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Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Transit Mk3, 4 & 5(smiley front) Forum. All Transits 1986 - 2000

Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby Hondekop » Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:18 pm

Do you speak Russian by any coincidence? You could ask the Russian forum, they sure do need all the ground clearance they can with their roads :):
http://transit-club.com/forum/15

You will very likely raise your van due to the Kilen springs (22/145/275 mm) being new, but so will the standard ones. If you could find a version declared as e.g. 22/145/285 mm, I would ask them to guarantee the dimensions before ordering. 10 mm difference should give some 15 mm of lift.

Please forget my suggestion about spacers on the strut bearing, I forgot the Transit has springs and dampers separated. However, the same principle can also be applied on the spring. You could take the aforementioned Coil Spring gap Assisters Spacers and place them ON TOP of your springs, not between the coils (where the amount of lift will be very small). You will have to mod the upper side of the spacers though. 20 mm spacer should give some 30 mm of lift.

In the same way, one could use a spacer UNDER your springs (on the wishbone), like the lift kits for the 4X4's do, for example:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Federteller-Set- ... 0005.m1851
or just use a spring isolator instead as a spacer:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Federteller-Fede ... xyeZNTRsjn
In both occasions, finding one that fits on your wishbone & spring will be the hard part to find out.

If you want to go Russian, or African, you might just take out the spring isolator, fill the gap between isolator and bodywork with polyurethane/MS-Hybrid putty, put the isolator back in, and let it cure for a week. Does not cost a lot and will be virtually undetectable. German vehicle inspection would burn me for suggesting this, as would a lot of Germans themselves, but it might very well work. Only reason it might not would be the cured putty layer not standing the pressure, in which case the front would sag again, but one can raise the hardness by mixing sand into the putty. To explain, look here:
http://www.fordcat.ru/shop/1/parts/17661 (Between part 11 and the bodywork cup)

As you can see, a lot of options. Good luck.

Ciao, Kai
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby eresseraca » Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:37 pm

Thanks for these ideas Kai! Really appreciate you taking the time!

Unfortunately I don't speak Russian or understand the cyrillic alphabet at all :mrgreen:

Sucks that those King Springs don't seem to offer much lift as the length is exactly the same, or as you write... can't see how they would if they are the same length! The thing is, that I could order those and have the service station fit them at the same time they fit new rotors and pads. All sorted in one go! :)

Getting the Kilen springs, I will get a little lift as they are new (as you pointed out). And then with spacers, if I somehow would find ones that would fit, I'd get a bit more lift. BUT then again the service station most likely won't be too keen on tampering with the suspension by fitting spacers and also the potential problems with coming MOT. And especially as I can't find any spacers that are listed for a mk5's front suspension, so it might need a bit of trial and error, buying a few different ones ormodding of the spacers to make them fit correctly on the wishbone. So that means I'd have the service station fit the new springs but would still need to order and a set or several sets of spacers as well as a coil spring compressor to be able to get them fitted afterwards myself.

Dang, would be so easy if I could just get a confirmation or guarantee of the 20mm lift with the King Springs suspension then I'd just go with those and have fresh springs installed and get a lift all in one go, without needing to do any "mods".
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby eresseraca » Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:38 pm

Alright good news after all, just got an email with lowered shipping costs from aussie for those King Springs KFFR-35. Basically lowering the total to an acceptable amount, 40€ more in total than for the Kilen 190's. So I decided to give them a try at that price, we'll see hit or miss with raising the front.... at least I'll get quality springs fitted at the same time I have them do the rotors and pads.

Checked some reviews on other vehicles, one vid on a Land Rover Discovery where the guy put the raised King Springs for the Landy next to the stock springs and when uncompressed they had the same height as the stock springs but when fitted they did raise the ride height around those 20mm. So if they raise a Landy as advertised I'm hoping the same goes for my van.

We'll see, I'll post some updates here once installed. It'll take a few weeks before that though.
eresseraca
 

Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby eresseraca » Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:58 pm

Once you start searching you'll find more stuff :mrgreen:

These once are 2cm for Transit 1991-2000. So these will prob. fit nicely if someone is looking for a cheaper option than new springs. But getting new Kilen springs along with these spacers would cost more than a set of King KFFR-35. So if the Kings raise 20mm as advertised it's the more economic way to go. Then there's of course the potential MOT inspection and spacer problem to be considered with these as well, at least in some countries it seem.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spessori-Met ... 100623.m-1

Then again if the King Springs don't raise it enough or raise it at all one can always add these afterwards ;)
eresseraca
 

Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby Hondekop » Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:32 am

Good luck then, and let us know how much lift you achieve eventually.

