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lift a 90 Jetta
by
trev
on 30 Nov, 2009 08:53
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I'm looking for a few extra inches of ground clearance on the (really) cheap. Been dragging bottom out in the boondocks this hunting season.
I've been looking around online, and it seems that the hot ticket is to plant a spacer on the rear shock to get the spring to sit higher.
All the guys seem to be transplanting VR6 front shock assemblies into their rides. Not a great option at this time. No decent, cheap sources, locally. Seems to require new driveaxles as well as A arms too. Maybe that route later, if I can hook up with the parts on the cheap.
Anyone used spacers on the front end?
Been looking at the spring mounts and figure that a stack of 3/4 inch washers between the bearing and the top plate of the spring might do it. The spring plate would have to be opened up a bit to clear the shock shaft.
Anyone been down that road?
I need a new set of shocks, and am trying to get my ducks in a row before I start ripping things apart.
Cheers
Trev
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#1
by
macka
on 01 Dec, 2009 19:32
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could always get an iltis
seriously though, van shocks and coils may be doable, but not sure about the diameter and height.
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#2
by
burn_your_money
on 01 Dec, 2009 19:35
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Seems to require new driveaxles as well as A arms too.
Those aren't needed. I only used the strut and spring combo in mine. If your springs (I think) are from 96 and up you will need to use mk3 upper strut mounts.
B3 passat springs in the back will give you some nice lift as well.
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#3
by
truckinwagen
on 01 Dec, 2009 20:06
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the MK3 control arms and driveaxles give you a wider stance which helps clear bigger tires.
if you dont run bigger tires, then just the struts/springs from a VR6 Passat (B3) will do just fine.
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#4
by
trev
on 02 Dec, 2009 16:17
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Worth a ponder then.
May have a wrecking yard shopping trip in my future. I'd better start making a list while the weather is good yet.
Cheers
Trev
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#5
by
745 turbogreasel
on 02 Dec, 2009 21:23
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On the yard toy Escort, I found a pair of gas charged shocks from a fullsize Chevy. fro a lower mounting point, I crushed a short bit of exhaust tube to shock eye width, thru bolted, and welded that to the front control arm.
At the top, I drilled a hole in the unibody, welded some big washers around it, and popped a bolt through.
To be clear this is in addition to the stock suspension.
The gas pressure netted us almost 2" of ride height. the car was completely gutted, so gain might be less with glass and upholstry in your car. Landing a 4' jump, the car would bottom once and settle.
This arrangement never needed repair.
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#6
by
trev
on 05 Dec, 2009 22:14
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Houston! We have lift!
My friend had a set of shocks out of a Corrado (IIRC) >>EDIT not a Corrado, but a sported up Carat Jetta<< he parted out, that got the spacer treatment. The rears got an inner race off a wheel bearing, that gave it around 2 inches, while the fronts got lifted up a bit over an inch, via a punched out spring seat, with spacers between the spring seat and the bearing base.
High tech stuff! The front spacer was a bored out 1 1/2 inch nut, a 3/4 inch washer and a 5/8 washer on top. If we do it again, the spacer will be a stack of 3/4" washers. Much simpler. The top spring seat had to be opened up to allow the spring seat to slide down the shock rod, to make the room for the spacer. the whole unit turns together, and the spring pressure holds the whole lot in compression, so we could not see a downside to punchingh the seat out
I really needed the lift in the back. The lift in the front was just enough to keep the nose up level.
Overall, I figure I picked up over two inches, between the heavier springs and the spacers. Only rode a tiny bit lower in the back when I threw 3 of my summer tires in the trunk.
Gotta do a road trip on Monday, so I'll get to see how it handles.
Gonna be weird getting used to having shocks that work again.
I'll adapt!
Cheers
Trev
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#7
by
burn_your_money
on 06 Dec, 2009 09:58
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Right on. Do you have any pictures of what you did exactly?
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#8
by
trev
on 06 Dec, 2009 10:47
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No pictures. Sorry.
Was thinking about that, driving home from my buds place last night, wondering if I had any photos of my car before, too.
I don't think I do.
For the fronts, though, it was as follows. Starting from having the shocks apart, with a spring compressor on the springs.
Opened the hole in the upper spring plate to clear the shaft of the shock. One was done with a Dremel. Slow. One was done with a round file and elbow grease. Much faster. A 'christmas tree' type step drill would be the cat's meow for this.
Slid the spring plate onto the shaft.
Added one 3/4" washer (it slides over the shaft).
Added one bored out 1 1/2" nut over the shaft (next time, we'll skip this and just use a stack of 3/4" inside diameter washers)
Added one 5/8" inside diameter washer, maybe it was a 1/2. This washer fits over the threaded portion, but not over the main shaft, and rides against the bottom of the bearing.
Installed the bearing, using the tubular nut that retains it on the shock.
Removed the spring compressors.
None of the fits were tight as far as the washers and spacers, and from the looks of it, it's not going to make any difference. The full force of the spring holds it all in place, so it cannot move around at all.
I need to dig up some new shocks and some new top bearings for the front end, as the ones i just installed are showing their age. I will either take pictures of the assembly of the new ones when that happens, or i will have the ones that I wil remove, in hand, to take some pictures of. Sometime in the next few months, I figure.
Backs were done per the Frankenwagen info, posted over on the vortex, with just the spacer added between the shock base and the bottom spring plate/washer and assembled as if normal.
Cheers
Trev
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#9
by
Rabbit on Roids
on 14 Dec, 2009 11:04
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someone told me about putting jeep coils on rabbit suspension. said it lifts it about 8 inches..
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#10
by
truckinwagen
on 14 Dec, 2009 11:50
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yah, the jeep springs(cut down to fit on the vw struts) and spacer under the rear spring perch were my lift kit.
worked damn good!
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#11
by
Wayland
on 14 Dec, 2009 17:05
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someone told me about putting jeep coils on rabbit suspension. said it lifts it about 8 inches..
What year and model Jeep?
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#12
by
truckinwagen
on 14 Dec, 2009 17:44
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a xj model cherokee.
the front springs with about three coils cut off fits fairly nicely on the VW strut.
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#13
by
Rabbit on Roids
on 15 Dec, 2009 08:28
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yah, the jeep springs(cut down to fit on the vw struts) and spacer under the rear spring perch were my lift kit.
worked damn good!
anyone catch that theres a high lift jack on his rear bumper?
this here is one hard core off road rabbit.
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#14
by
truckinwagen
on 15 Dec, 2009 08:50
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yep, it sure was.
may it rest in peace.