MY suspension - new, second hand or rebuilt?

GunFactory · Post by **GunFactory** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:41 am

Hi people,

Looking at suspension replacement options at the moment, the gear on the 1983 touring wagon is original... and makes me grimace over bumps on bitumen - I think I would just cry if I took it off road.

I stumbled across this setup for the rear yesterday.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281031038596 ... 769wt_1219

Its apparently an L-series coilover with a mount that fits it to the existing MY setup.

Does anyone have any tales to tell - good or bad about something like this?

Has anyone had their original struts (front & rear) rebuilt, or is this simply cost ineffective?

And finally are solutions such as Brumby rear struts seen below suitable in the MY wagon?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... _500wt_986

Cheers

Post by **TOONGA** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:21 am

Check the link in my signature and look at the mx5 suspension link.

And yes you can fit the L series rears to the MY but it creates problems

TOONGA

GunFactory · Post by **GunFactory** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:32 am

Cheers Toonga

Quite a resource that thread of yours!

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:46 pm

If you have original front struts in your 83 it is likely you have rebuildable , 84 did not. I have some gas inserts I bought mistakenly, bought with about 5k km use on them. Are for sale if yo are interested PM me

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:10 pm

What are the problems using the L series coily's?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:40 pm

Brumby Kid wrote:What are the problems using the L series coily's?

Too stiff in the rear - I think it makes the ride either too hard or the rear starts to skip across the road surface around corners...

It could also be too high, I can't remember but Toonga will (or a read will net you the answer).

Cheers

Bennie

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:53 pm

Ahh right.
Not too bad

Cam

GunFactory · Post by **GunFactory** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:49 am

steptoe wrote:If you have original front struts in your 83 it is likely you have rebuildable , 84 did not. I have some gas inserts I bought mistakenly, bought with about 5k km use on them. Are for sale if yo are interested PM me

Im interested - PM sent

Post by **TOONGA** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:25 am

The three main reasons the L series shocks work but don't

1. they are tall to the extent of causing the torsion bar to bind in the opposite direction.

2 the rear brakes are prone to locking up due to increased angle, causing extreme transfer of weight under braking.

3. the springs are that stiff it causes the rear of the car to skip at speed when a small road bump is encountered.

I experienced all of this in my brumby (2 inch lift) on the very first run I went on out on the highway, (with the "L" shocks) it was fun but at the same time not. The shocks were from an "L" wagon (unajustable)

TOONGA

GunFactory · Post by **GunFactory** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:37 am

Right, thanks for that.

Adjusted the factory suspension yesterday and I think I may be ok for suspension for a while. Car feels amazing.

Post by **TOONGA** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:44 am

GunFactory wrote:Right, thanks for that.

Adjusted the factory suspension yesterday and I think I may be ok for suspension for a while. Car feels amazing.

only problem with adjusting the front suspension the way you have done it, is the increased camber but I saw the results and it looks good.

TOONGA

GunFactory · Post by **GunFactory** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 1:43 pm

TOONGA wrote:only problem with adjusting the front suspension the way you have done it, is the increased camber but I saw the results and it looks good.

TOONGA

Indeed, The front camber is pretty crazy now. I may drop it down a bit.. I literally just wound the bolts all the way up. Aside from CV wear and tyre wear is there anything else thats at risk from keeping such a setup?