Hey guys!
I'm lookin to change suspension bits for my wagon like sway bars,bushes,springs(not too low) and shocks.
Does anyone have a good combination for their wagon like what brands are good and what things were changed.
I wont the car to handle better instead of being a boat :)
Will be putting wheels on hopefully soon so it will be 17's or 18's max.
Cheers!

Hey,

I know what you mean about the boat status! I've been doing some research on this stuff for the past week. I'm lowering my car tomorrow with a set of super low kings in the front, low in the rear. I like the low look. Using standard shocks for now as they're almost brand new. Also slapping on a set of 18x8" wheels. Will let you know how I go....!

After that will be a whiteline rear sway bar.....




dre

As for springs and shocks, yo can go Kings lows al round.
Super lows on front are too low. They sit on bump stops without evn moving the car.

The only issue with loweng the rear of a wagon is that there is very little suspension travel.

I have lows in my KH and it is forever hitting the rear bumpstops. Put a load in or people in the back then it will just sit on them permantely.

Becomes very embarrassing when your shocks cant keep pace and the rear keeps bouncing up and down over a bump comming down with a thud on the bump stop.

Saying that though, im not sure how a stock Magna wagon sits compared to a stock Verada wagon.
The rear of my Verada wagon was never that high even when stock compared to some of the magna wagons i have seen around.

Super Lows in the front are simply stupid, dangerous and should not be done full stop. IF youi need to go that low, dish out the cash and get yourself coil overs

As Nigel said, wagons are very touchy in the back end, I have lows with 18" wheels, no scrub but over speed humps you get quite a thud when they come back down even going slow but in general they are not too bad

I say King Lows as well jesse. It takes a while for them to settle, but I now couldn't be happier with the stance on mine.

There is a set of Kings Spring for Wagon on Ebay at the moment - they are used, but look to be in good nick.

Well I just installed the super lows in the front of my ride- and I all I can say is that they're awesome. It's 120mm off the ground from the crossmember, handles heaps better, and looks HEAPS better. Not sure what the fuss is all about r.e the "just plain stupid" comments? The suspension travel is still as good as it was before I lowered it.

Will chuck some pics up soon

Sorry bud, but from a professional standpoint No it is not working anywhere near as well. Your suspension travel has been reduced far more than is either legal or safe, if your bump stops are in the condition they should be you will have approx 10mm of travel before they hit. If they have been removed will be a matter of time before your damper goes through your bonnet

SL reduce travel far too much, they look good and are fine for a car never driven but for a car driven daily on various roads both good and bad they will eventually cause you many issues and may cause you to lose control of the car as well

And if you're really after handling, dont go over 16 inches for wheels. If you drive on a billiard table then fine, but for actual roads with actual bumps the extra unsprung mass of those large wheels detracts from roadholding - shocks and springs cant keep them attached to the pavement.

Plus a degree of compliance in tyre sidewalls is a good thing, especially if you like your fillings intact ;)

but for a car driven daily on various roads both good and bad they will eventually cause you many issues and may cause you to lose control of the car as well


In all honestly I reckon the car was more dangerous when it was higher.....

I just took a set of train tracks at the same speed I would have yesterday. The suspension soaked it up without even the hint of bottoming out. I dont want to turn this thread into a 'whats best, whats not' sort of thing- i'm just sharing my opinion. Surely if they were that dangerous- they wouldn't be on sale....

Sorry mate, I will just forget all the years I have been servicing and modding Magna's. i will also ignore the measurements I have taken of both front and rear ends, will also ignore the hoards of magna owners who have used SL springs and then taken them out or commented on the fact that the cars bottom out easy.

I will also ignore Vic Roads who clearly state that you MUST NOT reduce your suspension travel by more than 1/3 which is aside from the min clearance to the ground for the lowest point

I am not having a go at you bud but you are not correct in your statements. Your car may feel awsome compared to the half worn out suspension that was infact used by Mits (being a Verada) for comfort and not for cornering. But as soon as these have settled and your bump stops are getting a pounding, you will see what I mean. You know Nick well, ask him about his TE, it looked awsome, had Sl or compressed (cant remember which) but suspension travel was always an issue.

And if you're really after handling, dont go over 16 inches for wheels. If you drive on a billiard table then fine, but for actual roads with actual bumps the extra unsprung mass of those large wheels detracts from roadholding - shocks and springs cant keep them attached to the pavement.

Plus a degree of compliance in tyre sidewalls is a good thing, especially if you like your fillings intact ;)
My 17s are a lot lighter than the stock 16s i had on mate. . .

Granted high quality 17s will be lighter than stock 16s, and there are often exceptions - size is relevant than unsprung weight to an extent.. Its all about compromises - Mitsu no doubt err heavily on the comfort side for the OE setup, as thats their market. An Alfa or Beemer will be set more towards the handling side of the equation, as thats theirs.

I'm mostly referring to the "fully hektic 18s slammed" thing - with cheap arse chrome things bought from the local BobJane. On a car the size of the Mags, a high quality (ie light) 17 would be about right. I wouldn't go over 16 myself, but I do a lot of country driving and would allow for the crappy roads more.

As for suspension travel, well you need a certain amount to be sure. If youre hitting the bumps stops in everyday driving, its not enough!

Whats the VRX setup's differences from the standard cars? I'm a big fan of not trying too much to outguess hundreds of hours of specialised development work by OE engineers :) If its being used mostly within the design brief (ie a passenger car used on public roads) than deviating too much tends to lead to compromises.

Granted high quality 17s will be lighter than stock 16s, and there are often exceptions - size is relevant than unsprung weight to an extent.. Its all about compromises - Mitsu no doubt err heavily on the comfort side for the OE setup, as thats their market. An Alfa or Beemer will be set more towards the handling side of the equation, as thats theirs.

I'm mostly referring to the "fully hektic 18s slammed" thing - with cheap arse chrome things bought from the local BobJane. On a car the size of the Mags, a high quality (ie light) 17 would be about right. I wouldn't go over 16 myself, but I do a lot of country driving and would allow for the crappy roads more.

As for suspension travel, well you need a certain amount to be sure. If youre hitting the bumps stops in everyday driving, its not enough!

Whats the VRX setup's differences from the standard cars? I'm a big fan of not trying too much to outguess hundreds of hours of specialised development work by OE engineers :) If its being used mostly within the design brief (ie a passenger car used on public roads) than deviating too much tends to lead to compromises.

I run 17"Series 2 VR-X wheels, but granted I get what you are saying. The cheap chromeys probably weigh a ton. Don't forget that standard 16's also have a shit load of rubber around them

Has anyone installed the nolethane bush kit by any chance and does it make a difference?