Shockies

Family Hack is nearing 100,00kl. The shockies are getting tired ( like me)
Now Hack sits at standard ride height but does have Whiteline front/rear HD sway bars.
What shockies?? Just a mid range non adjustable set.
Suggestions please.

Still no computer at home. Evidently it has f... up real good. No virus/worm whatever, she ( all computers are shes' as they are always tempremental) just locked up.I tried everything like kicking the shitter out of it, trying to drown it etc.
Yeah right Cisco probaly meltdown from surfing those naughty sites.

I dont think you have many available.

Mine is riding on KYB Excel-G's and they seem pretty good. I had them on the pulsar and they seemed to cope quite well with being rocked about/owned by the rolly-polly weight of the car.

Oooh i just noticed you're at standard ride height still...


Mabye message makes and see where he got those Weitec Lowered spring/shock combos from!

Hopefully he has installed them so we can see what the ride height is like.

Hey, I may be able to get you a full set of Koni Yellow Adjustables (2 x Front & 2 x Rear) for around $800 plus postage/shipping if you are interested.

i thought family hack had koni yellows on it? otherwise, yeah there is a post by Makes about Weitec

Alex

There we go > http://www.micra.com.au/community/message.php?messageid=3203

and > http://www.weitec.de/2003/produkte/ultra.php?lang=en

lower 35mm, non adjustable. Abit easier to fit than the konis too, no cutting involved afaik.

Fingers crossed he has them fitted up for sunday, Think they were less than $800 landed with postage customs everything.

Alex

Hi Everyone,

Yes, I fitted the Weitec kit during the Christmas break. I have been very happy with this kit so far.

No cutting was involved, just a fairly simple straight forward change-over... apart from dealing with that inaccessible nut at the top of the front suspension strut... grrr!.

It lowers the car about 30-35mm (about the same as kings springs) and adds a bit of stiffness to the suspension. The car handles and rides well with them fitted. It corners pretty flat (with the standard Super S swaybars) and is perhaps just marginally a little harsher over the bumps.

I would say they are probably a good compromise package for an everyday driver... but not a true "sports kit" like the whiteline/adjustable koni combination.

I would be interested is what you guys think on the weekend.... I have never ridden in a micra with whiteline/konis so i don't have any basis for comparsion.

Some photos & details of the kit...
http://www.micra.com.au/community/message.php?messageid=5198

If I was buying another set I would probably look at a locally sourced good quality non-adjustable shock with whiteline springs... This would probably provide the same (or even better) result as the Weitec.

Im running the Weitec shock / spring combo aswell for about a year now.

Very simple switch over and good stiffness, as said they are a 35mm drop, so figure about half your normal height. On mine they are combined with the whiteline stuff, so movements kept to a minimum. Pleased with everything so far :)

No do not want to lower Family Hack. It is the family car and gets loaded up from time to time.With 2 females in the house well you know how much luggage they cart around.
Whitey has the lowered springs,adj.Konis.
Anyway thanks for all the info I will now have a think about it.

Guy who owned my car paid $150 each for the front shocks and $70 each for the rears.

Here is a question for all you suspension boffins out there.

As we all know to keep a FWD car flatter through corners you can put on a larger rear swaybar on.

So, if I was to just add a rear set of Koni Yellows set on hard, would there be a noticable difference in cornering performance?

Yes, I know changing between soft and hard settings on the shocks changes the rate at which the shocks compress and rebound.

I'm just curious if anyone with rear Koni Yellows fitted has experemented with them and found a noticable difference in cornering between the softest setting and the hardest setting?

dampers are not swaybars, of course it will firm up the ride/sway if you put them on max, to what degree i wouldn't know. I personally think my current setup with konis and king springs is too rough and everything is on softest setting, ive tried a little firmer but cant find anything i like. I think this all matters on too amny variables, road quality, driving style/required comfort, type of springs fitted, swaybars ect. The swaybar lessens the load on the dampers afaik, making them work less/last longer.

Alex

Agree Alex. On Whitey with Kmac springs, adj. Konis I found medium/hard setting ride very very firm.Too hard for me and I have em set on softest setting which is my personal taste. Even on this it still corners like a brick.
Looks like KYBs will be the way to go on Hack.Gee not many options around for a more or less standard shock.

Hey Dave. I have those "kmac" springs too.
Do you recon the KYB's would be ok or should i deffo go for the koni's because of the larger drop in ride hieght??
As opposed to kings or whiteline springs.

I have a new set of Jamex springs (35mm drop) and will be fitting a set KYB Excel-G shocks in the middle of February.

Front Left 332062 $115
Front Right 332061 $115
Rear x 2 343249 $47 each

I spoke to my mechanic and he warned me KYB only recommends a 30mm drop with these shocks.

Many years ago I lowered my 260 Z over 2 inches all round, put in a set of Bilstein gas shocks and had no trouble at all. The Zed was driven harder and did a lot more track time than my Micra will ever see.

So at less than $325 all round (excluding fitting) I figured I would take a chance on the KYBs with these springs.

I'll post an update after everything is fitted and I have driven around for a while.

Hi Matty,
Depends on budget I guess. My mechanic mate reckons the KYB s are good shocks. With Whitey well I went the whole hog on the basis I will be doing a few hill climbs etc. Now belong to the North West Car club down here so when Whitey is 100% where I want it I will have a go at a few events.Hopefully stump puller will frighten a few cars with much larger capacity. I am counting on all that torque down low to do the job.
Tell you what felt like Brisse down here today. Hobart hit 33 and good old Burnie where I live 28 !!No good for forced cars.

Indeed the KYB shocks are good stuff but i am pretty sure that running them with the very low KMAC springs is making them operate at least 10mm out of their maximum efficiency range. Which wears them out rather quickly.

As someone as mentioned before, operating the KYB shocks with just King Springs has them 5mm out of their maximum lowered operation height, the increased wear here isn't really a problem though as 5mm is the difference between a heavy person and a light person.

damn Dave, thats hot for Tazzy. It was lovely up here today, max of 23 lol. ya never can tell sometimes hey. But it is raining and i think it'll be a wet one for our meet on sunday...
Anyways in answering my question, it sounds like koni's are the only real solution, unless i fully change to coil ova's or something:-(
why do koni's have to be so expensive...why??? ;-(

jammin on bags haha


matty you could try running the KYB shocks with your KMAC springs and it would probably work ok for a while but the shocks would wear out rather quickly because of the extra stress on them.

Hi micra-man,

That is an excellent price for the KYB shock absorbers... May I ask where we can get them from for that price ?... Or was it a special one-off "mates rate" deal with someone you know ?.

Mates Rates from my mechanic because he is doing the install.

Over the counter at Auto One Waitara I was quoted fronts $125 each and rears $53 each.

How much cheaper are they than your best quote, I could buy you a set and mail them up if you want. Depends on the cost of postage I suppose.

http://www.gtsuspension.com.au/

Found a few items i didnt know existed on there. Some Noltec Bushings, Lovells Lowering Springs and Boge make a set of replacement front / rear dampers for the K11 too,

Alex

Thanks "micra-man". The price i was quoted was around $165 each for the KYB front struts from a "suspension specialist" supplier/workshop. I will try a general retail autoparts place like you did (eg. Repco, AutoBarn or Supercheap) they will probably be a fair bit cheaper...