY SS 18" wheels with near new tyres today or tomorow, so tyre problem solvered.

Aim is to gather the bits for the suspension work over the next 2 weeks & bung it all in on a saturday, then a 4 wheel alignment on the monday.

Should be a vast difference in the methinks.

Then I can ignore it for another 40,000k's LOL.

[Cplus]

You sure the KYB's are good?

KYB's are fine.

they also have a better top arrangement (hex keyed strut rod)

I would listen to Benno and get a price on the VE style tops too - if they are that much better, worth looking at the cost.

get those an aftermarket Radius rods and you've done a fair wack of the improvement already.

[TK]

Don't new bushes for the radius rods come in that kit? - I gots a press, I can fit them no probs.

Thinking I'd rather just buy the kit & use the strut tops that come with it, if they work ok they'll do the job.

$ has become the issue - having to fork for a fresh set of boots now rather than in a month or 2 kinda kills the budget.

I'll go for the KYB shocks, just gotta screw them down a bit - they'll move if I go in on a sat & twist the arm of a guy that works in the morning & owes me a favour for helping out with his cossie headed cortina.

[TK]

Benno's a farking legend!

Picking up the new rims & tyres today, other shit next week.

[Cplus]

Don't new bushes for the radius rods come in that kit? - I gots a press, I can fit them no probs.

Thinking I'd rather just buy the kit & use the strut tops that come with it, if they work ok they'll do the job.

sorry, radius rod to chassis, not radius rod to the control arm.

the radius rod to the chassis and the strut tops are the two that flog out most common.

control arms need a big hammer (for the ball joint) and a press, yes.

still easy though.

If it were me, I'd buy the kit too. Understand what Benno is saying, but effectively you are getting the strut tops for "free" if you compare to buying all the other stuff not as a kit.....

[Cplus]

oh, and still waiting on final price for the top shelf monroe jobbies, but likely to be with 10% of the price you have for the KYB's

last time was $120 a side for the front and $120 pair for the rear.

[TK]

Sounds good, won't need em untill next week.

Benno got me some strut tops, so I'll just buy the rest of the bits I need seperately, I'll probably grab those new arms to save time fitting bushes to the old ones - depends on price I guess.

[FRCFED]

post pics of the strut top please id like to see the difference

[rowdytoot]

post pics of the strut top please id like to see the difference

me too!

[BENN0]

You wont see the difference. Would even be fairly hard to tell comparing a new style and old side by side.

The strut top has changed for better retention the bearing in the mount itself(promotes bearing life), higher duro rubber and an improved rubber flow process (in the mould tool)

The plastic bearing body has a larger outter diameter upper section to retain in the revsed bush, plus the bearing race groove diameter has changed to allow better lubrication between the balls. This also reduces the risk of the bearing collapsing enough to crack the housing.

[Cplus]

Got prices on Monroe GT Sport

Fronts are $95 per side
Rears are $110 for a pair

Cheap as!

Benno got me some strut tops, so I'll just buy the rest of the bits I need seperately, I'll probably grab those new arms to save time fitting bushes to the old ones - depends on price I guess.

Changeover arms are like $280-$320. Bushes will be $100 ish - Worth it if you don’t have a press, but definitely not if you do.

Control Arm Inner - $60

Strut Bar to Control Arm -$45

Strut Bar to Chassis - $190

then add,
Sway Bar Link Bushing - $40


so that’s $335 for everything bar the strut tops.

for this amount you might as well by the front kit for $350 and the flog off the strut tops!


If you were still keen to get all the rear ones as well, the FULL kit would make even more sense $$$'s wise. You could flog the strut tops on eBay for $100+ easy.

[TK]

Awesome price on those shocks, thanks!

I'll shoot you a PM mon/tues.

May as well buy the whole kit I guess, as you say I can flog off the strut tops.

So, does this list sound cmprehensive - just wanna make sure I don't miss anything & swear a lot when I've got the car in bits & can't drive it anywhere to get more shit!

Springs
Shocks
Nolathane full kit for lower than FE2
Front sway bar mount bushes
Rear sway bar mount bushes
Steering rack bush
Tie rod ends

No ball joints hiding in there? nothing else I missed?

[Cplus]

Ball Joints on the LCA are about $35 if you want to replace them too - or be lazy and buy the arms as a unit with new bushes and the ball joints....

- but then it is silly to buy the kit, cause then the strut tops AND the LCA bushes will need to go on eBay :D



Seeing as you plan on doing the rear end incl. the sway bar mounts - might as well do the cross member and the diff too.....

they come as a kit as well ($150-$180) - http://www.nolathane.com.au/product_...umber=EVOTRAC1


getting all this done will transform the way it feels i reckon.

[TK]

Yeah, I'll replace the bal joints - screw buying the arms tho, that just gets messy, I can fit all that shit to the existing arms no probs, used to have to do that shit for the mechanics way back when I was working for the man, had plenty of practice.

Fuck doing the diff mounts & cross member on axle stands, they'll be fine (yes, they will be fine, they will be fine, repeat & rinse).
May do them a bit later along with strut braces - on a hoist!

[goose]

Rear crossmember bushes aren't too hard to do on axle stands. Just need a decent size breaker bar to get the main bolt undone!