Ciao, Kai
1992 MK4 LWB van, 2.5 TD 101 HP
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby eresseraca » Thu Mar 29, 2018 8:56 am

Alright, finally got the King Springs fitted. It raised the front quite a bit, as someone pointed out the stock springs were sagging a bit so just replacing springs would lift it a bit and with these raising another 20mm on top of that. That said I like it, it sits perfectly now with the bullbar and won't scrape as easily on forest roads etc. (the pic lies a tad as it's parked on uneven ground)

The handling is noticeably stiffer these springs, feels like a new van instead of a 20 year old one ;) I'm liking it!

BUT, the rear is sliiightly lower now :lol: Not by much but enough the bother my eye, probably also as the fenders have a slightly different shape and being more square that in front.

So my next questions how hard/easy would it be to fit a 15mm spacer under the leaf springs to lift it just a tiny bit. Is it something I'll be able to do without too much hassle in the garage with two sturdy garage jacks?

If so, apart from finding or manufacturing the spacer (a metal plate, same width as the leaf springs, with a hole in the middle right?) I suspect I might also need new U-bolts as the old ones won't be long enough?
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby MinorMatt » Fri Mar 30, 2018 2:42 pm

Yeah just longer U bolts.

Just need a jack and a pair of good axle stands.

I would be inclined to make the spacer so its locked in place by the U bolts (or undo the bolt that hold the springs together and use that) so it can't come adrift...
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby eresseraca » Fri Mar 30, 2018 8:31 pm

Thanks MinorMatt!

I gotta go crawl under it tomorrow to see how many leafs are fitted now and how long the U-bolts are. From memory it has 3 leaf packs, and if by chance would it has longer u-bolts, like these already 3-5 leaf bolts...https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-TRANSIT ... 0846307723

Which according to spec are,
Internal Length : 140 mm
Thread Length : 50 mm

...I might get away with a 1/2" or even a 1" lift block/spacer, without needing to get new u-bolts. I hope this would be possible as it would be cost effective :)

Most block kits and or bolts I found online are for 2" wide leafs, which equals 63mm. But I guess the play on this would be enough be able to fit 63mm wide lift blocks and maybe also 63mm inner width u-bolts even if the Transits are 60 mm wide.

These are $7 a piece, 1" lift: http://www.calvertracing.com/store/lowe ... -p-57.html

Or these $25 for a pair of 1/2": http://www.calvertracing.com/store/lowe ... -p-57.html

Both are with a center peg to keep it in place. And at this price (if the shipping is reasonable) I don't think I'll even find the motivation to go cut metal and make these myself ;) Only the question is, will the most likely imperial center peg fit the Transit :wink: :?:
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby tobymk3 » Mon Apr 02, 2018 12:48 am

Hi everyone I have a similar question, for a 1988 SWB 2.0l Pinto transit I believe :D its a 100, looking to lift the front and most likely the rear.
the rear seems fairly straight forward just with a block and longer U bolts.

However I'm concerned when lifting the front, will going for longer springs cause any camber issues and will I need longer shocks?

Also is anyone aware of any longer springs suitable for the MK3?
kindest regards
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby funkyfallk » Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:20 am

Same question about raising an SWB Transit.

I have a SWB 100 Transit and would like to raise the front as well, but I am not sure which springs I should fit.
With the 19mm diameter springs, supposed for the SWB models, I am afraid that they do not raise the front.

But with the 22mm diameter springs, I am afraid that they are to stiff. I am planning to go on a road trip through central Asia with propably many gravel roads. Altough the weight of the van will propably lie between 2.6 and 2.8t minium. :D

Does anyone have the bigger springs in a SWB and can say something about the stiffness?
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Re: Raise front of van, thoughts on Kilen 190 coil springs?

Postby twin wheel camper » Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:29 pm

funkyfallk wrote:Same question about raising an SWB Transit.

I have a SWB 100 Transit and would like to raise the front as well, but I am not sure which springs I should fit.
With the 19mm diameter springs, supposed for the SWB models, I am afraid that they do not raise the front.

But with the 22mm diameter springs, I am afraid that they are to stiff. I am planning to go on a road trip through central Asia with propably many gravel roads. Altough the weight of the van will propably lie between 2.6 and 2.8t minium. :D

Does anyone have the bigger springs in a SWB and can say something about the stiffness?



A transit 150 swb most likely has the same springs as a 190,
It’s also has the heavy 6 stud hubs and wheels so it must be ok,
I would fit a set of 190 front springs and it will give it a decent lift over standard especially if you can get the “high centre of gravity springs” that where fitted to some transits from the factory.
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