F6 Tornado Suspension into AU Ute?

walkstar · 12-01-2007, 11:01 AM

I am going to attempt to fit the entire suspension from a tornado into my AU S1 ute. A Mate bought pedders all round for it and sold the lot to me cheap.
I know the rear leafs will fit but not sure about rear shocks and front struts.
I will have a go this weekend.
Anyone know much about this???

JC · 12-01-2007, 01:28 PM

You can check out part numbers etc from www.kingsprings.com.au and www.monroe.com.au - pretty sure the fronts are the same, and the backs should be too.

**Mechan1k** · 12-01-2007, 08:14 PM

Rears should be identical from AU utes onwards.

Fronts ... not too sure though ... but they could be the same ... strut towers look pretty much the same ... it all comes down to the base of the shock and how it mounts up I guess.

Bucknaked · 12-01-2007, 08:18 PM

Sorry to Hijack your thread, but I can get access to a set of shocks out of a BF MK1 Tornado, and I was wondering whether these will fit into my AU sedan. Yeah, silly question, but you never know, till ya ask

JC · 12-01-2007, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Sorry to Hijack your thread, but I can get access to a set of shocks out of a BF MK1 Tornado, and I was wondering whether these will fit into my AU sedan. Yeah, silly question, but you never know, till ya ask

No, you were right. Silly question, if you mean the rears. The front shocks won't fit (different part numbers), but if you have the springs then they will fit the front - same part number from AU to BF anything.

**Mechan1k** · 12-01-2007, 08:21 PM

The rear setup for shock is very different ... the utes are mounted on an angle and use different mounts in the rear ... fronts might fit though.

Bucknaked · 12-01-2007, 08:49 PM

The suspension guy was going to check for me. He thought it was a good chance they will fit, but he'll do some research first.

**Mechan1k** · 12-01-2007, 08:54 PM

Is yours IRS Dwayne???

Bucknaked · 12-01-2007, 08:55 PM

You say it like its a bad thing

Yes it is.

**Mechan1k** · 12-01-2007, 09:02 PM

Looking at the Pedders website ... different part numbers for ute to IRD sedan.
Although dimensions might be the same on the shock body ... different model numbers might be for different damper rates.

Bucknaked · 12-01-2007, 09:04 PM

Ok cool. Thanks for looking that up.

**Mechan1k** · 12-01-2007, 09:08 PM

But ... if you can ... sit them side by side though ... and see what the difference are.

But by looking at my ute though when I have had the rear wheel off ... the shock is quite long ... and mounted into the plate on the rear leaf springs as well ... so I am guess the monts on the shocks will most likely be different.

If you got Typhoon shocks though ... you'd have better chance of getting them to fit the XR

walkstar · 12-01-2007, 11:55 PM

Well i ended up having a go today. Rear leafs just went straight in. when i put the tornado rear shocks next to the au's they were same length just the new ones are fatter. They went in easily. As for the front, the tornado strut was shorter in the base but longer at the top of the rod. Threaded the nut on the top and about 5mm more thread was sticking out than the originals. they bolted up nicely - but how painfull is it to get the top rubber to sit in the exact spot when you take the tension off the spring compressors!! Oddly it is not much lower than the standard AU XLS height (probably because i dont have spoilers and 18's like the Tornado) But wholly crap can it corner now!! Took it down a rough back road where you can get up some speed and it was smooth as!!
Wheel Alignment still feels ok but i will take it into pedders on monday and see where the camber etc. ended up.

StealthAu · 13-01-2007, 12:16 AM

give it a week or so to settle, it will come down a bit more

JC · 13-01-2007, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stockoau

give it a week or so to settle, it will come down a bit more

How does this myth perpetuate? They are used springs, it is unlikely they will move more than one or two mm. Even new springs don't "sag" that much after fitting. And if things do settle, it just means that bolts/nuts weren't tightened correctly. However, after 20 years, you may get the thing sagging approx 10mm due to metal fatigue in the spring material.

StealthAu · 13-01-2007, 01:33 PM

after about a week after replacing the springs in my housemates fairlane with xr springs (everything was tight, doen up with air tools) it seemed to be sitting half an inch lower then the day they where fitted.