Hey gang,

So one of the many mods on my list is suspension, and I've been doing a bit more reading on this subject recently. I want it looking as low as possible so the initial plan was King Superlows on front and King Lows on rear, as King Superlows were not available for rear and the rear seems to sit lower anyway so it should even out. Using a bit of measured out paper taped to the arches and then fully sick Photoshop skills (High tech solution I know :facejump:) I figure that would produce the following, including the rims I've mostly bought from Lugo:

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419991_3478554006352_1346313258_3424733_1984487074 _n.jpg

However, the two big issues for me with this setup are what my insurance company would think in the event of an accident, and ride quality with Boge shocks. For the ride quality the consensus seems to be it'll be fine but you have to avoid potholes and go slow where necessary, but I haven't been able to find any information on if they will be illegal (Voiding my comprehensive) and if so, by how much. My stock suspension is VR-X height, so 15mm lower than the standard Magnas/Veradas stock. Would Superlows, which are a 45mm drop from my already 15mm lower stock suspension, still be illegal?

Also, I read a bit more and a few people have said that Dobinsons Superlows, while the same height as Kings, are more firm, meaning I'm probably less likely to bottom out everywhere, so I've been considering maybe going for Dobinsons Superlows on front and King Lows on rear. Or alternatively Mits-Fix lists Dobinsons Superlows for the rear as well so I could pretty much slam the rear but I'm guessing that would probably not go down so well with the law and **** my ride quality since the tire would pretty much be tucking.

Love to get some opinions on this, specifically the legality of Superlows on a GTV/VR-X. To summarise, my car already has a stock 15mm drop from a regular Magna/Verada so assuming all my numbers are right:

Option 1: All Kings
King SL Front: 45mm Drop (Softer?)
King Low Rear: 30mm Drop

Option 2: Dobinsons & Kings
Dobinsons SL Front: 45mm Drop (Harder?)
King Low Rear: 30mm Drop

Option 3: All Dobinsons, Slam Style
Dobinsons SL Front: 45mm Drop
Dobinsons SL Rear: 45mm Drop

Option 4: The Other Options Void Your Insurance Style
King Low Front: 30mm Drop
King Low Rear: 30mm Drop

EDIT: Alternatively, Lovell Superlows are supposedly only 50mm stock drop which is only 5mm more than King Lows so I could use those front and rear or if it's legal, Dobinsons SL front and Lovell SL rear? That would probably be the ideal course of action for me if it can be done.

Car has to clear 100mm to be legal

Car has to clear 100mm to be legal

All parts of the car at the moment are higher than 145mm off the ground so that isn't a problem, none of the proposed drops will put it below 100mm to the ground. But there are also requirements for 'eyebrow height' as well which is what has me a bit confused. I can't seem to find what the eyebrow height needs to be to determine if SL's would break it.

Plenty of people here have dropped their magnas/veradas with kings SL springs and even lower on coilovers without any legality fuss, so i highly doubt you should have any problems anyway mate. :)

All parts of the car at the moment are higher than 145mm off the ground so that isn't a problem, none of the proposed drops will put it below 100mm to the ground.
The rule is that your car must remain more than 100mm off the ground, even when laden. Add a passenger or two and a stereo install / luggage in the trunk, and you'll be sitting below 100mm.

Commodores don't follow that rule on factory suspension so i wouldn't worry about it. my splinter sits 70mm off the ground with me in it.

Also remember when calculating drops, your original springs are now 10+ years old and will have sagged a bit, so the drop will probably be a few mm less than what you calculate.

It is well within your rights to have the car measures when you are outside it. If you get measured up then jump out of the car

From my experience ,stay well away from ANYTHING SUPERLOW in the front .

Might look cool ,but the ride will be shocking ,and with Adelaide roads and their service pits alwaysin the line of driving ,you will look like a drunk avaioding the slamming and bashing.

I have have had Lovells super lows on the rear of mine and run Kings low atm and there is no difference in height.

Just take the advise of those around the club locally and run what most of us do,and that is Kings low all round with Boge/kyb shocks

Commodores don't follow that rule on factory suspension so i wouldn't worry about it. my splinter sits 70mm off the ground with me in it.

It is well within your rights to have the car measures when you are outside it. If you get measured up then jump out of the car
I can't comment on your states, but neither of these arguments would hold up in Queensland:

"The road clearance of a fully laden vehicle must not be less than 100mm measured at any part of the vehicle other than the wheel rim or brake backing plates. (This does not apply where a lesser clearance has been specified by the manufacturer.)"

