Suspension (Lowering)

[BobbyLad]

Hi everyone,
I'm actually thinking in buying a 1983 R5 TL.
I was wondering how easy it is to have it slightly lowered, not slammed to the floor, just a little?
I've seen a couple of pics in the 'Members Car' section and although they are Gordini Turbo's they look a little lower,
I especially like the red one, (HPIMO221a.JPG) - Roberto???

Also I wanted to change the bumper and a few other little bits, to make it look like a Gordini???

Don't know if this is something you would incourage or to advise to keep standard???

Cheers
Bob

 

[BobbyLad]

Anybody help?

 

[sparkie]

its fairly easy to lower one torsion bar spline all round. - alot of wd40 and a large mallet are needed!

personally i'd keep it standard looking, but low.

 

[BobbyLad]

Is this for the rear?
What about the front? - New shocks?
Don't laugh I'm going to get a Haynes Manual for it if I decide to buy it?

Like I said I would love a Gordini, but they seem to be quite rare now.

 

[BobbyLad]

Forgot to say, if I did change anything on it I would keep the original bits to bolt back on?

How much would I expect to pay for a nice R5 TL or a Gordini

I have the chance to buy a really nice (nearly new looking) 1983 R5 TL for £800 with full MOT.
The person selling it is a nice genuine guy, with all the history of the car!

Would you say this is a good price?

Cheers

 

[sparkie]

the front are torsion bar too. - alot easier than the rear to lower.

i would have said £800 for a TL was on the expensive side. id be thinking more like £500. - check the ebay part of this site and see how much some of the cars have gone for.
gordini turbos tend to go for £1500 - £2500 for ok ones.

 

[BobbyLad]

CHEERS SPARKIE

 

[BobbyLad]

I've found on here the actual car I might be buying???

A Gold 1983 R5 TL 23,000 miles, it was up for £950.00 on Autotrader and is now at £800 with full MOT.

It looks like a nice car and the seller seems like a good bloke.

I'm going to look at it again in greater detail, as I had a problem with my daughter last time I went to view it and really didn't have my mind on the job in hand!!!

What this be OK as a daily driver and anyone know the car???

Cheers
Bob

 

[sparkie]

is the car from near bristol somerset area- guy called Matt? or a guy up near warrington, called 'Haz'?

 

[BobbyLad]

No, I think it's Ian and he's from Rochdale!
He's only the second owner and the car is originally from York!
He said he had all the documentation to prove the history and mileage is correct.

He has put Gordini wheels on it now which I believe he got from Phildini????

I was going to see it again this weekend, but my Pug 306 Cab roof stopped working (it's nipped one of the hydraulic pipes that operates the roof), typical hottest weekend of the year so far!!!!
I need to fix it as I'm selling it to fund another project. (Renault 5)

Cheers

 

[cliché guevara]

To lower the back on a 1.1 I would shorten the shock absorbers and then put bags of sand in the boot to lower it then bolt in the shorter shocks.This will lower the car and stiffen it too.As for the front lowering is easy.WD 40 hammer and a spanner.

 

[Kiwi5er]

Cliche, so you are suggesting that on full droop (actually in ordinary use, or are you leaving the sand in there?) the shocks have hit their extension limit?

 

[sparkie]

no he wasn't saying that.

what he is saying, is that you cut the top off the central shaft of the damper unit, cut a section out, then weld the threaded bit back on, but a bit further down. - i.e it shortens both the damping length and the travel length.

then, you lower the car one spline, fit the damper unit to the trailing arm - bottom bolt only.
then put the sand in the back of the car, or several large mates, this then lowers the car, so that top of the shortened damper then pops through the rear suspension tower hole. - you then put the nuts and washers on.

then take the sand bags/large mates out.

what this does is that under normal running, the torsion bars are tensioned.- i.e the trailing arms are pulling downward on the dampers. if it were a normal cars coil spring set up, its the equivalent of a progressive spring that has been slightly compressed already, so its a bit stiffer than normal.

the only problem with this is that is makes the car a bit skittish at the back end over rough ground. - which is maybe why the dampers Cliche once showed me came from a crashed race car???

 

[Kiwi5er]

Sorry, but this still sounds like the shock will be pre-loaded? If I am correct, this is actually not very legal in this country (to put it politely) and if the shock is not designed to be like this actually pretty harsh on the shock too (to the point of dangerous?)

 

[sparkie]

you hit the nail on the head. i never saw anything like it until i saw Cliche show me the cut down shock. i think its definately for track use only!!!