Corollas2019-23ToyotasTech

Search Corolland!

Ae111 Front End Swap And Dampers

By Thaddaeus G July 3, 2011



I'm going to be venturing to Cali within the next year to buy a 93-97 Prizm that is super clean and white in color. I will then be using an AE111 front end cut and a body guy to put the Levin BZR front end on my Prizm, remove the badges, get a custom harness from Tweak'd Performance and install a 4AGE 20v Blacktop with a C160 6-Spd.

My question is, I want a daily driver with a stiff sporty ride, doesn't have to be anything like OEM but I don't want it non streetable. Im thinking either KSport Kontrol Pro (420lbs in front 240ish lbs in back spring rate) or KSport Version RR (784 front 672 lbs rear spring rate) the RR coilovers sound nice but maybe too aggressive. What do you think?

Dan_H

One thing to consider with adjustable shocks-- Stiff springs with reasonably soft shock settings *can* provide a more comfortable ride than soft springs with too much damping. However, you want to prioritize handling over comfort. Don't adjust them for comfort without making sure they behave well when pushed to the limit.

I don't recall the stock spring rates from those years, but I'm pretty sure the 420 / 240 springs you are looking at are more than twice (about 3x for the fronts) than stock. However, I have a hard time imagining that 420 /. 240 springs on a corolla aren't going to understeer like crazy if they are pushed hard. Stock, and most 'sport' spring rates I have seen on corollas are 20-30% higher in the front. Are you sure these are the rates they offer? Do they offer another set that are closer in spring ratio?

784 / 672 springs are going to be pretty aggressive. You'd have to back off the shocks quite a bit (possibly enough to be 'bouncy') to make these feel reasonable on the street. At these spring rates, the flexibility in the car's frame starts to become a factor in how well the car handles. Unless you're planning to do some serious frame stiffening, these would feel harsh without gaining much performance over the other springs.

Yeah those are the front and rear spring rates they are 36-way adjustable dampening (both Version RR and Kontrol Pro)

The only thing different between the two I believe is the spring rates.

I think the reason for the higher lbs in the front is to compensate for the weight of engine and drivetrain components

Version RR (more aggressive) http://www.ksportusa...product_id=cd06

Kontrol Pro (less aggressive) http://www.ksportusa...product_id=cd01

I am looking at installing the Blacktop w/ these sexy ITB conical filter trumpets for now:

And as far as chassis stiffening, I am installing a 6-Point rollcage and buying and/or fabricating every one of these braces:

Reason being is later on I will probably be adding a Link G4 Standalone running 8.5:1 Forged Pistons, 4AGZE Rods and like maybe 7-8 psi off a 50 trim .63a/r turbo till I can source a second Blacktop head and build it for boost. But come to think of it, I would probably be better off leaving the high comp pistons in there till I can just build another whole engine for boost. Reason being the N/A would have better response time than a lower comp turbo motor at low boost levels with similar power levels although probably at different RPMs. The ultimate end goal is to have like 350whp with LSD. I am installing the Corolla A-Arms that have the front sway link mounts so I can install the front sway. Stock Geo models didn't come with the front sway which makes it understeer less so now I would be equipped with the OEM corolla one that way it balances out when I install the adjustable 235/245/255% stiffness adjustable rear sway and holds it all together nicely and closer to a reinforced version of what I liked before. Understeer is my enemy I'd rather oversteer and pull straight with both front wheels via LSD. I also want it to be skid-friendly via a KSport hydraulic ebrake and proportioning valve and AE111 Rear Disc brakes with upgraded booster/cyl. I basically am looking at building the ultimate street machine that could be used for autocross and some rallycross. It don't have to look pretty forever and of course I'll keep a C56 in handy in case my fussy beloved C160 goes bad!

So all in all what would you think would be the best option that I could push to the limit and take to races but also drive daily. I'm an aggressive driver and I don't care at all about comfort as I have a second car with OEM ride for that. Would the RR's seriously suck and not be balanced for the car?

Everything will be a compromise if you try and retain from daily drivability with the project car, how and where to compromise will depend on your budget and which tracks you are preferring. Since you will already have another daily driver, I'd suggest to just go hog wild with the second car and make it a dedicated project car. You'd probably end up spending less in the process, as you are not trying to compromise on the functionality of key suspension parts.

Chassis stiffeners will help with your goal, but all of those shy in comparison to skip welding body seams, as well as not add any significant amount of weight. Drawback with chassis welding is the cost - some cases, your are looking tat $10K-$35K, due to the amount of labor involved. But it is something to keep in mind - don't have to weld up the whole chassis, maybe hit some key areas when the cage gets in there. Depending on the tracks you plan on hitting - this might make it a no go. Some venues - to pass tech, you have to use bolt-on bits, others need to have it welded on. Before you get too far along, find out the regs for the tracks you intend to hit. As it would be major let down to finish up a project car, only to find out that you cannot run it on the intended track.

How hard is it to do the seam welding myself?

I have some experience welding and have access to a Miller 240v MIG welder as well as a 110v Miller MIG unit.

I was planning of fabricating the chassis stiffeners and cage myself anyways I've read a few articles/books about it myself.

Not too bad to weld it yourself, depends on how comfortable you are with welding. Definitely be worthwhile to DIY, as the amount of labor costs you save, will make it extremely worthwhile. Assuming that you don't burn through the metal and make things worse. I'd practice on some scrap sheet metal that you mocked up a seam. You'll want to skip weld that to keep metal distortion down. Weld 1" long beads, skip an 1" or 2", weld another 1" bead. Depending on the thickness of the sheetmetal / how finely you can control the power on your welding rig - you might have to change your welding strategy to allow the panel enough time to cool off.

When we did our project cars - we'd only hit the seams inside the chassis. Touch very little or leave the unitbody outside the cabin alone, as those spots welds help dissipate energy by popping off in during an impact. Skip weld slowly, if the surrounding metal is warm to the touch, start from the other end. It is a relatively slow and tedious process - hence the astronomical charge that chassis shops will charge. Don't even need fancy equipment - I think I used an old Millermatic 175 with shielding gas. That was about perfect for the sheetmetal thicknesses we were working with (less than 1/8" thickness for most pieces).



Topic List