VR/VS FE2 Suspention

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

Last year i posted up that i was looking to raise up my VY sedan, after years of having it lowered. Which i ended up doing by fitting factory fe2 into springs, and swaybars, and have enjoyed not having it scrape everywhere since

i am now looking into Rasing my VS V8 Sedan which has live axle rear, it currently is fitted with pedders sports ryder springs and shockers/struts and panhard rod and nolathene adjustable blade type swaybars front and rear, which is a very firm ride

the car sits kind of level maybe a bit lower on the rear, not by much. hasn’t really bothered me until, while on the hoist at the exhaust shop the other day they pointed out the rear swaybar is hard against the panhard rod, while checking that out i noticed the rear springs had the top 4 coils hard against each other, so no travel which i guess is contributing to or causing the hard ride

ive never had an original VR/VS SS, so im not sure what the ride height quality would be but again im looking to get Fe2,

also looking to replace the front and rear nolathene swaybars from the blade type to Fe2

now i have googled VS SS images, but im not sure if the ones coming up show factory height, would anyone have photos of a SS that they know is stock height

 

• This topic was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.

[NickVRParticipant AdelaideVR V8 Exec, VR SS, VF Redline Reserve View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 264]

Unfortunately mine has been lowered so measurements wouldn’t be factory. My other one is lowered to legal height which wouldn’t be much off FE2. The ride is different from live axle to IRS though.  The SS (which is lower) rides fairly soft compared to my other car. Although mine has Pedders front and rear springs with Pedders HD rear shocks and their sports ryders shocks up the front. The rear HD shocks maybe the main cause of a harder ride though. The SS has adjustable Konis on the rear (haven’t checked the fronts) and King Springs all round I was told.

[doz10Participant Qld93 VR SS View build HERE Member since: February 9, 2016 Posts: 125]

I’m pretty sure my ss sat a tiny bit higher and felt a bit smoother with the stock fe2 suspension than it did with the low king springs, it’s an irs rear though. It’s on koni adjustables and sl kings all round with whiteline swaybars and all new superpro bushes now, which helps it handle a lot better but it’s also a fair bit harsher than the stock fe2 suspension was, however it’s only driven once or twice a week so I’m not worried about comfort

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

For now I’ll try and sort out the rear end,

I’ve managed to go through my VR/VS workshop manuals and get the production codes for the factory fe2 springs, for front and rear so if I find a set and it still by chance has the codes on it I will know what it is

same case for the swaybars, I think I’ll hunt down an fe2 Rear swaybar and swap it over, also have the production codes for this, as the Rear one is hitting the panhard rod, so that’s not ideal

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.

[thatotherguy94Participant VS Acclaim, VZ SSZ Ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 189]

Ive still got the stock FE2 springs from the BT1 I stripped but it was IRS. From memory it sat just above the tyre, only have a couple of crap photos showing this before I stripped it. I can grab some photos of the springs if your interested

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

rear are no good to me then, did you have fronts? and front swaybar? and if you do do they have the 2 letter code on them still?

[doz10Participant Qld93 VR SS View build HERE Member since: February 9, 2016 Posts: 125]

I wouldn’t be too worried about changing your sway bars if I were you mate, if you do maybe just change the rear bar, I’m pretty sure the front sway bar that was in my vr ss was just a 27mm swaybar, which is the same size as what I just swapped out of my stocko vg v6 ute, if you find out what size rear swaybar the fe2 live axle commodores ran I’m sure you could find the right size at the wreckers, I’ve got one of each size from 16-20mm stashed away and a few spares just incase I need them one day, I plan on running a 19mm rear bar on the ute to go with the pedders 28mm front bar which made a huge difference on it’s own

[thatotherguy94Participant VS Acclaim, VZ SSZ Ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 189]

exec24 wrote:

rear are no good to me then, did you have fronts? and front swaybar? and if you do do they have the 2 letter code on them still?

Ive still got both, swaybar is on my car but I dont remember it having a two letter code on it, the springs I think they still have a sticker on them but will have to check

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  thatotherguy94.

