Guest groingo Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Been looking into making a lowering package that would lower the car 1.5 inches but not require any special shocks or leaf spring mods.It would improve the look a lot with current 15 inch wheels, and better yet with 16 inch wheels (much less wheel opening showing).I have a coil spring maker nailed down and will be meeting with a local machine shop to discuss a new version of rear axle knuckle either made of CNC'd aluminum or moly tubing.Question, how many of you that may be interested have ABS on your Reatta? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCReatta Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Been looking into making a lowering package that would lower the car 1.5 inches but not require any special shocks or leaf spring mods.It would improve the look a lot with current 15 inch wheels, and better yet with 16 inch wheels (much less wheel opening showing).I have a coil spring maker nailed down and will be meeting with a local machine shop to discuss a new version of rear axle knuckle either made of CNC'd aluminum or moly tubing.Question, how many of you that may be interested have ABS on your Reatta?I'd be very interested. Yes, I have ABS.I would suggest making specifically for cars with ABS, as that came standard on all Reattas. What sort of difference would it make in the design? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I might be. All of my Reattae have functional Teves. I suspect a rear knuckle could be made for both with and without: One flat, one big hole, one tapped hole & a plug.Is the "without" bearing the same diameter ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest groingo Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 The only difference is a larger axle mounting plate with two additional holes for the ABS sensor.It won't be cheap (because of low volume) but it will be right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-a-n-i-e-l Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 It would also work on all other e body cars so the market is bigger than you think. I believe the k body of the Seville would work on it also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 we can just cut the front springs.right?isn't the back end the problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest groingo Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) we can just cut the front springs.right?isn't the back end the problem?What I had originally thought till I saw the front coil springs were cone shaped and not conventional which makes getting them to seat correctly in the saddle impossible, to do it correctly they need to be re wound at a different spring rate.My stuff will also be engineered, helps on the liability insurance I will need to sell it.Daniel:I agree but for now, until I get a 88- 92 Riviera to try them on it will be Reatta only. Edited January 25, 2012 by groingo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Recian Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 exactly. the spring rate can be changed to lower the reatta's front. I can compress the coil springs and heat them to change the spring tension to lower the car. Cutting springs is a bad idea, it causes bounce and in tern issues with the front end. I see it on alot of ricer nissans and hondas that come in the shop. Lowering the rear has been the issue all along but making an altered cradle or different types of retaining grommets for the leaf (to raise the leaf and lower the car) Ive wanted to try it on a parts car but i dont have anywhere to store a car in pieces since im renting atm. I really wana lower the reatta. It handles beutifully and it being lower with still a good ride quality, not cut springs would make it be an amazing fun car to drive more so than it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest groingo Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 exactly. the spring rate can be changed to lower the reatta's front. I can compress the coil springs and heat them to change the spring tension to lower the car. Cutting springs is a bad idea, it causes bounce and in tern issues with the front end. I see it on alot of ricer nissans and hondas that come in the shop. Lowering the rear has been the issue all along but making an altered cradle or different types of retaining grommets for the leaf (to raise the leaf and lower the car) Ive wanted to try it on a parts car but i dont have anywhere to store a car in pieces since im renting atm. I really wana lower the reatta. It handles beutifully and it being lower with still a good ride quality, not cut springs would make it be an amazing fun car to drive more so than it isThe front is the easier part the rear (in order to preserve ride quality) is a bit more tricky as the plan is to build a lengthened and stronger axle knuckle either of CNC'd billet or Chrome Molly tube and plate, both solutions will continue to allow off the shelf shock absorber's, conventional alignment requirements and also prevent bump steer.The first spring samples should be here in a couple weeks and the knuckles I will be using for controls have to be new to insure correctness, but when you look at the finished parts you won't be able to tell them from factory....they will be waaaay better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Recian Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 i see what youre getting at. A lengthened knuckle will be cheapest to make for the rear. That's how alot of trucks lift. They use lengthened knuckles to preserve ride quality. That will work pretty good. May have to look into making shims for it too for alignment of the rear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Or just lower the front & put 275x70x15s on the rear for a '60s drag racer look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handmedownreatta Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 could you put a 1/2 inch plate between the knuckle and spindle to move it up a couple of inches?i'll assume someone already tried that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest groingo Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) Well, this has been a real experience, every time when you think you have it figured out the car from hell throws a curve, the knuckle is out, control arm is out so now I need a rear leaf spring so it can be tested to see if it can be replaced with a steel one at a different tension rate....would make things much simpler too and way less expensive....anyone got a spare rear leaf kicking round?Later today I got off the phone with a friend in Australia who really added a great twist to the entire lowering project, he mentioned why not just dump the rear leaf spring for coil over shocks....definitely worth looking closer at with the problems this out dated leaf brings with it to be sure. Edited January 28, 2012 by groingo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Will the shock tower take the load ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest groingo Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Will the shock tower take the load ?That and is it wide enough....it never ends but it is definitely getting closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) Lowering the rear is actually the easy part, and I've detailed in the past how I did it.Just call up Birchmount Auto Spring in Canada and ask them to make you a replacement leaf spring for the rear out of metals leaves that has 1.5" less arch than the factory Reatta composite spring.They did it for me, and it worked perfectly. They should still have the factory Reatta spring I sent them in stock and so should be able to make additional custom rear leaf springs for any Reatta owner who requests one. $200 for the spring, about $100 labor for the install, and the rear is done. the only thing I suggest you do differently from me is to ask them to increase the spring rate slightly. I asked them not to make the spring stiffer and when hitting large bumps I would actually bottom out at the rear. An increase of about 15-20% should do the trick.I could never get the front end to work correctly, and after trying several sets of replacement front coil springs I eventually sold the car and moved on. The problem up front was cause by the 88-89-style front swaybar links twisting/binding with the shorter front springs and preventing the car from coming down much in the front. After several sets of springs, the front did come down about 1.25", but it rode a bit rough in front. Something wasn't right.My next step, had I kept the car, would have been to revert back to my 90-91-style sway bar and shorten the 90-91-style end links by 1.5." The 90-91-style end links, because of their revised attachment positions, are much longer than the 88-89-style links, and so shouldn't twist/bind as much as the 88-89-style did. But I never got to try that theory. Edited February 5, 2012 by spyhunter2k (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest groingo Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) The springs are in California being tested to establish a control then the springs front and rear will be made to stock rates at the new lower height, this will allow adjustment via shocks to what ever ride or cornering ability you want.The only snag we have run into is the rear spring rubber isolators which with the metal spring are too large (original spring was fat) so we will make new ones.Once I have gotten the first set installed they will be road tested until I feel comfortable that it is right.The pic is what it should look like when lowered with the Mini Lites and new rocker extension....one step at a time. Edited February 6, 2012 by groingo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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