In nsw you only seem to get done if your car is scraping on the ground. in my town anyway

IMHO with car suspension. Unless you are such a hot driver that you corner so hard that you need the car lower, then dont worry about it.

IF you want the car to corner better, then go and spent some money on advanced courses. It'll be the cheapest way to get performance from your car.

IMHO with car suspension. Unless you are such a hot driver that you corner so hard that you need the car lower, then dont worry about it.

IF you want the car to corner better, then go and spent some money on advanced courses. It'll be the cheapest way to get performance from your car.
Many members lower their cars for looks as well as handling. Standard Magna suspension is pretty high and very soft, with a lot of body roll - there's a lot of gains to be had by fitting better springs and shocks.

For what it's worth, the vast majority of members who have modified their Magnas have upgraded their suspension in some way, be it for looks, handling or both.


In nsw you only seem to get done if your car is scraping on the ground. in my town anyway
That's it. A Magna on Superlows will look low, but not stupidly so. Your chances of being defected aren't high, but it's something to keep in mind.

i had no issues with my insurance company when i had my accident 2 years ago and i was on kings superlow fronts

Do yourself a favour and call your insurance company and ask. They dont bite. Ask what effect it will have to your policy hypothetically

Well what can insurance do? They can't test ride height if your car is wrapped around a tree lol

Considered Coilovers? Kido's will only set you back the same as a set of new springs and struts...

STAY AWAY from superlows on adelaides roads. . that is all. .

Well what can insurance do? They can't test ride height if your car is wrapped around a tree lol

Wtf? Wasnt the OP asking about how insurance is affected by such mods and if he is covered?

Well what can insurance do? They can't test ride height if your car is wrapped around a tree lol

Going pretty dark there Hayden. Insurance companies will find a way to screw you one way or another. Get the springs listed on your policy and get it in writing. Always cover your own ***

No jokes,...... i was joking. noobs.

Just remember, its the job the Insurance Company Assessor to do everything he can to reduce the payout or not payout at all. They will look for anything & everything. Also if you injure a passenger or another motorist your CTP insurance wont cover either.

I didn't even have an assessor look at my wreck... they just 'never got around to it'.

Plenty of people here have dropped their magnas/veradas with kings SL springs and even lower on coilovers without any legality fuss, so i highly doubt you should have any problems anyway mate. :)

I'm not concerned with defects, just insurance. Although my tint is also 18% so even if these do turn out to be legal, the tint still won't be. But I've not heard of insurance denying a claim on that.


From my experience ,stay well away from ANYTHING SUPERLOW in the front .

Might look cool ,but the ride will be shocking ,and with Adelaide roads and their service pits alwaysin the line of driving ,you will look like a drunk avaioding the slamming and bashing.

I have have had Lovells super lows on the rear of mine and run Kings low atm and there is no difference in height.

Just take the advise of those around the club locally and run what most of us do,and that is Kings low all round with Boge/kyb shocks

Lovells Superlows is one way I could go, apparently the advertised drop is like 5mm lower, so ****all.
I am wary of the ride being worse and needing to be a bit more careful if I go the SL's, and it's not 100%, but opinions on if it's terrible ride quality or fine seem to be about a 50/50 split from everyone I've spoken to.


The rule is that your car must remain more than 100mm off the ground, even when laden. Add a passenger or two and a stereo install / luggage in the trunk, and you'll be sitting below 100mm.

As far as I was aware in SA this is tested without any luggage or passengers in the car. Even if I have to sit in it afaik it will pass anyway, I have no kit, lip, mud guards, anything. The lowest point of the car at the moment is towards the middle of the car below the engine, and that's just a tad over 145mm from the ground. Assuming I went for Super Lows which would be a 45mm drop, I'd just scrape in legally, and then since my springs have probably compressed slightly over the decade they've been driven, that'd give me slightly more leeway.


IMHO with car suspension. Unless you are such a hot driver that you corner so hard that you need the car lower, then dont worry about it.

IF you want the car to corner better, then go and spent some money on advanced courses. It'll be the cheapest way to get performance from your car.

This is not for performance, it is for cosmetics.


i had no issues with my insurance company when i had my accident 2 years ago and i was on kings superlow fronts

Who were you with? Did you specify them on the policy? Did they increase the premium or anything? This is exactly the kind of information I'm after. I'll be calling my insurer at some stage to put this on my policy but I'm trying to gauge if SL's are possible.


