I am currently doing a full suspension upgrade on my car, now before we start I had Apexi coilovers on the car when I got it and they are great on track but only useful above ???mph on a bumpy road. Up to that they were useless with wheels in the air more than on the ground.

So this is were I am, I have installed Eibach progressive springs with a -25mm drop and rear Bilstein B6's struts. The front has rev 1 or 2 shock struts and after my last run in the car at least one is shot. I have also installed TRD topmounts all round.

My shopping list is as follows to complete this phase of the upgrade.

Bilstein B6 front shock-Part No. Bilstein, Mfr Part#: F4-V36-4017-H0
Full polybush kit
Inner and outer steering tie rod ends.
Front and rear ball joints.
Camber adjustment bolts.

All of the above I am sourcing from TwoRus.com stateside except for the shock struts.

I have previously bought the rear bilsteins from Fensport and got the relevant anal pain afterwards,so having got the part no. and googling it I have found this site.

www.streetperformance.com/part/bilstein/...-f4-v36-4017-h0.html

These are $154.00 (€105)per corner plus delivery, yet to be calculated.
The same from Fensport is £169(€185-00) plus delivery.

So I can save 160 euro getting them from a source I never heard of stateside (I know I might be hit for import duty & delivery)

So has anybody heard of them or know of anyone who may have dealt with them. Oh and I will update this post as works progress's with photos etc as I go.

Hi Ray, looking forward to the writeup

I never did anything with Street performance, if you're going stateside maybe try www.protuningperformance.com they have a big catalog of MR2 parts. I met them at the MR2 meet on the weekend, good guys and know there stuff.

I got a poly bush kit from Twosrus in the states this year , they where delivered with in 2 weeks . I got stung for import duty , think it was €40 . Ask them to box the parts in a plain box not there branded box , this may help you dodge the duty . Good luck with the upgrade Ray

Cheers lads, will look into street preformance Geoff & Steve I have all the polybush kit etc in a shopping list on TwoRus and with the current exchange rates now is the time to buy, should be ordering all the bits next week.

Yiphee, oops better get some lights into the garage first.

Everything except the two front shocks was ordered today looking forward to a nice hefty package at the door soon. Better the the Mrk I out of the garage and devote some energy top the Mrk II.
The list as follows:
4 x Strut Boot (SB103)
4 x MKII MR2 Camber Adjusting 'Crash' Bolts (MKII Crash B
Size 1 Dot - 13.9mm
1 x MK2 MR2 Prothane Urethane Bushings - Total Kit (18-2012)
Rear Sway Bar 19mm (18-1127)
Front Sway Bar 19mm (93+ 18-1126)
Color Red
1 x MKII MR2 Steering Package (MKII Steering)
Model EHPS Power Steering
1 x Ball Joint/Tie Rod Combo Set (Ball Joint/T)
Model MK2 MR2
1 x Fog Lamp Bolts (FLB)
1 x MKII MR2 High Performance Brakeline Kit (TTY0010-4P)

Roll on the fun bit.

Nice one Ray will be good to see what the results are like

Hi Mark, It will probably look like the underside of my car and a hole in a ditch when I start pushing it on, to check the limits of slip

Anyway have to keep up with all the tubby engines and builder's on this site and that can hopefully be achieved in the corners (not a chance I can, my lead foot will make sure I am off at the first corner .)

We will have to arrange a track day for us all next year it would be great crack.

Anyway I will be posting progress pics and maybe a complete write up for anybody that want to do any of this work themselves in the future.

All the suspension parts have just cleared customs (and no VAT bill yet) today, going to be a busy boy in the next couple of days, yiphee.

Great to see the suspension research and mods done properly. Its tempting to jump in and go for power but proper handling can be as much or more fun

I'd def be interested in a track day maybe around April/May. Would be good if we could get enough so that our group could be all MR2s. I spoke to Kirkistown before and they said we could do it - must check what numbers he said he needed to get a group to ourselves.