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

doz10 wrote:

I wouldn’t be too worried about changing your sway bars if I were you mate, if you do maybe just change the rear bar, I’m pretty sure the front sway bar that was in my vr ss was just a 27mm swaybar, which is the same size as what I just swapped out of my stocko vg v6 ute, if you find out what size rear swaybar the fe2 live axle commodores ran I’m sure you could find the right size at the wreckers, I’ve got one of each size from 16-20mm stashed away and a few spares just incase I need them one day, I plan on running a 19mm rear bar on the ute to go with the pedders 28mm front bar which made a huge difference on it’s own

ive got all the prodution codes and thickess they use from my workshop manuals

my main concern is the rear, it be nice to get a complete set though

VR/VS front swaybar opions were:

24mm-V6/V8 sedan/wagon with Country pack suspension (production option V5W) Swaybar ID Code “GB”

25mm-V6/V8 sedan with FE2 suspension, without IRS Swaybar ID Code “GC”

26mm-V6 sedan standard suspension, V6/V8 wagon with standard suspension, V6 Ute, V8 sedan with standard suspension, V8 engine sedan with Fe2 and IRS,  All statesman and Caprices, an VS SS utes -Swaybar ID Code “GD”

Rear swaybars for live axle are:

16mm- all utes–sedan with country pack suspension V5W–code is “AE”

18mm-v6 station wagon models with standard suspension, v6/v8 wagon with Country pack suspension V5W, production code “AA”

19mm-v6 sedan with fe2 or standard suspension, v6 wagon with fe2, v8 wagon with standard suspention production code “AF”

20mm- v8 sedan with standard or fe2  suspension, production code “AG”

thatotherguy94 wrote:

Ive still got both, swaybar is on my car but I dont remember it having a two letter code on it, the springs I think they still have a sticker on them but will have to check

there is a good chance the code is worn away

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.

[doz10Participant Qld93 VR SS View build HERE Member since: February 9, 2016 Posts: 125]

That’s some pretty handy info you have there mate, I’m thinking the ss and ute front swaybars must be 26mm then, I didn’t actually measure them again was thinking it was 27mm for some reason

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

yeah very handy info took me a few years to to all of the supplement manuals

i forgot about the SS ute, so checked that one, an updated the info above, says the spring rates were different, swaybar was also a 27mm front swaybar, like SS, but the rear doesn’t mention anything about a different swaybar

if i get time tonight a post the actual photos of the springs and swaybar info up for future reference

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

im not sure on what my chance’s are of getting a 20mm rear swaybar from a VR/VS V8 with fe2 and live axle, most i would think are IRS, so i might be a bit of a search, might have to look at a few VN V8’s, they might be the same

i’ll have a look at a few wreckers this week sometime and see how i go

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.

[doz10Participant Qld93 VR SS View build HERE Member since: February 9, 2016 Posts: 125]

I’m not 100% sure if it was the original rear swaybar in my old 5l vn calais but it had a 20mm rear bar in it, I have a funny feeling I got one out of a vs wagon aswell, so surely there’ll be something at the wreckers

[thatotherguy94Participant VS Acclaim, VZ SSZ Ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 189]

These are the codes and part numbers from the springs I removed from the BT1

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

VR Workshop Supplement (4 Pages) Rear Suspension info applys to live axle only

VS Workshop Supplement (2 pages)

VS Workshop Supplement (series 3 update, for SS Ute-Althought it seems prety much the same-1 Page)

 

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

did that BT1 sit something like this?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  exec24.

[thatotherguy94Participant VS Acclaim, VZ SSZ Ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 189]

Yeah it sat something like that

found the pic I was looking for yesterday, this is how it sat. I Think the sports rider front springs in my Acclaim sit around the same height, maybe just a touch lower

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

what did you want for them?

im just trying to work out what i want, there is actually 2 listings in that info above for VS’s with fe2

EG code (non SS) which is a linear coil

HT code (SS) which is variable

but both the VR info, and later VS info has no mention of the HT code, so dont know what holdens done there

leaning towards EG front springs, and then just hunt down the matching 25mm “GC” front swaybar,

then use a “XM” rear spring and “AG” v8 Fe2 rear swaybar, which might be the hard bit to source

i’ll have a look on Wednesday at U Pull it

 

 

 

[thatotherguy94Participant VS Acclaim, VZ SSZ Ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 189]

$50? Im pretty sure my standard sway bar was the same as the one I put in from the BT1 but id have to double check that. Might just be worth measuring some at U Pull it to see if there are any there

[exec24Participant 2004 VY S2 Berlina 1996 VS 5L Sedan View build HERE Member since: April 8, 2015 Posts: 435]

theres only 1mm between the physical size- fe2 is 25mm, but a stock one from v6 is 26mm

just depends if there made from the same grade spring steel,

i’ll let you know about the springs, i’ll go for a drive Wednesday to u pull it, and take a set of verniers. try and sort out rear springs and front and rear swaybars

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