Lowering

[kcgemni]

I want to lower my gem and want to know if you really need a new panhard rod and shortened shocks for about a 55mm drop

[mcqunt]

www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Holden/Exterior/auction-250584259.htm,
buy one of these got one for sedan they're all good same same,
you can do it with out one but tire rub and crabs will be your new best friends,
you can get aftermarket springs but all mine roll grinder spec and have no worries staying captive,
if you need help or instruction you best start getting friendly with someone that knows,
personally i'll do them for a box of piss (cold piss no luke warm fruity tasting guiness engine oil nuts)
and you best drive to hamilton to do them,
ie $40 24 COLD beers
$40 gas money
$160 panhard rod

all done for $240 in about 2 hours max

[zep]

You'll also probably want to remove the spacers from under your torque tube mounting to keep the angle all good.

[77vette]

Pretty sure i got my adjustable panhard rod from 'The shock shop' for like 130 at trade price. I think they were cheaper than repco and partsmaster.

-you may not need new shocks for a 55m drop. Its the rears that will be the problem once you go real low. Altho you can cut a fair bit of spring out before they lose captivity Best to get the springs sorted at your desired hight and then you will see what needs to be done shock wise

[kcgemni]

do cutties ride any good in geminis otherwise i was gonna compress them or buy some king springs

[mcqunt]

compressing them fails,
they're essentially reheating the spring and wrecking any ductile qualities the metal had retained over its 25 year life,
they collapse and are dangerous,
cut rides fine as long as they are captive and the shock is within its working range of travel.
why spend $400 on kings when you could essentially have the same ride quality and ground effect for much less coin.

If you need help just ask.

personally i'm taking 40mm out of the bumpstop towers to see if i can get a wagon lower than brad's on 14's and possibly get some catseyes off the road,
might just end up beached somewhere who knows,
idea is to have 15mm under the x member at full bump
should be rediculous

[zep]

dude! the road varies 15mm in some places, you wont even be able to drive it!

[dannyboy]

i have got some 660 lb front and 230 lb rears kings that are too soft for the race car. They have been cut as were too high also. May be quite hard on the street?

[zep]

660lb kings! Are you sure that Kings even make them that hard?

[77vette]

haha 15mm is preddy low boss!

exhaust sometimes is slightly lower than the x member unless you have toight as little vauxhall job. so lolz etc.


Last time it was rollin mine was like 40mm at the X memeber at its lowest i think(maybe 50? cant remember). Did get stuck on non smooth roads and ripped all the little plastic bungs out from the floor lol. I think my sills were about a drivers license high. I have a pic somewhere lolz.


edit: danny boy how much do you want for those springs? my vauxhall/ gemini springs are too soft aye.


editedit: btw RE zeps comment about removing the spacer things from the t tube mount things. i did that and the underbelly of my car has gouges out of it from the t tube hitn the floor. LOL dunno might have something to do with zero springs etc

[misdablack]

Nov 6, 2009 18:14:22 GMT 12 77vette said:

Did get stuck on non smooth roads and ripped all the little plastic bungs out from the floor lol.

Barry Whiteen crack up at ur bungs being ripped out bro. thats some funny nuts.

[mikuni]

Mine was 35mm to the crossmember when it was at its lowest. I even have it on a ticket to prove it lol. I smashed the exhaust off at that height but lifted the exhaust up nice and high when we fixed it and the car was very drivable at that height once the exhaust was fixed. Untill putting the xev in, because the sump sits lower than the crossmember and cast alloy doesn't like smashing against the ground very much.

[burntrubber]

With Brads small wheels 35mm is possible. The problem is steering arm angle and lower ball joint angle. With stock wheels 175/70/13's and 100mm at the crossmember my arms and lower ball joint where almost fouling. If you cut the bump stop cone to get lower which I thought of aswell I think something might foul/snap! I'm sure the racing Chevette guru's should have some suspension mod trick for us to learn I'm sure I've heard of using rx7 lower ball joints. Personally cutting Gemini springs is poo's I have cut Piazza in the front and cut commie springs in the back there both alot stiffer to start with. The main thing over looked with a cheap cut spring job is shock's lower cars need stiffer shock's I have 4wd shocks in my car got the lot for $80 rears are near new kyb gas adjusts, fronts are monroe gas sumthings both stiff as.

As for the panard rod just bend it about 200mm-300mm from the bush on the drivers side. I did this to start with but it only works with average lowering not really ideal when you go real low. I made an adjustable myself and its certed 2

[crazytim]

Nov 6, 2009 9:23:51 GMT 12 mcqunt said:

might just end up beached somewhere who knows,

4x4 guys have equipment for getting their rides unstuck... you should put together some for this Wag!
(install a winch?)

[dannyboy]

Sorry should have written that clearer, I have some 660lb fronts and I also have some 230lb King rears.
the front springs were a dark blue colour so not sure what brand they are, both are several years old but with very little use
Kings go well above that mark, I am staying with Kings and will be running somewhere between a 800 and a 1000lb king spring that comes straight off the shelf. Remember that the position of the front spring is half way between the pivot point and the wheel so you have to halve the poundage at the wheel, very different to a strut setup.
You would want to look at the level of the tie rods as going too low would leave them hanging up high causing bump steer and may want to go to a rod end setup.