WH Statesman - lowering

[grpawalky]

Guys, I'd like to lower our WH. I've got a set of 18" Monaro wheels (SSZ) planned but am a little uncertain if the offsets etc will cause scraping. Can anyone offer suggestions or experiences. I'd like to drop it around 50mm.
Cheers.

[VooDoo]

Get used to getting the WRONG info from suspension places. They mostly have no idea about barges and will sell you gear for commdores. I went through 3 sets before i was happy.

When you look at the rear you need the HD springs. I had a set of King low's and over the space of 6 mths they got lower and lower until i was 310mm from center to guard. Got king lows in heavy duty and not only is the height correct it solved my axle tramp and stayed at that height. Matched with a set of Bilsteins in the "sport" range not the normal ones and the rear is very nice. I did have the normal bilsteins for a while as i didnt want it to harsh. Bad move as it ended up being too soft and handle poorly.

For the front i went FE2, HSV and then to a coilover. FE2 was useless and couldnt cope with the weight. massive understeer problems and bad body roll. The HSV were slightly better but only lasted a few months before being binned.

The coilovers were a lot better. It took a change of spring to get them right as they were originally in a monaro. I didnt want a harsh ride seeing its a caprice. The good thing is the springs are only $120 a set so i can actually have a set for the track, a set for cruising and a set for around town etc. They are also height adjustable and ive played around with this area a bit to find the best for handling. Too low and you sit on the bump stops when cornering and introduces bad understeer. Too high and its looks like a 4x4 and has too much body roll.

The other things ive found that really make a differance is a 48166 nolathane radius rod kit which improves brake feel and stops the strut moving as much. Add a decent strut brace (whiteline) and you can get the barge to turn and ride pretty well.

As for the rims. They will fit fine. The WH cam out with 18's in the grange. I'm using a 18" monaro wheel as a spare.

Make sure you post in the Barge Gallery too.

[danny4178]

What did it end up costing you to get it right ? Did you do it yourself,or have a "shop" do it ?

Have any "snaps" at all ??

Cheers, Danny4178