Agreed on the handling upgrade advantages, however driver talent is not evident on my part so a track day or 20 might help in that regard

With 119 members we should be able to pull at least 20 cars for a good run. Kirkstown will let the turbos wipe the floor of the N/A's as it a fairly high speed track.

I have looked at Mondellos and kirkstowns web site for dates in 2010 but there are none posted yet from what I seen.

Anyhugh I am spamming my own thread now, maybe we should put a post up to check the interest. Perhap a poll to see how much interest would be got for a northern track versus the southern one.

Package in the post office this evening, sweet.


_KUNENA_BBCODE_HIDEIMG

I ordered an extra outer track rod ends for driver and passo sides cause I am a dunce, if anybody needs them, drop me a PM.

Now get the Mrk I out of the garage and stick the Mrk II in.

Photos and descriptions will follow.

I have cusco zero-2 suspension including strut braces, and a cusco type-MZ diff - and I have to say theyre awful!

Would be great on track, but USELESS on the roads here.

I reckon those bilstein struts would be a much better job than mine - and a lot less rip-off expensive to boot.

nice nice nice

I'll swap you some EFI/Turbo help for some suspension help when the time comes??

mark239 wrote:
I have cusco zero-2 suspension including strut braces, and a cusco type-MZ

Yep coilovers are a waste of money on our bouncy roads, but saying that my mates scooby is a good setup except when you hit a ridge in the road. I had a TRD LSD in my g/box up to recently and it was great, needs a rebuild now, so must get that sorted. I have the Bilsteins on the rear at the moment just need to get the fronts and that will be the whole suspension done, hopefully it will feel like a new car. Going to get JOMO to set up the suspension geometry when I have it all backm together.

Quandry wrote:
I'll swap you some EFI/Turbo help for some suspension help when the time comes??

Sounds good to me indeedy, get this out of the way, then start getting the V6 up to scratch and onto a tubby conversion. So thats the next ten years sorted out then.

When your striping down the rear control arms it is easyer to remove the lower arm and tie arm as one peice , as the threaded part of the tie arm will be caked with mud , and this makes removing the nut very hard . With the arms remover as one the threaded section can be cleaned with a wire brush , greased , and clamped in a vice then unbolted with a good quality 24 mm ( i think ) spanner .
When it comes to taking out the oe bushings use a blow torch or idealy gas bottles and burn them out .

stevetz wrote:
When it comes to taking out the oe bushings use a blow torch or idealy gas bottles and burn them out .

Thanks for the info on the rears, as for the OE bushes

I've never done any suspension work on my 2 before. If I wanted to fit the Polybush kit and camber bolts, how much time would I need to set aside (remember I'd be a bit cautious/slower on my first time) ?

Update, I thinked I changed the name of the thread to include the Highland project.

The plan is to have the car Taxed, insured & NCT'd by 07/03/10 for the Fermanagh run, this is to act as a shake down following all the work to the car prior to the Highland run.

This is a list I am going to use to monitor my progress.
Fix radio aerial. 08/02/10
Install secondhand OEM radio. 14/02/10
Replace speakers. 14/02/10
Install smoked toblerones. Commenced 14/02/10
Remove stone chips from the front bumper & bonnet.
Fix central locking.
Install gear shift bearings.
New fan belt.
Check charge rate of alternator.
Install cat.
Strip down and rebuild 16" rims after powder coat and polish, get tyres.
Bleed collant system and remove airlock.
Get new engine cover screws.
Install braided brake hoses all round.
Install camber bolts.
Replace front shocks.
Install full polybush kit.
Inner tie rod ends. Commenced 14/02/10
Outer tie rod ends. Commenced 14/02/10
Bottom ball joints, front.
Bottom ball joints, rear.
Sort out fog light bolts.
Do full geometry setup.

So not to much to do when you break it down.

I am doing the inner tie rods and need to get my hands on a skinny 29 or 30 mm spanner, has anybody got one I could borrow for about two nights this week.

