AE92 Springs / Wheels Questions

[slacker]

Hey, long term watcher here;

I've got an AE92 FXGT hatch. This week I"ve had 17" wheels (17x7 40 offset) wheels fitted by my local Mag and Turbo, along with a set of Dobi springs

As I have since found by doing some searching on here, there seems to be an underlying comments about the rear version of these springs being a bit on the soft side;

I am finding that that the car now regularly is rubbing on the top of the rear guard, and taking a 45 minute drive on the open road over the weekend (just keeping to the legal limit, not giving it heaps) the car also felt like the rear came to a bottom out at the rear a couple of times

Looking in the various threads I saw lots of Brand X is crap , brand Y is crap, but Brand X is good type stuff.

What does one actually buy as a spring to fix this (yeah yeah I know go back to stock ride height and 14's) I'm not too bothered by having to spend more $$ its just hard not really knowing what to ask for, and some of the locals just not being that on to it

Cheers in advance for any sensible advice offered

[slacker]

Further, I see that the rear wheels have got what looks to be some thin slide on type spacers between the hub and the rim, is this legal??

[DRFTIN]

is this legal??

no

go back and ask for a refund, 7" +40 is a fail offset for ae92 rear
sounds like a reason to return the springs at the same time because they're useless muppets and buy something that works better

[rollaholic]

are you sure its a spacer and not just an adapter to match to match the hub size to the hub ring in the rim? but if it IS a spacer, as mentioned above def not legal. i have used them on various cars in the past and had tyre places take them off without asking me, saying they are not allowed to refit them or whatever. so funny to hear of a place putting them on without saying anything.

sounds like what you ended up with was not 'fit for purpose' so CGA etc. to reduce travel you need a higher spring rate, which in turn means a bumpier ride. you might want to look in to shortening the bump stops to give it a bit more space to act in.

get some 15s imo, will allow you to use a bigger sidewall on your tyres which can help with ride comfort if you end up increasing your spring rates.

[Leon]

I'd be surprised if they fitted spacers, if only because they'd want you to pay for the spacers.

I've run the same set of King springs (low, not super low) in my Corolla GT club car for the last 8 years. Good all around use, ok on road, track, autocross.

Not amazingly awesome at any one specific thing, but a decent jack of all trades spring. I have only just replaced them with teins in the last few months.

[touge_ae101]

put ae111 rear springs in it. they are a bit harder and won't sag. will also help the handling x1000.

btw Leon how are those tein springs and koni shocks going in your car?

[Leon]

btw Leon how are those tein springs and koni shocks going in your car?

Hard to say so far, as I've only driven around on the road. I was supposed to be racing last Sunday, but my radiator decided that dribbling was fun (found that it was leaking on the Saturday afternoon). So far they seem to be way better damped than the previous set up. Although my new wheels (which look so pretty) are rubbing like a bastard on the back somewhere. Darn it.

[touge_ae101]

Although my new wheels (which look so pretty) are rubbing like a bisch on heat on the back somewhere. Darn it.

fixed.

hope you get some use out of them sometime soon! (come to road and track next weekend!?!?)



question for OP; what size are the slip on spacers? commonly see 3/5mm spacers used and don't really see the problem with this. as long as the wheel nuts still have ~6turns. (this is how they check for cert)

technically probably not legal but going to make f all difference as they won't be able to notice them at all probably.

[Leon]

hope you get some use out of them sometime soon! (come to road and track next weekend!?!?).

Autocrossing on grass this Sunday hopefully, then back to Shelly Bay on Sept 4th I think ... hopefully don't write it off again

[DRFTIN]

put ae111 rear springs in it. they are a bit harder and won't sag. will also help the handling x1000.

hmm, interesting, anyone got some to sell me? is there a similar trick with the rear shocks?

[slacker]

question for OP; what size are the slip on spacers? commonly see 3/5mm spacers used and don't really see the problem with this. as long as the wheel nuts still have ~6turns. (this is how they check for cert)

technically probably not legal but going to make f all difference as they won't be able to notice them at all probably.

Yup looks to be no more than 5mm thick, only on the rears (I suspect for clearance)

I didn't get a chance to get the rears off today, as car is now locked away at work whilst I'm rolling about in the company whip (for work) rather than my car

[slacker]

sounds like what you ended up with was not 'fit for purpose' so CGA etc. to reduce travel you need a higher spring rate, which in turn means a bumpier ride. you might want to look in to shortening the bump stops to give it a bit more space to act in.

get some 15s imo, will allow you to use a bigger sidewall on your tyres which can help with ride comfort if you end up increasing your spring rates.

At the moment I'm trying not to go all CGA on the retailer (its a guaranteed way to get their back up, and therefore little resolution), Spoke to them today have said that they can source a firmer rear spring and that they will fit them later in the week. Also in talking to them, they had noted that my rear dampers are pretty tired. I wish they'd f@#kin to me that at the time, rather than just send me out there on worn kit

15"s may end up on it in the long term I suspect

[tsoob]

fitted by my local Mag and Turbo,

there's your first problem...

what city you in mate??

[touge_ae101]

put ae111 rear springs in it. they are a bit harder and won't sag. will also help the handling x1000.

hmm, interesting, anyone got some to sell me? is there a similar trick with the rear shocks?

not that i know of. could possibly try carib shocks as they will fit but doubt it as they seem to sag in the back a lot as well. perhaps aw11 shocks wouldn't be far off?? haven't got any lying around to compare.

the main thing to remember about M&T is that each and every store is independantly owned and some are useless as $&#$% while others are bloody awesome. i hope you get it sorted.

pro tip; espliner springs like in robs (robcam) ae111 are the stiffest ae111 spring i know of for factory replacement so might be worth hitting them up. maybe someone can confirm/deny if front springs from non-ss model will swap over?

[Bling]

So how old are the shocks that are in there? If they have fitted spacers, then that's a whole new matter. Only reason you'd fit them is if something was rubbing. Just sounds like they did what they had to, to sell the rims / springs and get your $$$.

Sounds like a massive bucket of fail really. Unsuited wheels, unsuited springs, possibly old saggy shocks = worst combo for handling.

I wouldn't even accept firmer springs, i'd be going for full refund, without a doubt.

[slacker]

what city you in mate??

Rotorua, sadly I think this has finally convinced me to stop spending money here, no-one gives a damn, this incident just re-enforces that.

[slacker]

So how old are the shocks that are in there? If they have fitted spacers, then that's a whole new matter. Only reason you'd fit them is if something was rubbing. Just sounds like they did what they had to, to sell the rims / springs and get your $$$.

Sounds like a massive bucket of fail really. Unsuited wheels, unsuited springs, possibly old saggy shocks = worst combo for handling.

I wouldn't even accept firmer springs, i'd be going for full refund, without a doubt.

Shocks are at least 80 k's old (I've had the car for 80 km's) due for a cambelt in the next few weeks. In reality I know I should just replace the shocks at both ends. But I need to find someone else to do it.

you are right, I think I've been taken for a ride

[tsoob]

was it a guy called Joe that sold it to you?

[slacker]

was it a guy called Joe that sold it to you?

nah, its changed hands in the past few months

[Bling]

What i'd do. Ask for refund and old springs to be reinstalled. Say you took it to mechanic and he said it's no illegal or something with the spacers. If they won't refund you, then mutter something about fair go and see if they change their tune. Take photos too, and perhaps even pop into a local garage if you frequent one and ask for their opinion on the matter.

You should not have to pay a cent to a business that works like that. Ever.