1973 Galant 16L lowering

[Matt90]

I bought this car a couple of months ago.
I have recently bought some Advanti Takashi's as a temporary wheel until I find something more JDM at a decent price.
I'm looking at getting some Work Equip 3's or SSR XR4 Longchamps or something along those lines.
My most urgent job to do is lower it.
I have been to a couple of suspension specialists in Auckland and all they have to offer is 1.5" drop in the front by means of King Springs.
I want quite a bit more than that and need advice as to how to go about it.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[astronturbo77]

Wow thats a tidy hardtop, please dont butcher it. 14/15x7's will work well in a 0 offset, or in 15x8 +15 (thats what im running).

As for lowering in the back you have two options, lowering blocks of get the leafs reset, i would reccomend the second option.

For the front if you wont to go lower than 2 inches drop i would reccomend getting the strut tubes shortened and run camira inserts, otherwise it will be like my daily, hit the bump stops and be really umcomfortable and the springs arent captive whem the car.is jacked up.

[Matt90]

Yeah I want to keep it pretty damn original other than wheels and suspension for now. It's too gooder car to butcher.
Have you got a hardtop as well?
I've got 15x7's in 15p on it at the moment and they fit pretty well, tried on some 15x8's in the same offset on the back and i looked pretty cool but really not too sure how it would work out with lowering.
Yeah I'm pretty set on getting the leafs reset to lower the rear.
And yeah I want to do it all properly so that the springs are captive and I don't have issues with the police and getting Warrant of Fitness.
I really don't have much knowledge about suspension so bare with me.
What springs would I match with shortened struts and camira inserts?

Here's a photo of the wheels I bought temporarily for the car.



Here's a mock-up of when I first started looking at different wheel options.



Cheers

[dwlee]

Matt, are you willing to get your car certified? If so then go with a set of weld on coilovers in the front. If not you could use shorter shock inserts and cut and reshaped/reset lowering springs, but if you go this way make sure you get it done properly, talk to the guys at Autolign (I have used the Henderson branch). For the rear get them reset at either Archers Auto Springs or Snell Springs.

[astronturbo77]

Ive got a gd hardtop that ill finish restoring one day, a gd sedan daily, ive owned about 7 galants all up.
Im running gh scorp struts with camira inserts, struts shortened about 50 mm to suit, i have 6kg sprinfs wuth otomoto coilover sleeves and camber tops on my lancer. This may be a bit low for a regoed car but ive got heaps of adjustment.

Otomoto.com.au is a good place for old wheels

Also wheelshed.com.au

And the jdm rims buy and sell page on facebook

[Matt90]

I'd rather not have to get a cert only due to the extra cost. Don't quote me on this as I was rather hungover when I went to Autolign but: One of the autolign guys was saying that it was quite a small spring and that can cause some consequences with cut springs and shortened strut tubes?
By the way - I'm kinda thinking about 3-4inch drop rather than 2inch

Cheers

[dwlee]

If you shorten the strut tubes you will have to get a cert. If you use shorter travel shock inserts, appropriately modified springs and you still have sufficient travel you wont need a cert (but the police will still give you a hard time if at the wrong place at the wrong time). The Autolign guys probably talking about the increase in spring stiffness when a spring is cut and the reduction in travel before coil bind when a using a shorter "soft" spring due to the increase in the number of turns per unit length.

[Matt90]

Yeah see that's the point I couldn't quite get my head around after a big night out. When I think of lowering springs I think of stiff springs and therefore couldn't see how springs would be more inclined to bind up although I do understand that the coils are closer together. So as long as there is enough travel in the spring once it has been cut, the strut tubes shortened and the shocks replaced with shorter ones, there shouldn't be any problems other than maybe police and tougher to get warrants if I don't get a cert?
Might have to make another visit to Autolign this weekend to get the process under way.

Anyone got any recommendations as to what shock insert to use if I want 3-4" drop?
Will camira inserts be about right astronturbo77?

[75wagon]

I might not be much help with the suspension side of things, but the Rota Shakotans look smick as.

As for rims sizes and offset, give this topic a read.
The GA/B body style doesn't give much room for big offset. But use the formula in the link I've provided to work out what you have, and then how to use that to help you work out what you can run in those guards. Tyre stretch allows you to run wider rims if everything else fails.

Dave...

[astronturbo77]

Forget about trying to get 3/4 inches drop on a galant, with wide wheels they will be sitting hard on the guards and the rear diff housing will be on the bump stops, not to mention it will drive like shit. Mine is lowered 2.5 and there is only about 20mm free travel till it hits bump stops, which is over every bump. I also had to cut and move the rear shock lower mounts in and upwards to clear the wheels

[Matt90]

Yeah just had a good look and 2.5-3 is more what I'd want. I was just going from memory and my memory exaggerates how high it is at the moment!
I guess I'm looking at shortening the struts 50mm, using camira inserts and shortening or compressing the springs 2.5inches?

[A112H]

What is your plan for the rear? I know 2" or 2.5" blocks will cause the shock mount to foul on the wheel.

[Smokey]

I have kings in the front and 2 inch blocks in the rear and it is a bit lower than standard. The car is on 17s so its jacked up a bit.. Ill be getting some 15s and the rear springs reset lower. Also, im going for starion coil overs in the front. Im looking at 0 offset, 8 or 9 inch rims and will need to modify the guards, especially if youre going low. So ill be using bolt on flares to keep it all legit but I wouldnt be doing that on your car.. Its just too mint.