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Thread: Coromal suspension conversion

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
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    Coromal suspension conversion

    The original independent suspension on my 1990 pop-top had too little movement and rode too harshly. Step 1 of the upgrade plan was to replace the suspension with soft off-road springs and shocks using a live axle. Step 1a is to relocate the coupling from on top of the draw-bar to below it to level the van. Step 2 is to fit X5 rims the same as I have fitted to the D4 especially if parallel bearing hubs can be produced.

    The original van...


    and its suspension...


    new springs...


    and shocks...


    X5 wheel position mock-up...


    A test run without the coupling mount having yet been relocated revealed that it tows and rides exceedingly well at least at speeds up to 100 kph over the local B-grade sealed roads and light corrugations and pot-holes on unsealed roads. The van doesn't jump around anymore nor tug on the D4 and the mattress now stays put even though it only sits on an un-edged base. The springs are Vehicle Components 608 series (60mm x 8mm) 850 mm long 1.6T rated with 1 leaf removed which is expected to be the same as their 1.3T springs. The removed leaf will be refitted later if significant weight is added.

    The X5 rims have more offset than the HT rims so a longer axle is needed but will have to wait to see if 1.6T parallel hubs can be shoe-horned into the X5 rims.
    MY12 RRV 4.4 TDV8 AB, +LLAMS, +e-diff, +ACC stop/go. Produce LLAMS for LR/RR, Jeep GC/Dodge Ram
    VK2HFG and APRS W1 digi

  2. #2
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    With that much extra ground clearance now you will have to buy one of those fold up steps so you and your good wife will be able to get into it. ...

    cheers,
    Terry
    Cheers,
    Terry

    D1 V8 (Gone)
    D2a HSE V8 (Gone)
    D3 HSE TDV6 (Unfortunately Gone)
    D4 V8

  3. #3
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    Jan 1970
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    Already splurged $7 on a step...



    The lowered coupling...
    MY12 RRV 4.4 TDV8 AB, +LLAMS, +e-diff, +ACC stop/go. Produce LLAMS for LR/RR, Jeep GC/Dodge Ram
    VK2HFG and APRS W1 digi

  4. #4
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    Jul 2007
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    Geelong area, Victoria.
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    Good job

    Col

  5. #5
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    Parallel bearing hub-drums are on order. The hubs have the 78mm dia "Ford" boss and will be supplied with 14mm studs on 5 x 120mm PCD, but with the studs not fitted. I'll then have the boss machined to 72.5mm to suit X5 rims. There won't be a lot of metal around the outer bearing but very little less than what's around the inner bearing so hopefully will be strong enough. Once I'm happy with the hubs a longer, parallel bearing axle will be obtained.

    The guards are in the process of being modified to allow for LT245/70-17 tyres. The original plastic wheel guards will be refitted, albeit with a 25mm spacer, which will hide the trimming and clear the wider tyres.

    Pics later.
    MY12 RRV 4.4 TDV8 AB, +LLAMS, +e-diff, +ACC stop/go. Produce LLAMS for LR/RR, Jeep GC/Dodge Ram
    VK2HFG and APRS W1 digi

  6. #6
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    Parallel bearing hub converion for LR /X5 rims:

    Parallel bearing hub boss originally machined to 80mm for Ford but drilled to 5 x 120mm PCD for 14mm studs:




    Now with 72.5mm boss for X5 or LR rims:

    The experienced machinist thinks there's plenty of metal around the bearing (6.7mm). I hope he's right.


    X5 rim fitted to the parallel bearing hub. Can't loose the grease cap as it can't get past the rim.




    Test fit of D4 rim to parallel bearing hub:

    To fit it would need the outside edge of the boss rounded a little more, a special grease cap made from the combination of a standard hub's cap and a parallel bearing hub's cap to fit through the rim's cap hole and the studs shortened by about 5mm. However as I would need the rims to be spaced outwards 10mm to get acceptable spring/tyre clearance on the axle made for X5 rim fitment, the studs would be OK as would the boss edge but still require a custom cap.