Well what can insurance do? They can't test ride height if your car is wrapped around a tree lol

Ideally any accident I would be unfortunate enough to have would be minor enough that they could still test the ride height. If I get wrecked or die then this is really the least of my issues mate :P


Considered Coilovers? Kido's will only set you back the same as a set of new springs and struts...

I hadn't. I don't know anything about them and I thought they were way more expensive. Would this allow for Superlow height without potentially crap ride height? Is it even legal?


Just remember, its the job the Insurance Company Assessor to do everything he can to reduce the payout or not payout at all. They will look for anything & everything. Also if you injure a passenger or another motorist your CTP insurance wont cover either.

Yeah this is my primary concern. Defects are cheap to get cleared, just get a mate round and put stock springs back on. Insurance if I'm hit or hit someone, not so easy.

Very helpful answers so far btw guys! :D

What works for someone regarding insurance may not work for you. Advice about such things is pointless. Call them.

I am wary of the ride being worse and needing to be a bit more careful if I go the SL's, and it's not 100%, but opinions on if it's terrible ride quality or fine seem to be about a 50/50 split from everyone I've spoken to.
It all depends on how fussy you are. My Lows chew through a set of bump stops from bottoming out, and I drive carefully. The problem isn't potholes or speedbumps, but the general quality of roads. I bottom out on a few crappy parts of inner Brisbane's major thoroughfares (eg Pacific Motorway, Milton Road).

Don't forget that Superlows are a softer spring rate than Lows, so coupled with the lower height, they're significantly more prone to bottoming out.


I hadn't. I don't know anything about them and I thought they were way more expensive. Would this allow for Superlow height without potentially crap ride height? Is it even legal?
Coilovers are very, very stiff. But the flipside is because they're so stiff, they won't bottom out.

You can also adjust the height of coilovers.

You can choose the springs you get Kido coilovers with. ranging from soft street to hard track. Think the softest is 6F/6R and hardest is 12F/12R

The street set reccomend are 7F/6R i think..... by memory that is. Not sure how it would compare to just say king lows, but i would still imagine alot stiffer, If you made the shocks nice and soft and left ride height at about king lows level i think it wouldn't be too hard, but if you slam the car and stiffen the shocks no matter what springs you get on them you will not like it.

What works for someone regarding insurance may not work for you. Advice about such things is pointless. Call them.

This much is obvious and I've already said I'll be doing this.

-

Sounds like Coilovers won't be my bag, but I'm wondering if Dobinsons Superlows might be a compromise between the safety of King Lows and the softer, more likely to bottom out King Superlows. If not I'll probably end up going for Lovell Superlows which are only fractionally (5mm) lower than King Lows. Also seems like the eyebrow height law no longer applies which means any of the choices should be legal?

I had king low springs and KYB shocks on my old magna. Once it settled (took a good 6 months at least) the ride height was perfect. The stance was good and it was easy to punt around. No bottoming out and no problems with speed humps etc.

It is important to let them settle in before turning your nose up and going even lower.

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww202/cybermonkey24/Mitsubishi%20Magna/P1020733.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww202/cybermonkey24/P1020626.jpg

If it just cosmetics cant you just get lower spoilers?

If it just cosmetics cant you just get lower spoilers?

lower bumper/skirts etc would have to be custom made as there is nothing really in off the shelf options.

plus with the suspension change you get the benefit of closing up the wheel arch-tyre gap a bit which always looks good (he says as he lowers his sagaris on forza :P )

If it just cosmetics cant you just get lower spoilers?

Not really. There aren't any for Veradas and that would look shit anyway, better to actually lower the vehicle as you don't end up with a long looking car with extra bits, just a nicely stanced one. I'm a massive fan of stanced/flush cars, though by their standards my proposed setup would be very tame.

Just remember, its the job the Insurance Company Assessor to do everything he can to reduce the payout or not payout at all. They will look for anything & everything. Also if you injure a passenger or another motorist your CTP insurance wont cover either.

This makes me LOL!

We will not look for anything & everything.. We will look at the damage to confirm that it is consistent with the incident and also confirm that prior to the incident the vehicle was in a roadworthy condition.

King Super Lows/Low combo - No issue with that at all, as long as you list them on your policy. - This goes for the Suncorp Group brands.

Jakeys.. PM Me and ask any insurance related questions.. Happy to help out!

SuFz :ninja:

This makes me LOL!

We will not look for anything & everything.. We will look at the damage to confirm that it is consistent with the incident and also confirm that prior to the incident the vehicle was in a roadworthy condition.

King Super Lows/Low combo - No issue with that at all, as long as you list them on your policy. - This goes for the Suncorp Group brands.

