Author Topic: Lowering my bird (pics)  (Read 10656 times)

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Offline JelloBello

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Lowering my bird (pics)
« on: Apr 21, 2007, 06:43PM »
Okay, first up let me say if you are thinking about lowering your car yourself and are a bit worried - don't be. I'm a total n00b and I managed not to stuff it up (yet) :).

Yesterday I picked up my lowering springs (whiteline - thanks to ka-bluey) and this morning i got stuck into it.

stock vs. lowered


This was my only reference that I used to assist me:


- jack up
- wheel off
- undo two strut base bolts and push off to side, keeping lower control arm supported by a upside bucket (that's what i used)
- maybe undo brake line support things (a bolt each, nothing major)
- undo top three bolts
- drop it all down and do ya spring change i guess

I've only done the 2 front struts and I'm already giggling to myself over how cool it looks (at least compared to stock). And now for a before and after:



I'll update 2morrow after I've done the rears  ;D
« Last Edit: Apr 22, 2007, 11:41PM by JelloBello »
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Offline Ka-Bluey

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #1 on: Apr 21, 2007, 06:59PM »
Shit, stock rims. Man your car is gonna be bloody low!! Im glad you got the springs.

They are nice and hard, well harder then the King Springs, plus much thicker.

Keep us updated on the progress.
 

Offline Budgie

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #2 on: Apr 21, 2007, 07:06PM »
lol @ the factory attesa spings.  Made for comfort they are :)

I have my RNU's stock rear springs around the back of the garage, they are huge and very soft.
dont piss me off with your pillarless shit captain snappy wrist

Offline Marty

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #3 on: Apr 21, 2007, 08:27PM »
Just think, If you had these springs at the last cruise you would had done a lot more damage. ;)
Maybe this will make it handle better around round-a-bouts.


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Offline JelloBello

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #4 on: Apr 21, 2007, 08:29PM »
always the comedian Marty :P

Yeh, still baffled how I got away with it
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Offline greenbird

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #5 on: Apr 22, 2007, 12:12AM »
Nice work JelloBello.
A word of warning though.... You may be up for some hasstle with the regard to getting the rear struts out....
From the factory, Nissan put this massive 'nut' sort of thing on the top of the strut. It's hard to describe, as i have never seen anything like it before and to me it seemed to serve no purpose. It seemed to just be there as a lock nut of some sort, which is completely unnecessary.
Anyway, it looked sort of like a door knob, but you needed a 17mm (i think, from memory) allen key to get the mongrel off... Without getting this stupid nut off, you can't get the strut out.
Obviously i didn't have a allen socket that big, so we masked off the interior of the car and ground a notch into this 'knob' with my 4" grinder. From there we used a cold chisel and a hammer to undo the stupid bloody thing.
If you are lucky, someone might have replaced the struts in your car previously and thrown these 'big nut things' in the bin.
We discovered all this whilst replacing the struts and springs in my little brothers Series 2 SSS.
Be sure to let us know how you go!
Has anyone else ever come across this?
Dan.
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Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline JelloBello

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #6 on: Apr 22, 2007, 12:38AM »
Yeh, ka-bluey told me I was up for a surprise when i go to do the backs - I'll take some pics of them 2morrow if I have them (since mine is jap spec I might not *crosses fingers*)
« Last Edit: Apr 22, 2007, 12:55AM by JelloBello »
1994 u13 SSS Attesa ftw. Project thread here
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Offline phreeky

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #7 on: Apr 22, 2007, 02:30PM »
My car just had normal nuts on both front+rear struts - http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/suspension/IMG_5443.JPG (don't have a pic of the nut itself sorry, but was just a normal one). Bit of a pain to get to though.

Plus my whiteline springs didn't look as low as those ones, plus they were painted differently - odd: http://www.clubpoint.net/bluebird/suspension/Front%20spring%20-%20stock%20vs%20whiteline%202.JPG

Make a MASSIVE difference though. I'm running on stock rims too :D

Offline JelloBello

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #8 on: Apr 22, 2007, 03:37PM »
All done  ;D

I didn't have the bullshit nut that has been talked about - Jap spec ftw.


Rear spring comparison stock vs. lowered (note the u12 in the background :P)


before and after of rear


and some quick pics of the car as a whole.


I'm very happy with the results - all i need now is a wheel alignment and a driveway with a smaller incline.  ;D
« Last Edit: Apr 22, 2007, 04:40PM by JelloBello »
1994 u13 SSS Attesa ftw. Project thread here
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Offline slim

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #9 on: Apr 22, 2007, 03:50PM »
Looks lovely and low.
Very stealth especially being black and with stock rims. stockies!

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Offline greenbird

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #10 on: Apr 22, 2007, 04:37PM »
Nice work mate. It looks great. Don't forget to book yourself in for a wheel alignment now, so you don't destroy your tyres....
You will probably find that once upon a time your car did have those mongrel nut / knob things. Chances are somebody has changed the struts before and thrown them in the bin.
Cheers, Dan.
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2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline Budgie

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #11 on: Apr 22, 2007, 06:31PM »
Looks great mate!
dont piss me off with your pillarless shit captain snappy wrist

Offline xxxx

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #12 on: Apr 22, 2007, 06:32PM »
looks very sly! may i ask what sort of tyres and what profile they are on the stockies?
Noss you look like a cereal killer ;D


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Offline Jason

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #13 on: Apr 22, 2007, 07:37PM »
Cool looks good, But yeah definantly get a wheel alignment, theres heaps of negative camber on those front wheels and the toe in would be up shit creek, it will scrub those tires out real quick.