About 8 to 10mm wide is what I need.

wat ya need im off today and tommorrow and if you want ill give you a hand and drill out fog bolts as just done mine and fitting the hid's as we speak. could give you a hand on too. offer there.

glenner wrote:
wat ya need im off today and tommorrow and if you want ill give you a hand and drill out fog bolts as just done mine and fitting the hid's as we speak. could give you a hand on too. offer there.

Cheers for the help offer Glenner KC for you. Fog's are all sorted out at this stage, looking forward to seeing the HID fogs, I have a HID kit and may use them on the fogs as well but it will be down the line after the highland run.

Where are you based I am almost in the bog between Trim and Mullingar its a good hour from the city if you know where you going, if you don't,people have been lost for days trying to find the town.

slipsliderg wrote:
I am doing the inner tie rods and need to get my hands on a skinny 29 or 30 mm spanner, has anybody got one I could borrow for about two nights this week.

About 8 to 10mm wide is what I need.
Sorted out with a shifters to take them out, will have a stilsen tomorrow to tighten them up. Jobs OXO, thanks again Gleenr for the offer of help.

Update

This weekend I hope to have the toblorones finished and all ball joints done. Bilstein front shocks ordered today, should have them on tuesday latest.

Fix radio aerial. Complete 08/02/10
Install secondhand OEM radio. Complete 14/02/10
Replace speakers. Complete 14/02/10
Install smoked toblerones. Commenced 14/02/10
Remove stone chips from the front bumper & bonnet.
Fix central locking.
Install gear shift bearings.
New fan belt.
Check charge rate of alternator.
Install cat.
Strip down and rebuild 16" rims after powder coat and polish, get tyres.
Bleed collant system and remove airlock.
Get new engine cover screws.
Install braided brake hoses all round.
Install camber bolts.
Replace front shocks.
Install full polybush kit.
Inner tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Outer tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Bottom ball joints, front.
Bottom ball joints, rear.
Sort out fog light bolts.
Install New brake pads.

Update
Bilstein front shocks arrived today. Progress not as good as I want but getting there. Hard to achieve everything when were like this lot here;


_KUNENA_BBCODE_HIDEIMG

Tonight was a pain in the buttocks, one screw holding the front splitter to the bumper acting up all shitey like, I hacksawed the mo fo down, but it robbed me of 40 minutes bloody backstard.

Fix radio aerial. Complete 08/02/10
Install secondhand OEM radio. Complete 14/02/10
Replace speakers. Complete 14/02/10
Install smoked toblerones. Complete 22/02/10
Remove stone chips from the front bumper & bonnet.Edit: to touch up around indicator.
Fix central locking.
Install gear shift bearings.Complete 21/02/10
New fan belt.
Check charge rate of alternator.
Install cat.
Strip down and rebuild 16" rims after powder coat and polish, get tyres.
Bleed collant system and remove airlock.
Get new engine cover screws.
Install braided brake hoses all round.
Install camber bolts.
Replace front shocks.
Install full polybush kit.
Inner tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Outer tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Bottom ball joints, front.
Bottom ball joints, rear.
Sort out fog light bolts.Complete 21/02/10
Install New brake pads.

slipsliderg wrote:
glenner wrote:
wat ya need im off today and tommorrow and if you want ill give you a hand and drill out fog bolts as just done mine and fitting the hid's as we speak. could give you a hand on too. offer there.

Cheers for the help offer Glenner KC for you. Fog's are all sorted out at this stage, looking forward to seeing the HID fogs, I have a HID kit and may use them on the fogs as well but it will be down the line after the highland run.

Where are you based I am almost in the bog between Trim and Mullingar its a good hour from the city if you know where you going, if you don't,people have been lost for days trying to find the town.
Sorry only seen your post there i must be blind. located in dublin. if you need hand im off for 2weeks since sun just gone so if you wanna get alot done the weekend ill drop down and give you a hand. could get most of list cleared

Thanks again Glener, but my stag is on this weekend so all work is canceled till at least tuesday night, I plan on having blood poisoning.

