"Other" suspension options?

[jyeager]

Hello! Well, I'm new to the ins and outs of the R50. I've owned one for 6 years, but am just now beginning to think about retiring it from daily driving and turning it in to a toy.

 

So, as I pour over the suspension modifications there are 3 options that seem to be all we have to choose from:

1) Spring/Spacer lift for about 2"

2) SFD for about 4"

3) Solid Axle Swap (SAS)

 

I'm curious if anyone has investigated different options and ruled them out as viable? I have some ideas that only have their basis in my fuzzy mind. Here they are for comment:

 

A) Adapt a different strut for more travel. Looking at Monroe's spec sheet I see a strut that seems to be compatible. The stock strut is spec'd for a height range of 16.6"-23.3" for a travel of 6.7".

There is a strut listed as working with 1993-2001 Camry in the REAR that has the same body as our struts and it has a length of 16.3"-24.2" for a travel of 7.9".

I would expect some tabs needing to be transferred over by tack welding (brake line tab for instance) but otherwise, it might be a great solution to top-out problems when used with lifting springs.

 

A lifting solution that would solve the Camber adjustment issue as well as eliminate the need for wheel spacers...space the strut from the buttom. Perhaps the bottom hole in the strut can bolt to the top hole in the knuckle and a bracket can be made simply by cutting some 1/4 plate correctly to create a top mounting hole for the strut. For someone with a band saw or plasma cutter and a drill press, it could be made for pennies.

 

C) Exactly how far can we extend our suspension travel before we reach the limits of operating angle with the CV axles? Does anyone know the maximum operating angle of our CV axles? Forget the boots, there's bound to be a reasonable solution to that problem. The hard failure would happen when the suspension droops past that limit and the axle instantly fails. There are companies that serve the racing community that make custom CV axles. One company makes CV axles that can operate at up to 70 degrees.

 

D) What about wholesale adaptation of something like a Titan front suspension? Both A-arms, spindle, rotors, calipers... Just have to weld on upper and lower mounting brackets. And for the upper brackets and perhaps shock/spring mount, that would require a little new sub-frame creation with square tubing. The above-mentioned company could adapt the Titan CV axle's inner flange to the R50 differential.

 

Am I crazy? Just uninformed of the realities of these ideas?

 

 

[thorpe991]

i know that you can only put 1"1/2 or 1" 3/4 in the front for spacers before its to much angle for the cv shafts thats from reading on here not personal experience i have 1" 1/2 in the front of my r50 and it seams fine with the stock cvs

[jyeager]

i know that you can only put 1"1/2 or 1" 3/4 in the front for spacers before its to much angle for the cv shafts thats from reading on here not personal experience i have 1" 1/2 in the front of my r50 and it seams fine with the stock cvs

 

Right, but I'm wondering if that's the consensus based on concern for the boots, or if that's because it's actually reaching the working limit of the joint? If it's just the boots then I would consider it an issue that might be able to be mitigated.

 

Are your spacers top spacers or mid spacers? If they are mid spacers (same as a spring lift) then you haven't actually increased the total possible downward travel of the suspension so would definitely NOT be reaching your joint's maximum angle.