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My experiences with lowering a connect.

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My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby connect_4 » Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:13 pm

Right then, as advised i've started my own thread.

PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE IN LOWERING MY 2004 TRANSIT CONNECT.

Firstly i did the axle flip method on the rear and just had new plates welded to the bottom of the axle using the same method as HERE in van mann's thread

I have standard leaf spring hangers and the leaf spring has the assister spring fitted IT IS NOT A SINGLE SPRING SET UP ON MY VAN.

The rear of my van now sits 4" lower than standard- it used to be 30" from floor to the arch, it is now 26" - The axle DOES NOT foul on the exhaust or the fuel filler pipe and the bump stops would prevent this from happenning anyhow

Here is my van as it sits at the rear....

Image

Image

The FRONT is a different matter, SO PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

I read a few posts about lowering the front using the Focus RS front springs as this would lower the front by 40mm so i decided to buy a set off ebay.

I was going to follow the same procedure as shown HERE in van mann's thread BUT to cut a long story short it turned out that i actually purchased a set of MK2 Focus RS springs instead of a set of Mk1 Focus RS springs as suggested in the threads i read previously..... :oops:

So, i decided to fit the MK2 springs anyhow to see what was needed to fit them to the Transit Connect front strut, it turns out that ALL FOCUS MK2 FRONT SPRINGS INCLUDING THE MK2 RS SPRINGS will fit directly on to the Transit Connect front strut WITHOUT any modification at all, there is no need for any different top mount or top cup spring (IF YOU WERE TO FIT FOCUS MK1 SPRINGS TO THE CONNECT THEN YOU WOULD NEED THE FOCUS MK1 TOP SPRING CUP).

The only problem i found is that the FOCUS MK2 RS front spring only lowered MY van by a total of 15mm, originally the front height was 687mm from floor to wheel arch, with the MK2 RS front spring fitted the height is now 672mm - this is disappointing as i was expecting at least -40mm which you get from the MK1 RS front spring.

So, the next thing on my list to do is to buy a set of FOCUS MK2 lowering front springs -45mm will do.
(NOT RS LOWERING SPRINGS - JUST NORMAL LOWERING SPRINGS)

SO YOU HAVE AT LEAST 3 OPTIONS WHEN LOWERING THE FRONT OF YOUR CONNECT :

1) USE THE METHOD AS SUGGESTED IN VAN MANN's THREAD ( CLICK HERE) - GET SOME FOCUS MK1 RS FRONT SPRINGS AND THE TOP SPRING CUP - this will lower your van by approx -40mm- PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO USE.

2)USE THE METHOD SUGGESTED IN VALTECH's THREAD ( CLICK HERE 1st POST ) - GET SOME STANDARD MK1 FOCUS LOWERING SPRINGS ASWELL AS THE TOP SPRING CUP - you can lower your can then by however much you want - PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO USE.

3) USE MY METHOD WHICH IS TO JUST BUY SOME STANDARD FOCUS MK2 LOWERING SPRINGS TO LOWER THE VAN BY HOWEVER MUCH YOU WANT - NO NEED TO GET ANY DIFFERENT TOP SPRING CUPS AS THE TRANSIT CONNECT ONES FIT THE FOCUS MK2 SPRINGS EXACTLY.

I WILL BE TRYING SOME -45mm LOWERING SPRINGS.

It's up to you, i'm just listing the options for lowering the FRONT.

Hope this clears up any confusion - IF NOT THEN I GIVE UP....... :roll:
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby Rumble bee » Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:33 pm

Great, looking forward to seeing how the -45 mk2 springs fit up. I wonder if mk2 coilovers fit then :?:
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby electric » Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:38 pm

Great thread lot's of info there :) let's see how the MK2-45mm springs look once you've fitted them
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby GKandR4CH » Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:25 pm

I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. I liked all the colours as well.
Thanks for that.
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby g-man » Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:50 pm

:D good post.........informative and stops the confusion :wink:
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby ginsters » Sat Dec 03, 2011 7:29 pm

spot on info exellent!!
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unfortunately the doors aint as great as the caddy

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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby valetech » Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:41 am

good tread very clear info.

will be good if the mk2 springs work. dont think it has been tried before

andy do you know the height differents with the RS and standard springs? (not having a dig,i dont know the answer)
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby NikFrisbee » Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:46 am

That's a bit of luck the mk2 springs being a straight fit, I have added the images you added from the other post to keep all the information in one place. Maybe you can add them to you original post and I will edit this out. Good info and well put together.


[/quote]
Here is a set of Mk2 Focus front springs....

Image

Here's a transit front leg.....

Image

Cheers

Andy[/quote]
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby GKandR4CH » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:25 am

Do you have any photos of the work being done? For example how you lowered your van?
Like how the rear is set up from underneath.
Would also be interested to see your MK2 front setup as I may go down this route now. Did you take photos?
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby connect_4 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 4:51 pm

I went for a drive today and the MK2 RS springs fitted to the front are really good as fart as ride and handling goes, very tight and not "crashy at all - very surprised actually, i was going round roundabouts very fast and is handled great.

Just a shame it didn't lower the van as much as i thought.

cheers
Last edited by connect_4 on Sun Dec 04, 2011 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby connect_4 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 4:55 pm

GKandR4CH wrote:Do you have any photos of the work being done? For example how you lowered your van?
Like how the rear is set up from underneath.
Would also be interested to see your MK2 front setup as I may go down this route now. Did you take photos?


I am not at work on Monday and Tuesday so i'll take a load of photos of the rear, I didn't take any photos of the front but i will take a couple of the front legs fitted with the MK2 springs on.

The MK2 springs really are just a straight swap for the Connect springs using the Connect top mount - NO EXTRA parts needed.

valetech wrote:good tread very clear info.

will be good if the mk2 springs work. dont think it has been tried before

andy do you know the height differents with the RS and standard springs? (not having a dig,i dont know the answer)


Do you mean the height difference between standard Focus springs and RS springs ?

Or the standard transit connect springs and the RS springs ?

cheers

Andy
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby van mann » Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:56 pm

To put my point of view accross , would totally agree with the 3 methods that CONNECT 4 explained above.My only criteria when lowering mine was price.I wanted to do it as cheap as possible so i used secondhand parts and did the front & rear for £60.I think some people on here have used my method but used new parts and it's cost them the best part of £250.
Would like to know how much FOCUS RS MK2 lowering springs are.
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby GKandR4CH » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:10 pm

Very expensive I would imagine.
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Re: Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby NikFrisbee » Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:21 am

connect_4 wrote:3) USE MY METHOD WHICH IS TO JUST BUY SOME STANDARD FOCUS MK2 LOWERING SPRINGS TO LOWER THE VAN BY HOWEVER MUCH YOU WANT - NO NEED TO GET ANY DIFFERENT TOP SPRING CUPS AS THE TRANSIT CONNECT ONES FIT THE FOCUS MK2 SPRINGS EXACTLY.


No need for RS MK2!! Standard will fit, think that's correct..
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Re: My experiences with lowering a connect.

Postby connect_4 » Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:42 pm

GKandR4CH wrote:Do you have any photos of the work being done? For example how you lowered your van?
Like how the rear is set up from underneath.
Would also be interested to see your MK2 front setup as I may go down this route now. Did you take photos?


I did it the same as van mann's method, the "axle flip" method.

Image

Image

Image

cheers

Andy
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