Tonights progress involved me customising the ball joint breaker from Halfords with grinder then trying to break te joint down, what a pain in the ass. Had to tighten the breaker to the last then smack that b%$*th upside the head to get the joint to seperate

Was to busy on my learning curve to do a write up, but the next one I will probably put something together. Good new is the fire place is a great place to burn out the original bushes and I have Cusco front strut bars and the ball joint spacer used when you are lowering the car, helps keep the suspension geo close to OEM as possible.

That’s the stag night out of the way and blood has returned to my veins. So I got stuck into the car the last couple of nights. Sorry no “How Two” write up to follow this work as I just needed to get my head stuck into the work and be selfish.
Update now reads as:
Fix radio aerial. Complete 08/02/10
Install secondhand OEM radio. Complete 14/02/10
Replace speakers. Complete 14/02/10
Install smoked toblerones. Complete 22/02/10
Remove stone chips from the front bumper & bonnet.Edit: to touch up around indicator.
Fix central locking.
Install gear shift bearings. Complete 21/02/10
New fan belt. Delivered 03/03/10
Check charge rate of alternator.
Install cat. Complete 25/02/10
Strip down and rebuild 16" rims after powder coat and polish, get tyres. ON HOLD
Bleed coolant system and remove airlock.
Get new engine cover screws. Delivered 03/03/10
Install braided brake hoses all round.
Install camber bolts. Complete 02/03/10
Replace front shocks. Complete 02/03/10
Install full polybush kit. 15% complete 03/03/10
Inner tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Outer tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Bottom ball joints, front. Complete 02/03/10
Bottom ball joints, rear.
Sort out fog light bolts.Complete 21/02/10
Install New brake pads. Delivered 03/03/10

_KUNENA_BBCODE_HIDEIMG

_KUNENA_BBCODE_HIDEIMG

_KUNENA_BBCODE_HIDEIMG

So tomorrow should see me starting on the rear ball joints and polybushes, nearly there now yippee.
Hopefully book the NCT next Monday on a cancelation and tax the car, then geo setup and bed in the skimmed discs and new brake pads. I can see myself back on the road soon and can’t wait.

In about half an hour I am putting air into the front tyres and finally dropping the car back on the ground

Not all the jobs are done but I have the important items taken care of. It took longer than I thought, and I didn't get to do as many write ups as I wanted sorry

NCT is booked just waiting for the letter, car is insured (still on the hunt for a fire and theft policy only), taxing it in the morning. Then drop it down to JOMO for a full Geo setup. Hopefully collect it Friday and give it a good shake down over the weekend.

Work for after passing the NCT test.
Fix central locking.
Install new alternator and air-con belts
Check charge rate of alternator.

Work to be done after the Scottish run.

Strip down and rebuild 16" rims after powder coat and polish, get tyres.
Install rear polybush kit.
Bottom ball joints, rear.
Source & install 17.5mm Roll bar bushes (this diameter is completly new to me, I didn't know it existed until a couple of night ago, Mnixon beware, I think its an anniversary special)

Update now reads as:

Fix radio aerial. Complete 08/02/10
Install secondhand OEM radio. Complete 14/02/10
Replace speakers. Complete 14/02/10
Install smoked toblerones. Complete 22/02/10
Remove stone chips from the front bumper & bonnet.
[strike]Edit: to touch up around indicator. Not a great job but it will do for now.Complete 17/03/10
Install gear shift bearings. Complete 21/02/10
Install cat. Complete 25/02/10
Bleed coolant system and remove airlock. Complete 16/03/10
Get new engine cover screws. Complete 16/03/10
Install braided brake hoses all round.Complete 16/03/10
Install camber bolts. Complete 02/03/10
Replace front shocks. Complete 02/03/10
Inner tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Outer tie rod ends. Complete 18/02/10
Bottom ball joints, front. Complete 02/03/10
Sort out fog light bolts.Complete 21/02/10
Install New brake pads. Complete 16/03/10

Fair play to you - to get that much work done with all the dustbin lids around is a tough task