MK1a Rear Drop Links HELP!

[Jimbo_Jet]

The flammin' garage fitting my rear Koni inserts to my MK1a have not checked the length of my new rear drop links, which they ordered, before grinding off the old ones. So I now have no rear drop links on my car but two new drop links which are presumably for a MK1b and so are a good inch or so shorter than the MK1a one's they've just removed.

I can't find genuine MK1a links anywhere on the net outside of Toyota (£££) so would MK1b links make any real difference to the handling?

The only rear drop links I can find are labelled as years 86-90, so MK1b, or 84-90 which is probably what I have now and is basically just a MK1b link.

Any advice? I'm fitting Koni adjustable sport kit, so inserts and springs which probably lower my ride height anyway so would I want to reduce the length of my droplinks anyhow?

[Jaspa]

Any advice? I'm fitting Koni adjustable sport kit, so inserts and springs which probably lower my ride height anyway so would I want to reduce the length of my droplinks anyhow?

I'd have thought that the droplink length will be the same as it's the top area that is reduced. It's the section with the spring that is shrinking, the section from the cup down will remain constant so the ARB to the other end should be the same too.

Although the more I think about it the more confused I get

[PW@Woodsport]

The lower you make the car the more distance you place between the ARB droplink end and the strut mounting end, so in effect to maintain the same ARB angle as before you would need a longer droplink.

[Jimbo_Jet]

oh right I see. So if I switched to the shorter MK1b drop links I'll just be compounding the issue? Thanks for the advice Paul, Is the same true for the drop links at the front ie should the drop links be lengthened, like the rear, when you lower your ride height?

Thankfully I was talking to Trevor at TCB parts down in cornwall last night and he thinks he's got some reasonable condition MK1a drop links I could have so think I'll go for them.

[Jim-SR]

Any advice? I'm fitting Koni adjustable sport kit, so inserts and springs which probably lower my ride height anyway so would I want to reduce the length of my droplinks anyhow?

I'd have thought that the droplink length will be the same as it's the top area that is reduced. It's the section with the spring that is shrinking, the section from the cup down will remain constant so the ARB to the other end should be the same too.

Although the more I think about it the more confused I get

the ARB is attached to the chassis though, which drops lower. whilst the pivoting arm is attached to the drop link. so as Paul says, you lower the chassis down and you lower the pivot point, so the arm then has to sit higher. thus you want longer links to correct it back to a near-stock angle.

it might be worth getting a local machine shop to turn you up a couple of extensions - just a tube that can slot over a droplink cut in half, and then be welded on at the right length. then have the garage weld them up at the right length.

[bill hulme]

(replacing bottom ball joint & drop links), you will find my article on the
knowledge base. page 2
Bill hulme.