Lowering-DIY Guide

MightyBoy tech questions and answers.
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Brayden
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That should work out well for you mate. Worse case if the front end isn't low enough you can knock half a coil out of the springs to even it up with the rear.
F8B EFI turbo - Three pots and a snail.
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jono
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Sounds good :clap:

Well, better order these springs then!
Speed Limited: I'm Pedalling as Fast as I Can
1987 Mighty Boy
Injected F8B (love it!)

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fritz
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jono wrote: I've decided to go with the following set up now:

SA struts (Gabriel) ~ $170
SA standard springs (King) ~ $150
Gabriel Rear Shockies ~ $90
HR inch and a half lowering blocks on the rear $110 (saw them on ebay today for $65 :( )

It will do me fine me thinks.
Jono
I really hope you've considered the implications of the swift struts properly. I've already made my views on them clear, but I'd recommend you seek input from people who actually have that setup rather than people who recommend it, but have something totally different.

Remember this also. The swift springs are designed for a heavier vehicle, so they're going to sit higher on a MB than they do on a swift (ie less weight pushing down on them). I think this is what's happened when Ceej (?) got the new lowered king springs. - They may well ride at a similar height to the old generation (non progressive) king springs while in a swift, but when fitted to a mightyboy, the newer king's make the ute sit higher than the old ones. - I hope that makes sense?

I say what I do, not because I want to have a go at other people opinions, but simply because i know what it's like to spend money, and then feel like you wasted it...

Goood luck with it anyhoo. :wink:
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jono
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Thanks Fritz and I had been thinking about the spring issue for a while... There are 30mm lowered springs available for the Swift which I thought would make the ute sit too low because of the 1 inch drop gained by just using th struts..... Maybe the 30mm lowered spring will make it spot on?
Ceej had different struts - hybrid sort - so the King sprins he had would have a different effect I'm guessing??
Speed Limited: I'm Pedalling as Fast as I Can
1987 Mighty Boy
Injected F8B (love it!)

http://www.freewebs.com/fitre/
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fritz
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Location: Perth WA

No worries.
I understand your predicament with no direct replacement units available for the mb and koni inserts etc being so much deerer. But like I said, I'd hate to see you waste money (not that I know that's what you'll be doing - I just feel it's an unknown)
I think it's similar to the tyre/wheels issue. There are a whole heap of combos going around, but the truth of the matter is that not all of them are right. And by that I mean that some people can tolerate (overlook?) certain negative affects, but I cant. This for me has meant loads of trail and error, not to mention lots of wasted money. I've had no less than 4 tyre/wheel combos not including the stockers.
Best of luck mate.. :wink:
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jono
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Yes, but I guess that's what comes with the territory when you own these sorts of cars :)

My only decision now is to either order the Swifts standard OR lowered springs. I don't really want to use my current springs and am a bit wary of cutting them... guess I will just have to take a risk :roll:

At least something positive will come out of this though - will be able to tell others on here how my combination works (or how it doesn't!)

Thanks for your concern, Fritz.

Jono

EDIT!! - Had a bit of a :idea: I can get hold of some struts second hand here. Maybe I should stick to my original idea and get those, rebuild them even a bit more $$$ and use King lowered springs with those (or even standard) By the way, which springs should be used with MB struts - the same King Springs for a Swift???
AHH
Speed Limited: I'm Pedalling as Fast as I Can
1987 Mighty Boy
Injected F8B (love it!)

http://www.freewebs.com/fitre/
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fritz
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jono wrote:Yes, but I guess that's what comes with the territory when you own these sorts of cars
Well yes, but the function of communities like this is to minimise some of that. :)
jono wrote:EDIT!! - Had a bit of a :idea: I can get hold of some struts second hand here. Maybe I should stick to my original idea and get those, rebuild them even a bit more $$$ and use King lowered springs with those (or even standard) By the way, which springs should be used with MB struts - the same King Springs for a Swift???
I personally think that'd be a better way to go for sure.
Just on a tangent - I still have the suspension setup from my alto that I stripped/wrecked. I think it was a circa 88 model? The reason i bring this up is because the strut on that car looked identical bar the thickness of the piece which attaches to the hub (hope that makes sense). The hub itself, again looks very similar to the MB unit except for the thickness part where it attaches to the strut. It has the same bearing setup to the MB unlike the SA gti units I had before.
SO, given they are a newer (presumably) model there very well may be replacement units of these available off the shelf. If so, you're free to the stuff I have (hubs ect - one has been pulled apart). naturally it wouldn't be totally free as you'd have to cop the postage. :)
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jono
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Yep, I reckon that's what'll I do.

Um, I think I know what you mean about the hubs, although I'm still a bit unsure of exactly what the huibs are LOL :roll:

Anyway, I appreciate the offer and if you reckon I would benefit from the parts then sure I will have them :lol: How's that for trust :D

BTW what springs should I use?
Speed Limited: I'm Pedalling as Fast as I Can
1987 Mighty Boy
Injected F8B (love it!)

http://www.freewebs.com/fitre/
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fritz
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I'll post some pics of both setups soon when I have time to photograph them and upload them.
Like I said though, it'll only really be of benifit to you if replacement units are avail for the alto setup.
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Brokenshire
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Anyone.. Let me get it straight.

I get someone to cut and shut my struts, probably usning Koni inserts meant for a SA Swift. They should then go straight on.

Then i put the KFSL-12's same as ceej's and do up all the bolts.

HR blocks on the back and all set?
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jono
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Brokenshire wrote:Anyone.. Let me get it straight.

I get someone to cut and shut my struts, probably usning Koni inserts meant for a SA Swift. They should then go straight on.

Then i put the KFSL-12's same as ceej's and do up all the bolts.

HR blocks on the back and all set?
Second that :) That's what I want to do!
Speed Limited: I'm Pedalling as Fast as I Can
1987 Mighty Boy
Injected F8B (love it!)

http://www.freewebs.com/fitre/
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fritz
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Location: Perth WA

OK Guys. Sorry for the delay... :-(

Right, I took some pics of the two hubs/struts. I've postd them in a gallery and will try to run through the pics now.

The pics shows the width of the hub/struct juction. - I've used a bolt as referance so that you can judge the difference between the mightyboy setup and the alto.

alto hub/strut junction
MB hub/strut junction

As you'll be able to see, the Alto hub has more meat on it where the strut attaches.

Now other than the thickness differences, the remainder of the hub/strut appears to be the same. See the following pictures...

1
2
3

So there you go. If you can find replacement new alto struts, I suspect that it MAY be the way to go as brakes etc seem to be identical - oh except for the clip on the side of the strut, which is only a very minor thing in my opinion. You may actually find that the alto brake hoses will attach to it and the MB steel lines just fine...

Hope this helps someone. :wink:
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Brokenshire
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Wouldn't we be better off bring our exiting originals up to 110% (for another 20 years) rather than modifying and using parts with an unknown history/quality?
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jono
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Thanks for the pics fritz - good work :)

But I think I will stick to getting the Hatch struts I have re-sleeved...

Only thing I am concerned about is what springs to use - the roads down here are pretty rough...
Speed Limited: I'm Pedalling as Fast as I Can
1987 Mighty Boy
Injected F8B (love it!)

http://www.freewebs.com/fitre/
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Jermaine
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jono wrote: the roads down here are pretty rough...
now thats an understatment
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