GASSED, DYNOED, SONNY, P100, best springs for TE Cortina?

[xctasy]

Normally, this would go under the drive line section, but it would confuse a few Americans.

The TE Station wagon I have is going to get my 4.1 Fairmonts EFI engine, and its weighes 237 kilograms, up 106 kilos on the 2.0 litre Cortina engine. Despite the alloy head, its about the same weight as the old Iron x-flow because the alloy intake and fuel pump add about 26 kilos, which cancells out the 23 kilo lighter alloy head. The 4-stage auto gear boxs is 38 kilograms heavier than the Borg Waner 40 automatic, so all up, the 1157 kilogram wagon should weigh in at 1301 kilos. So she's gona be 275 kilos lighter than the Fairmont Wagon, but still 144 kilos heavier than its current 2.0 litre status.

Anyway, the later TF Cortina sixes ran rising rate (progessive) springs. The TF sixes were 30 kilos lighter than the TE because of the alloy head and 8 kg lighter small BW diff.

I'm looking for a set of soft springs that still keep the nose off the bump stops. I think the TF S-pack got 14" wheels, 185/70 14 tyres and a special Sports Suspension package. I guess it wasn't much of a package becasue Wheels and Modern motor bagged the car when it was released in 1981.

Basically I'd rather not lower the front end more than 50 mm or two inches. It's running 14 inch alloy rims with 185/65 tyres at the moment, to keep the unasisted steering effort down. Any advice on getting a set of great springs ex Australia?

I'm also looking at a set of four very firm Koni or other gas pressure shocks, and the biggest front stabiliser bar I can get.

I have good suspension rubbers, good steering rack, good welds, and the cars body is as straight as a die.

With 121 kilo watts, 333 newton meters of torque and only 1300 kilograms, i will perform just like a 351 Fairmont. It just needs springs and shockies and a good front bar to prevent it ending up in side drains and ditches!

 

[gassed250]

If you look up the P/N for te front springs in the pedders or king springs sites
You will finr that they are the same p/n as XD-F items

The set up i use in my TE is

FRONT> Pedders standard hight replacement springs and 90/10 shocks

REAR> Left spring is standard hight but 1 wire guage thicker
Right spring is standard hight and 2 wire guages thicker

Have not made up my mind with rear shocks will be either pedders 10/90 or KONI adjustables

 

[addo]

A week late, Deano. Parents here now, going back tomorrow. You could have saved on posting a set!

 

[xctasy]

Thanks for that, buddy. It's quite okay, i had to wait until Spring!.

LOL. I can imagine him going through the declarables.

"Is that a spring in your trousers, Mr Addo-Abba, or are you just happy to see me..."

gassed250, now you say it, I do remember my Kiwi mate Richard, the guy with this,

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/ ... Cort17.jpg

did say cut-down springs from his old XC Ute worked well in his Cortina, and that they have the same pigtailed ends which don't quite engage if you cut them using a hacksaw. He's now got some ultra stiff King springs lined up for his one.

The spring rate in an XD-XG is quite high, but lower than the XA to XC, so I'd have to look at ordering something which suits the Cortina.
I'll check out the site, and see what I can get.

Thanks a bundle.

Deano

 

[xctasy]

There is a Christchurch King Spring agent here,

103 Gasson St
CHRISTCHURCH NZ
Toll Free Phone: 0800 786 257 (NZ only)
PH: + 64 3 366 2500
eMail: click here

parts@georgestock.co.nz

so I'm all up for some heavy duty lowered TE Steel head sedan items at the front,
# KFFL-0

and I'll stick with the stock ones at the back. Mike, the previous owner, had the stock yellow King springs fitted back a few years ago. They are already # KFRS-05's at the back

Koni dampers are what I want, I need to be able to adjust things.

The back shockies listed in Konis web site are the same as Falcon X-series leaf spring rear ends, with #80-2319 Koni Special D's.

No front shockies for Cortina TE/TF's, so I'll have to use Pedders # GSR9083 GasRyders up front if there are no Konis about. That's a shame, because there is a heap of weight up front! I can get them in Christchurch at Chamberlain Auto Springs 47 Sandyford St.

I would love to know if K-Mac still do stiff 24 mm front sway bars.

I don't mind if it rides like a dray, I just want to make certian it holds the road well, and doesn't have too much camber change under bumps. Avoid allowing it to try and kill me.

If anyone has any other advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gassed250]

Try http://www.k-mac.com.au/top2.htm for adjustable gizmos
also http://www.whiteline.com.au/

 

[xctasy]

Massive.

Cheers man.

 

[addo]

Whiteline didn't used to be too bad. They'd wholesale bush kits to me and it made a decent difference. I think their springs/swaybars are the old Selby's (who made abig deal about the oil tempering of their forgings). Nice kit, those springs and bars; never heard a bad word about them. Had a full set on the ZA Fairlane. Whiteline's bushes are Super-Pro, who may now sell direct.

If you think you're getting gouged on the local spring suppliers, sing out and someone can check storefront prices here. Americanautos could have them (I think). Their FFL springs list at $125/pr online - but may be Lovells...

 

[SONNY]

i have lovell springs in two of my cars and i think there great.1 car has lovell springs 2 and 1/2 lowered munroe shocks kmac front and rear sway bars (theres two on the back the stock one also) and has 15" alloys with 50 seriers yokies,it handles and drives realy good.2nd car has lovell lowered springs maybe 4" its realy low has munroe shocks (i think this is the week link) a lovell front swaybar and 14" tf spack rims,it handles good but would be great if i had a good pair of lowered shocks for it as it seem to put the combo out.to be honest both car could go for a set of koni's etc and i think it would do both of them the world of good.all in all there both pretty good.oh also i have a stock height te giha with new pedders springs and shocks and it rides great too.

