King Springs Supplied & Fitted $390

[sv5.7lt]

I am looking at lowering my SV8 and came accross the website for Ozzy Tyres.
They say King Springs supplied and fitted for $390 and you can have any height.
Have any of you guys dealt with these people before or do any of you have an opinion to give on this subject??
Thanks

[Tez82]

Depends mate what else you want done, ie suspenion or not. Basically King Springs will set you back around $110 for a set. So at the end of the day you are looking at around $220 all up. So in theory they are charging $170 to get them fitted, so if you can do it yourself you will save $$$. In regards to any height, what are you aiming for. Remeber if you go lower than 20mm you should change your suspension and remember camber in the rear.........

[PepeLePew]

$110 a set on a good day!

Not sure they're quite that cheap every day....I had to wait for 20% off at Repco to get that.

Price probly sounds ok I guess inc fitting and f/r align at regular retail. But like Tez says...the springs themselves can be had a lot cheaper than they're likely charging...

[VooDoo]

I paid $150 fully fitted for a set. Takes a few mins on the rear, bit more on the front but anyone with basic mechanical skills can do it

[PepeLePew]

You mean a pair Voodoo? Nice price, I've got a shop around the corner will do it for that, seems to be the larger commercial operations that'll take you to the cleaners....

[jneil]

I think it's not bad, I just paid $450 and thought that was reasonable, did the ring around and most were over $500.

Also be warned, was quoted for "King Springs" at a place, only to find that when I looked at the original box the dude was showing me, it was SOME OTHER BRAND ENTIRELY!!!!!!

[VooDoo]

oops. yes a pair.

I got them via Powertorque. You can also speak to GSA Suspensions in Springwood who can ship Aust wide.

[sv5.7lt]

Thanks guys for your replies.
Tez82 regarding lowering more than 20mm if you do not change the shocks does this wear them out?
Something else slightly off topic. Does the installation of a strut brace on a VY1 require drilling into the strut towers?

[Tron2004]

Thanks guys for your replies.
Tez82 regarding lowering more than 20mm if you do not change the shocks does this wear them out?
Something else slightly off topic. Does the installation of a strut brace on a VY1 require drilling into the strut towers?
I lowered my SV8 30mm and never touched the shocks. No-one has been able to give me a legitimate technical reason why the shocks need to be changed, if at all.

Yep, drilling into the strut towers (2 holes apiece) is necessary.

[Pv8]

Like VooDoo said rears are a 2 minute job, when the car is on a hoist and the diff hanging the springs practically fall out.

[BLACK 346]

I lowered my SV8 30mm and never touched the shocks. No-one has been able to give me a legitimate technical reason why the shocks need to be changed, if at all.

Yep, drilling into the strut towers (2 holes apiece) is necessary.

No technical reason needed really, just one drive
would be enough for most people to realise that
the car is a bouncing ball and therefore dangerous.
Well, it only took me one drive, and that was straight
back to the suspension shop for shortened dampers :)

[ratter]

With shortened springs in the rear of the commodores the springs are not held captive if you leave the standard length shocks

[Tron2004]

With shortened springs in the rear of the commodores the springs are not held captive if you leave the standard length shocks
So at the very least, it's the rear shocks only that need attending to?
BTW, I hadn't noticed any "bouncing" around.
Makes me wonder now how it will ride after matching the shocks to suit.

[BLACK 346]

So at the very least, it's the rear shocks only that need attending to?
BTW, I hadn't noticed any "bouncing" around.
Makes me wonder now how it will ride after matching the shocks to suit.

Tron, I also had problems with hitting the bump
stops when the car was fully loaded, not a very
nice sound or feeling :eek:

[jneil]

With King Super Lows

Before: Centre of hub to guard was 370mm rear and 355mm front
After: Centre of hub to guard is 340mm rear and 340mm front

I didn't change the shocks. It is a firmer ride for sure, but I don't think it "bounces", the rear seems more settled now and sticks to the road more over bumps. I've had a bit of weight in and haven't hit the stops yet, I doubt that I will as it is still quite high.

What is really pissing me off is that i've seen unmodified SS's with about the same ride height i've got now, I reckon they put Old Man Emu's in at the factory!

[BLACK 346]

With King Super Lows

Before: Centre of hub to guard was 370mm rear and 355mm front
After: Centre of hub to guard is 340mm rear and 340mm front

I didn't change the shocks. It is a firmer ride for sure, but I don't think it "bounces", the rear seems more settled now and sticks to the road more over bumps. I've had a bit of weight in and haven't hit the stops yet, I doubt that I will as it is still quite high.

What is really pissing me off is that i've seen unmodified SS's with about the same ride height i've got now, I reckon they put Old Man Emu's in at the factory!

Sounds like you have kings Lows, not superlows. What
were the part numbers? Mine are from memory
KHFL-45C - Rear
KHRL-47HD - Front
These lowered FE2 by around 30mm front and back,
and it took quite some research to find the right ones.

[VooDoo]

I was 315mm front and 320mm rear.

Now 330mm front and 340mm rear. Handles a lot better now :)

[jsttry]

Black 346 do you have any pics of your car? Are they Low or Super Low that you have in it?

[VooDoo]

mine when too low

http://voodoo.theddrzone.com/carstuff/barge_edited.jpg

[jneil]

Just checked the boxes:
KHRL-46HD rear
KHFL-47HD front

Click here for my pics (http://members.optushome.com.au/jeffneil69/vyiiss-lowered.html)

I was told they are Super Lows, but the part number seems to be the same from their website. Perhaps it's the same spring, you just put in a shorter shock and ride height further reduces??

