Losh's VR Ute build thread

[afstruct]

I would imagine progressive would be better/more versatile than single rate.
Having said that shorly new ( lovells?) would definitely be an improvement on older , used ,second hand standard springs.
Insurance, = yes shannons are brokers.
Personally I've never had a problem with them ( and ( unfortunately) l have had a couple of claims with them).
Get agreed value, choice of repairer, windscreen cover, cover modified vechices, amongst others and I've never found anyone else who will compete on price when all the cover points are included.

 

[Trevor loves holden.]

Stiff and tight at first, ride be harsher till they settle depending on the rating I suppose, standards or heavy duty, with your road probably make no different till you hit the bitumen, probably raise it 10-20mm till they settle.

 

[losh1971]

Just got the ute back and new suspension parts are in. It will be good to see how it feels on the leg home on the highway through some bends. Booked the ute in for the alignment and rotation on Monday with My Car. The tyres are wearing a little, so time to throw the fronts on the back at the same time. Mechanic did a check over and said rack ends are good as is TREs. He did say one spring had sagged slightly. Not sure if that would affect tyre wear? I'd value an expert opinion if anyone knows? He lightened my wallet by $225. Took him 2.5hrs for the Job which was a tad more than I was hoping but still not as much as I was prepared for. Last strut top replacement set me back 80 bucks and the time before that was 60. That's ok, I'm happy it helps him keep going, especially when things start on the expected downturn again in a few months.

 

[losh1971]

Just drove 30km, with a few 100kph bends. It's no longer clunking and it feels smoother. The gravel road will be the real test, but that's a week or so away.
It doesn't feel quite right, I've kinda gotten used to knowing what a poor alignment feels like, I can't explain it, it's just something I seem to know since having it corrected once before how a poor alignment feels like. I'm pretty sure come Monday after work it will drive sweet.

 

[vc commodore]

Just got the ute back and new suspension parts are in. It will be good to see how it feels on the leg home on the highway through some bends. Booked the ute in for the alignment and rotation on Monday with My Car. The tyres are wearing a little, so time to throw the fronts on the back at the same time. Mechanic did a check over and said rack ends are good as is TREs. He did say one spring had sagged slightly. Not sure if that would affect tyre wear? I'd value an expert opinion if anyone knows? He lightened my wallet by $225. Took him 2.5hrs for the Job which was a tad more than I was hoping but still not as much as I was prepared for. Last strut top replacement set me back 80 bucks and the time before that was 60. That's ok, I'm happy it helps him keep going, especially when things start on the expected downturn again in a few months.

Yes a little spring sag from a previous alignment will effect alignment settings....It will have more negative camber and more toe in....How much it varies I can't say.

 

[losh1971]

Yes a little spring sag from a previous alignment will effect alignment settings....It will have more negative camber and more toe in....How much it varies I can't say.

And would this cause my slight tyre wear that I have had for a while now? Or would have previous alignments made the adjustment to correct the problem a sag would cause? If that makes sense?

 

[vc commodore]

And would this cause my slight tyre wear that I have had for a while now?

I'm only guessing, but it is possible the spring has been weak for sometime, which would account for tyre wear....weak as in becoming progressively worse over time, which would account for an alignment being done and then down the track, it sags a little more, causing the alignment settings to change again and cause the slight tyre wear.

When you get the report, see if you are able to compare camber settings from a previous report to the current one you are getting...It should be slightly more negative, if the spring is getting worse

Honestly I am a little surprised you didn't get the alignment done at the same time...Was it a case of the mechanic not having a place he could have it done, or mycar not being able to fit you in?

 

[losh1971]

I'm only guessing, but it is possible the spring has been weak for sometime, which would account for tyre wear....weak as in becoming progressively worse over time, which would account for an alignment being done and then down the track, it sags a little more, causing the alignment settings to change again and cause the slight tyre wear.

When you get the report, see if you are able to compare camber settings from a previous report to the current one you are getting...It should be slightly more negative, if the spring is getting worse

Honestly I am a little surprised you didn't get the alignment done at the same time...Was it a case of the mechanic not having a place he could have it done, or mycar not being able to fit you in?

Yeah cool that makes sense. Garage I used doesn't have an alignment machine. He had to fit my struts and coils in the afternoon as he was booked in the morning or I would have booked the alignment for today in the arvo, with My Car. I hope this is the cause of the wear. I guess I will find out once once I knock up say 10k on the fronts, after they get rotated on Monday.

 

[vc commodore]

Yeah cool that makes sense. Garage I used doesn't have an alignment machine. He had to fit my struts and coils in the afternoon as he was booked in the morning or I would have booked the alignment for today in the arvo, with My Car. I hope this is the cause of the wear. I guess I will find out once once I knock up say 10k on the fronts, after they get rotated on Monday.

Actually a good idea waiting to get the alignment done...Give the springs a chance to settle properly.....

Can't wait to find out whether the new springs fix the wear problem or not...It'll definately something for the memory bank

 

[losh1971]

Yes a little spring sag from a previous alignment will effect alignment settings....It will have more negative camber and more toe in....How much it varies I can't say.

My Car said camber was ok. He said toe was out by 3mm but not sure which way. Tyres have been rotated so will be interesting to see how they wear now. Next alignment could be new tyre time I suspect. Fronts, now rears are getting down a little.