    A new axle is on order.
    MY12 RRV 4.4 TDV8 AB, +LLAMS, +e-diff, +ACC stop/go. Produce LLAMS for LR/RR, Jeep GC/Dodge Ram
    VK2HFG and APRS W1 digi

  7. #7
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    Great job Graeme, van is coming along nicely, are you getting a new longer axle so you can fit the LR rims at a later date??


    I'll have to get that engineers number if I ever go to electric brakes, I sorted my hubs yesterday, fitted a new backing plate mount, the type that goes over the square section of the axle, this allows us to keep the backing plate we were supplied with, just need to do the shackle bushes and it's done.

    Baz.
    Cheers Baz.

    2011 Discovery 4 SE 2.7L
    1990 Perentie FFR EX Aust Army
    1967 Series IIa 109 (Farm Truck)
    2007 BMW R1200GS
    1979 BMW R80/7
    1983 BMW R100TIC Ex ACT Police
    1994 Yamaha XT225 Serow

  8. #8
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    The current axle is for Ford bearings and is too short for X5 or LR rims even if standard 5x120 pcd hubs with 14mm studs were to be used due to the more positive offset and wider X5 and LR rims. This axle was obtained to check that the new suspension didn't introduce any undesireable characteristics because if it did then the old suspension would have been refitted and the van sold. This axle and the 14' rims may be refitted and the guard spacers removed when the van eventually gets sold. The enlarged wheel openings are not visible with the original guards fitted.

    The new axle will be made to accept the parallel bearing hubs and at a length to give enough spring clearance for the X5 rims, keeping the wheels in as much as possible but still requiring a 25mm spacer for the guards. LR rims will use the same axle but require 10-15mm spacers to give tyre/spring clearance and will require the plastic gaurds to be spaced out even further to accomodate wider tyres. I hope not to need to fit LR rims - they would protrude a fair way out from the sides as the wheel wells were not designed to accomodate such wide tyres.

    Edit: The 255/55-19 tyres don't protrude any further out as they're no wider so no extra guard spacer is req'd.

    The only reason my hubs needed machining is because I wanted to use parallel bearing hubs to get the large outer bearing that is much better able to withstand the leverage of the 30/31" tyres with the anticipated load. This bearing configuration is rated at 1600 kg for large diameter tyres. The hubs were special order from Melbourne Trailer & Van Supplies in the same way as your's - having 5x120mm pcd 14mm holes in a hub they normally supply with a different pcd and/or stud dia. Subsequent machining was straight-forward - reduce the boss to 72.5mm dia please! Melb Trailers were fussing too much about reducing the boss dia so I didn't persist in trying to get them to do it.

    Did Melb Trailers not want to swap the backing plates?
    MY12 RRV 4.4 TDV8 AB, +LLAMS, +e-diff, +ACC stop/go. Produce LLAMS for LR/RR, Jeep GC/Dodge Ram
    VK2HFG and APRS W1 digi

  9. #9
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    They said only the 10" hubs have the flat backing plate, the 9" hubs have the raised backing plate, so they sent me the new mounts, it's worked out well, so it's all good now.

    Baz.
    Cheers Baz.

    2011 Discovery 4 SE 2.7L
    1990 Perentie FFR EX Aust Army
    1967 Series IIa 109 (Farm Truck)
    2007 BMW R1200GS
    1979 BMW R80/7
    1983 BMW R100TIC Ex ACT Police
    1994 Yamaha XT225 Serow

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    The suspension and wheel conversion is done except for mudflaps and new rear stabiliser legs. The van is slightly nose down at normal height but level at +30mm. Guard spacers were not required due to mounting the guards' lower edge level with the van side lower edges rather than 30mm below, along with some judicious trimming of the fibreglass guards to ensure the tyres can't touch. It rides twisty, bumpy sealed roads at 100 kph and gravel roads with small bumps and pot-holes and minor corrugations at 90 kph (I didn't want to go faster) and meanders along my rough driveway magically - I'm chuffed!
    MY12 RRV 4.4 TDV8 AB, +LLAMS, +e-diff, +ACC stop/go. Produce LLAMS for LR/RR, Jeep GC/Dodge Ram
    VK2HFG and APRS W1 digi

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