 

[Anonymous]

P/N for TE/TF Front KONI shocks: 80 2385

 

[xctasy]

Kiwi, I'm not worthy!


Thankyou. As a present, here is a nice Kiwi avatar for your Aussie mates to hassle you over!

Just hook on to profile, and add it as

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/xecute/kiwi3.jpg,


See http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/ ... nloads.jpg

 

[addo]

I think it's a kea.

 

[73GreenMachine]

I dont mean to hijack, but while we are on the subject of springs and shocks, can anybody recommend some lowered sports suspension for a TC 6 cylinder?

 

[gassed250]

I dont mean to hijack, but while we are on the subject of springs and shocks, can anybody recommend some lowered sports suspension for a TC 6 cylinder?

Pick any link in this thread

 

[xctasy]

This the subject of quite a bit of talk on other forums.

I spoke with Tassie Tim a while back, and listed the problems with the British suspension system used by TC, TD (Mk 3) , and Mk4 and Mk 5 (British TE and TF) cars. In addition, the 1983 to 1987 Hyundai Stella runs the British TF suspension system.

See http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=42089#42089

The good news is that good springs and shocks exist, and are still close to being as cheap as the Aussie TE/TF's because the makers like Pedders, King, Kmac and Whiteline get a return on other Pommy Cortinas, Hyundais and Kiwi Cortina's, which all use the early TC suspension set-up.

A check of the part numbers on TC/TD/Mk4 Mk5 Pedders and TC/TD/Mk4 Mk5 Koni websites show that the 83-87 Hyundai Stella stuff has the same part numbers for replacement shocks and springs, and some of the bushings are the same as the Aussie TC/TD stuff. If it interchanges, the unit cost to you drops a whole heap. Beware, though. When the TC Cortina Six came out, the suspension bushes were enlarged on both 4 and 6 cylinder cars.

One thing I've found is that the later Hyundai Stella powered steering IFS set-up bolts right into a TC/TD or Pommy TE/TF Cortina, but you have to make up new engine mounts because the Hyundai uses a Mitsubhishi L200/Starion 2 Litre engine. The front springs are also almost Six cylinder spec.

The link to Tim showed that the suspension travel is lacking in a pre TE Cortina. The solution is not to lower it, but to add taller wheels in the 615 to 630 mm area (79-93 Saab 99, 900, 900 Turbo, 900 16V TRX, 15 and 16" rims fit), keep the wheels at 205 mm at the front, and maybee 205, maybee even 225 at the back. The rear door fouls the tyres with lowered Cortinas with 225/60 13 tyres, and the taller 225's with standard suspension.

Second, add new, soft springs, and very stiff, very high quality German Bilsten, Dutch Konis or French deCarbon dampers. If your budget doesn't streach, go for a good local shokie from Pedders or whoever else. Add a bigger front stabiliser only if you can get good rubber bushes to go with it. Use the stock bushes in the front and back, and replace them more often.

Then add a camber kit from Whiteline, and adjust it to get as much caster and a small amout of negative camber. Ford Australia were worried about steering effort and rid in h six, so rasie the suspension, and dialed out the caster. Camber settings were the awfull TC to TD set-up. The later Pommy and Koren Cortina/Stellas got negative camber suspension, and it makes the steering heavier b ut far more direct. The Hyundai got fully adjustable camber from the factory, and heavy duty springs, and a thick stabiliser bar which should fit a TC Aussie Cortina.

If a good ride and durability is important, don't fit nolathane on everything, and don't lower it, and don't fit 225/60 13 tyres on it.

A second important thing. In 1981, Ford Cortinas got factory gas-pressure rear shocks on an offset eccentric O-eye link to the diff. They are not Falcon rear shockies like the later TE and TF Aussie cars were, but do fit the early TC Cortinas. They are an option if your Cortina doesn't have the pin to pin bolts at the rear. The Pommy gas pressure shockies are still O-eye to O-eye items which only fit Cortinas with the offset lower bush. I'll scan it, and you will see the difference.

 

[Anonymous]

how does Nolathane and lowering affect the durability?

 

[addo]

If you're not applying multiaxial loads to the polyurethane bushes, it'll be fine. They work best when the motion of the bush is swivelling, like a bolt in a hole. Worst case for a poly bush, is compression and torsion applied to it at once. That's when they rupture.

Thinking about slamming the Falconio? Have you checked out just how cheap big rims are getting?

 

[73GreenMachine]

Woah, thanks for that! Time to go hunting for some Saab rims and other bits from the wreckers. That information is gold. I think I'll put some money into suspension and get the TC to handle.

 

[TCSTEVE]

Nice post X. Do they have Stella's in Aus?
My TC wagon has poly fitted through the whole thing, new top and bottom ball joints, recon steering rack. Pedders lowered sports gas ryder shocks and heavy duty springs. It sat bout an inch over the tyre with stocky 185/70/13s fitted.
Drove it home and it skipped across the train tracks which are terrible in SA but damn did it want to suck the white lines off the street like a coke addict.
Engines still not in but ive got some 15inch saab rims with 205/55/15 Symex for the front and 225/50/15's for the rear, with the rims widened to 7 inch for the rear.
How much do the camber kits go for? I think you have to weld in the brackets onto the chasis for the camber pins to adjust off on TC/TDs and still need a bigger swaybar for hte front and might grab a TE one for the rear. Thanks Steve

 

[xctasy]

The Korean 'Inter Stella' was not released in Aussie, but was offloaded to many elderly pensioners in the 80's in NZ. There are spare parts for it at Pedders. Camber kit for TC/TD and MK4 and 5 should be on the Pedders web site, or available from Kmac or as left overs from Selbys (now Whiteline).