Jakeys.. PM Me and ask any insurance related questions.. Happy to help out!

SuFz :ninja:

Heh, I'm with Suncorp. I may do that just to pick your brain a little.

This thread has turned out to be fairly helpful and has certainly garnered lots of opinions! From what I can gather, Superlows on my vehicle will just scrape (Pun intended) inside the legal limit, so as long as I list them on my policy, and of course I would, everything should be right as rain for any of the options I select.

There is also really no clear answer on which springs to choose, opinions are clearly very mixed. Some people say they'll be fine and look awesome, others say the ride will be awful. What would be nice is to ride in a car with Superlows so I can make up my own mind but unfortunately I'm not sure if anyone in SA has one for me to sit in and go over some bumpy bits :P
I'm still leaning towards Dobinsons Superlows as I think they're a bit firmer than Kings which should alleviate the potential bottoming out issue, paired with Boge Shocks and seeing how I go with them. Worst case scenario it's a slightly expensive mistake :P
Otherwise, probably just bitch out and go for King Lows all round.

I support the dobinsons movement (Y)

I have seen so much damage from SL springs both to bump stops, struts and even the cars that I refuse to fit them for people, I do not wish to deal with the liability

Yes, they look great but remember aside from the 100mm you also need to retain 2/3 of your suspension travel. SL in a Magna in the front will reduce your travel to appox 1" so you ahve to cut your bump stops to get any travel which is also illegal.

As for the Dobinsons vs Kings debate, I sell both, and to be honest people have been happy with both. The kings will be more prone to sag in the back end, the Dobinsons will also hold up much better under some weight as Grelise found out initially when he fitted Dobinsons. Again Grelise was one of the people to change from KYB to Boge and was wrapped with the improvement. KYB are way over gassed and while on a nice smooth road will be ok, chuck them on most of SA roads and you will feel like you are driving a go kart being thrown around everywhere. Many will not agree but then again those are the people who have gone from stock to KYB and have not tried the Boge.

Most common sales I do are Boge with Dobinsons lows

Heh, I'm with Suncorp. I may do that just to pick your brain a little.

This thread has turned out to be fairly helpful and has certainly garnered lots of opinions! From what I can gather, Superlows on my vehicle will just scrape (Pun intended) inside the legal limit, so as long as I list them on my policy, and of course I would, everything should be right as rain for any of the options I select.

There is also really no clear answer on which springs to choose, opinions are clearly very mixed. Some people say they'll be fine and look awesome, others say the ride will be awful. What would be nice is to ride in a car with Superlows so I can make up my own mind but unfortunately I'm not sure if anyone in SA has one for me to sit in and go over some bumpy bits :P
I'm still leaning towards Dobinsons Superlows as I think they're a bit firmer than Kings which should alleviate the potential bottoming out issue, paired with Boge Shocks and seeing how I go with them. Worst case scenario it's a slightly expensive mistake :P
Otherwise, probably just bitch out and go for King Lows all round.

I have the king superlow front low rears in both of mine. Happy to take you for a drive to see what you think

Yeah mate I'd be keen to check it out some time.

Who were you with? Did you specify them on the policy? Did they increase the premium or anything? This is exactly the kind of information I'm after. I'll be calling my insurer at some stage to put this on my policy but I'm trying to gauge if SL's are possible.


NRMA and had none of my mods listed on the policy but once i get my respray done ill be listing every mod on my policy

i have kings superlows in the front and lows in the rear of my mrs kf and also my tf and theres no prob with drivability in the verada but i have to be carefull in the magna because of the vrx kit...... it all depends who your insured with MOST insurance companies dont accept lowered cars at all..... but shop around there are a couple who will touch it.... just cars will let you do what ever to your car aslong as it is roadworthy..... ie 100mm off the road with a car load of people..

i have kings superlows in the front and lows in the rear of my mrs kf and also my tf and theres no prob with drivability in the verada but i have to be carefull in the magna because of the vrx kit...... it all depends who your insured with MOST insurance companies dont accept lowered cars at all..... but shop around there are a couple who will touch it.... just cars will let you do what ever to your car aslong as it is roadworthy..... ie 100mm off the road with a car load of people..

Yet suncorp and NRMA do accept them and they make up the majority of people who actually have insurance....:nuts:

Yet suncorp and NRMA do accept them and they make up the majority of people who actually have insurance....:nuts:
So do RACV, Shannons, AAMI, Real Insurance... in fact most of them do as long as it's legal. It's generally only the low risk insurance companies like Budget and Bingle that don't like modifications.