I just looked on the King Springs (http://www.kingsprings.com.au/kings_master_catalogue.pdf) catalog and the only difference I can see is that it says that I should have KHFL-47HHD for an SS in the front.

For Super Lows the catalog says - KHRL-46HD rear & KHFL-47HD front and only the front will require shorter shocks...dunno, it's all a bit confusing!

[BLACK 346]

Black 346 do you have any pics of your car? Are they Low or Super Low that you have in it?

PM me your email address Jay, and I will send some to
you.

jneil....That looks pretty good to me, definite
improvement from the FE2 photos. Just remember,
some of the SS you see that are lower might just
be loaded up to the gunwales with cargo.

[Tron2004]

With King Super Lows

Before: Centre of hub to guard was 370mm rear and 355mm front
After: Centre of hub to guard is 340mm rear and 340mm front
Cant quote a before measurement but the after (with KSL's) = 325mm rear and 330mm front.

Like you, I haven't noticed any "bounce" BUT I still might, when I get a chance, make enquiries at my local suspension shop and see wot they say.

[JLR]

ah king spring strike again!

I had just written a whole spiel, then my machine crashed :(

Basically, I got my car lowered (VX SS) with "supposedly" King superlows.

Standard ride height 360-365mm.

After:
KHRL-46HD rear - now at 340mm
KHFL-47HD front - now at 360mm

Yep thats right. The fronts only lowered by 5mm! Amazing isnt it. The box says 47HD, as does the springs. Ive been back to where I got the car lowered, and to the King "specialist" here in Melb (wont name names), and they assure me that they are the superlow springs. I say, how can it be. Only lowering it by 5mm's. Then they tell me that I had run out of travel in the front shock, and that the things were on the bump stops which prevented the car from lowering any further. I said how can the fornt lower by 5mm, and i run out of travel? They wanted to charge me $700 to recitfy the problem. But extedning the strut, to allow the shock insert to be dropped down further therefore bringing back the standard suspension travel. I left totally confused and thought, man, how can a car as common as a commodore not lower properly, and these aledged "specialist" and representative for King Springs feed me such crap.

So I went somewhere else, got my struts fixed to allow more travel and alas, the car still has not dropped past 360mm, well it has maybe 2mm. But when i was looking at the Kings catalogue, KHFL-47HD was listed for King Lows and superlows. Suprise surpise, I must have the low springs instead of superlows, but once again, the 2 places assuered me the are the superlows, and that the only way to lower a Holden Commodore more than 5mm in the front is to throw in a set of V6 low springs. Which will void my new shock warranty (Koni Yellows) I said not thank, obvioulsy you have NO IDEA what you are talking about at have never been back there again.

Another 2 supsension places have said, there is no way they are superlows in the front just from looking at the car. And they both said the part number should have "SL, such as KHFL-47SL" on it.

After about 6months now, I am just going to get the springs compressed to get the exact ride height I want! The rears sit just about 7mm to high for me, so im gonna set them done to.

SO just beware, make sure you agree on a drop in height you want, and if you dont get that, that they will redo it with new spring at their expense. (Well, thats what I did, but I have just got the run around)

I will not buy King Springs again

//end rant :)

[Tron2004]

JLR....

My receipt says [FRONTS], KHFL-47SL and mine sits 330mm.
Interesting thing is, the King cat says the 47SL is for V6.
Apparently 47HD is for V8's.

Anyway, the whole car sits spot on!!!
Certainly had NO problem like you with only getting a 5mm drop.
That's weird!!!!

[jneil]

Well they are centainly more than confusing with the same part number and some cars dropping to almost illegal levels and others not dropping much at all.

At least I got a 30mm rear and 15mm front drop and it sits level now. I thought that it'd be nice to go another 10mm lower, but after coming out of the Doncaster Westfield shopping centre today and over those damn speed humps on the top level I thought i'd ripped the bloody exhaust clean off, I think it'll be staying this height now.

[Tron2004]

I thought that it'd be nice to go another 10mm lower, but after coming out of the Doncaster Westfield shopping centre today and over those damn speed humps on the top level I thought i'd ripped the bloody exhaust clean off, I think it'll be staying this height now.
Soon get to know where all the high speed bumps are in a lowered car... :cussing:

[JMEVXSS]

Does anyone know how far you can drop the rear (say VX1) before needing to get a camber kit fitted, to compensate for the geometry change, or if at all?

Cheers

[BLACK 346]

Does anyone know how far you can drop the rear (say VX1) before needing to get a camber kit fitted, to compensate for the geometry change, or if at all?

Cheers
`
If it is anything like mine, it probably needs a camber
kit now even before you lower it.

[GTS215i]

I know what u mean JLR. I tried 3 pairs of King Springs all were meant to lower my car including SL and SSL the most was aprox 10mm. After 3 attempts and giving the King Spring National sales manager a serving they still couldn't answer why my car was practically the same height. My other mates had the same problem on there VN and VR, yet my mate with a VS clubby had his car sitting low as from SLows. Its either our cars are somehow have the same problems which i doubt or King Springs dont quality check there springs and its a lucky dip. The old saying 'you get what you paid' is very true.

[PepeLePew]

I had a great response from the Kings guys once you get onto them directly...but that was about saggy SL's. They replaced them FOC with non-SL springs.

Dont know about anyone else but I've tried a couple of sets of Kings SL's and they've sagged earlier than later...

[BLACK 346]

I had a great response from the Kings guys once you get onto them directly...but that was about saggy SL's. They replaced them FOC with non-SL springs.

Dont know about anyone else but I've tried a couple of sets of Kings SL's and they've sagged earlier than later...

Sagged or Settled? It is common for them to settle
a little after they have been in for a while. Mine
dropped a couple of mil after a few k's had been
put on them.