Lowering a 1st gen Brat

[ninefourteener]

The bodywork is "almost" done. I had rust holes big enough to fit my fist through... and now the car is as smooth as Angelina Jolie's backside.

 

The interior is done.... just need to find some cool seats

 

All the parts to do the 6-lug conversion are bought....

 

Wheels are 15x8 black steelies (Nascar style). Tires are 225/50/15.

 

I'm going to want to set the fenders down on top of the tires.... looking to leave 1" - 1.5" gap.

 

I can do the front..... I'm not thrilled about cutting springs.. but there are no aftermarket alternatives. Fortunately it won't be much, so hopefully it won't decrease strut life too much.

 

The rear???? I know there is a way to lower the rear of a 78 brat.... but I have no idea how to do it. Is there a link? a tutorial? Pictures? Anything??

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

Edited August 20, 2009 by ninefourteener

[subaruguru]

nice brat i think it will look good low.

[ninefourteener]

Thanks! Paint will help.... but thats probably a ways down the road

[ninefourteener]

Bump. Anyone have any advice?

[Twitch de la Brat]

I would say ask Bill (TheBeastIDrive) but he may only tell you to lift it :-p

Ummm, just try to move the suspension components up and reduce the height

of the rear struts.

No real ideas here, but if I figure anything out I'll let you know.

You might try suberdave or Numchux.

 

Twitch

[eVIL_NTT]

You could drop some coin and put airbags on it.

[The Beast I Drive]

In the rear you have to re-clock the torsion bars to get it down, its pretty simple, I haelped Jarare12 re-clock the torsion bars to lower the rear of his lifted brat a bit.

 

You have to loosen the 12mm bolt that holds the bar in its tube, then from the inside drive the bar out until the splines disengage. At that point, then you can rotate the trailing arm to any where you want. Then drive the bar back in, tighten the bolt and go on to the other side.

 

Its nothing like the Gen 2 rear torsion tubes, those have an adjuster bolt. These are 100% different.

 

-Bill

[ninefourteener]

I'm afraid I have no basis of comparison..... sever seen a gen 2.

 

In fact..... never seen a gen 1 except the one I own.... so I'm really at a loss trying to understand what you are saying.

 

I took a bunch of pics of the LR suspension of my 78 brat. can you use the pics to help explain what you mean?

 

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[The Beast I Drive]

OK Ill try to explain it better for ya

 

If you look at one of the torsion bar assemblies (lets say, the Driver's side), you will see that there are 2 mounting points on the body of the car, one outside the trailing arm (the part the shock is mounted to) and one on the inside of the car above the front of the diff. If you look right in front of your tire at the outer mount, you can see there is a splined shaft inside the tube that the trailing arm is attached to. There should be a 12mm bolt right there in that area, usually near the bottom of the mounting point, on the tube.

 

Remove the 12mm bolt, then, use a punch and BFH and from the inside mount (above the diff) drive the shaft toward the outside of the car until the splines disengage. You will know the splines are disengaged when you can relatively freely move the trailing arm up and down with you hands. I might suggest you make a reference mark before you drive out the torsion bar so you can set it up the same on the other side.

 

Once you have it loose, position the wheel where you want it, then from the outside of the car, drive the shaft back into the splines. Put the 12mm bolt back in and tighten it down.

 

Once you have the wheel set where you want it, then you can go to the other side and do the same thing over there. You will have to do this probably a couple times to get the stance right where you want it, I believe you can lower it about 1/2 inch incriments because there are 2 sets of splines, the ones on the inside body mount, and the ones on the outside mount. Make sure you make marks Before you drive out a shaft, that way you have a reference point to work from and it will make doing the other side that much faster and easier.

 

-Bill

[nw_david]

have you bought the wheels yet? i've been wanting to see what a set of 225/50/15 on 15x8's look like

[ninefourteener]

Thanks Beast!!

 

I haven't crawled up under it yet to specifically look for what you are talking about.,... but your directions were good... I think I can figure it out.

 

Question:

 

How should I jack the car when I do this? On ramps with the suspension compressed, or on jacks under the frame with the suspension hanging?

[The Beast I Drive]

 

How should I jack the car when I do this? On ramps with the suspension compressed, or on jacks under the frame with the suspension hanging?

 

You will have to have all pressure off the suspension, so have the body up on stands, and put a jack under the wheel, that way you can easily move the wheel to the position you want it.

 

-Bill