But it looks cool. :)

Offline LUP15

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #14 on: Apr 23, 2007, 02:27PM »
from the pics he has 205/60/15 the usual profile or bluebirds (some have 195/60/15)

how does it handle? forgotten how those stock wheels have such bulgey tyres... lol
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Offline JelloBello

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #15 on: Apr 23, 2007, 05:01PM »
Thanks for the comments guys :)

as lup15 said the tyres are 205/60/15 which is stock.

As far as handling - I haven't really tested it out yet but I can fell that it's a hell of a lot stiffer then stock. Will give it a good 'test' after the wheel alignment.

Next on my list is defiantly a strut brace and swaybars (I'm paranoid that I'll twist the chassis :P)

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Offline phreeky

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #16 on: Apr 23, 2007, 05:56PM »
After seeing what a stiff rear swaybar has done to a couple of peoples chassis rails, I leave mine (whiteline adjustable) on the medium setting. Seems to handle nice with that, and the whiteline springs. I also have new bushes and strut tops all through the front end.

I'm ghetto, I haven't had a proper wheel alignment done :D But, without any additional adjustable camber (i.e. camber bolts), my car seems to have a bit of negative camber, and it's got a touch of toe out too ;) It sticks like sh*t to a blanket like that too! Plus I get perfectly even tyre wear across the fronts, and slightly more wear towards the outside-edge on the rears, but nothing major.

Most of the body roll you feel now will likely be tyre roll. Try some different tyre pressures and see what feels nicest. It will depend on your specific tyres a bit, but I run around 36psi in the fronts and 32psi in the rears.

Offline Marty

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #17 on: Apr 23, 2007, 07:31PM »
theres heaps of negative camber on those front wheels

yeh I thought mine was bad,

http://www.amnet.net.au/~orion/attesa/camber1.JPG
« Last Edit: Apr 23, 2007, 07:38PM by -=|Marty|=- »
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Offline JelloBello

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #18 on: Apr 23, 2007, 08:15PM »
okay guys, remember when i said this:

I'm a total n00b and I managed not to stuff it up (yet) :).

pretty sure I stuffed it up.

I think i put my springs on upside down (does this matter? i think it would :P)

as seen in this pic (shamelessly stolen) the compressed part of the spring is at the top of the struts.


mine are the other way. I've also had a look at the DIY's of changing shocks etc. and noticed that all the springs were the same way as above.

So yeh, just wondering if this is something that I should fix?
« Last Edit: Apr 23, 2007, 10:23PM by JelloBello »
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Offline Budgie

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #19 on: Apr 23, 2007, 08:22PM »
Lol... I did that on my old corsair ages ago when I lowered it.

Take them off and flip them over.
dont piss me off with your pillarless shit captain snappy wrist

Offline JelloBello

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #20 on: Apr 23, 2007, 08:32PM »
meh, I'll do it 2morrow after school - might even get up early and tackle the back 2... I think it should take me max of 30mins per corner (especially since I don't need to compress the back springs and only a tiny bit for the fronts)

EDIT: does it make a difference if they're in the other way?
« Last Edit: Apr 23, 2007, 09:12PM by JelloBello »
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Offline greenbird

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #21 on: Apr 24, 2007, 05:46PM »
EDIT: does it make a difference if they're in the other way?

Yeah, unfortunately it does... Bit hard to describe what i'm thinking about, but i'll try anyway.
If you check out the 2 end plates where the spring sits on the strut, you will see that the top plate is relatively flat and the bottom plate is curved and shaped to accept the coil. One end of the coil spring (the top) should be relatively flat and the other end (the bottom) should finish in a normal spiral fashion, where the very end of the coil is not bent back and touching the previous coil on the spring.
The shaping of the plates on the strut helps to hold the spring in position and stop it from bouncing out.
Hope this made sense :)
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Offline JelloBello

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #22 on: Apr 24, 2007, 07:36PM »
Yeh it does  :)

I remember putting them in thinking that they weren't sitting quite right... stupid me never thought to turn the springs around. I've turned the back 2 around and will do the front 2 tomorrow morning. The fun never stops.
« Last Edit: Apr 24, 2007, 10:02PM by JelloBello »
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Offline xxxx

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #23 on: Apr 24, 2007, 08:58PM »
hrmm thats odd, i thought youre tyres looked lower profile then 205/60/15 because thats what i have...


does it annoy anyone else that there are NO low profile/directional 205 tyres for 15's

only 15/195's for some wierd reason...
Noss you look like a cereal killer ;D


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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #24 on: Apr 24, 2007, 09:43PM »
does it annoy anyone else that there are NO low profile/directional 205 tyres for 15's
I found some, Bridgestones. I just couldn't justify spending $800 on a set of tyres at that stage  :o
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Offline slim

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #25 on: Apr 24, 2007, 10:05PM »
yeh the 205/60R15  should be low profile.
xxxx you have me lookin at tyres and rims now, http://www.bobjane.com.au/Wheels/VirtualWheels.asp
Jellobello you should have gone down to pedders before and got a test done on your old springs whilst attached to car.
oh well to late now

EDIT: try Pirellis P6000 with nitrogen. my bird came like that and i cant fault them. grip traction and all the rest. Not low profile shame
« Last Edit: Apr 24, 2007, 10:15PM by slim »
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Offline greenbird

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Re: Lowering my bird (pics)
« Reply #26 on: Apr 24, 2007, 10:55PM »
Back in 2002, i put Dunlop FM901's on my bluebird, in 205/60 X 15 form.
It's a shame they no longer produce them, because they were an AWESOME tyre.
I then changed to 17" rims, with brand new Pirelli P6000's (215/45 x 17).
The pirellis were good tyres, there's no denying it, but the FM901's were in a completely different league!
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Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs