Lifting a Terk?

tercel4wdrules · Post by **tercel4wdrules** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:45 pm

I like it too! The tall look makes it look mean.

takza · Post by **takza** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:24 am

Dirtmagnet wrote: We will be out of town tomorrow, but I will get the measurements Sunday and get them posted. I will also get more details(manf, part numbers) on the shocks and struts next week, and post some photo's of these and how everything is mounted.

Does anyone know where I can find a repair manual for the '83 model. Every place I have found skips 83-84.

I have a Bentley manual for the 83-84...there is a site that rates this manual right below the FSM as to usefulness. It's good, but not perfect. Found it online.

As far as your mileage...those tall snows could be part of the problem...depending on the pressure you use in them.

Also need to add 10% to your miles driven?

Using this calculator I get:

<a href='http://350zx.com/tire-wheel.html' target='_blank'>http://350zx.com/tire-wheel.html</a>

26.11" tire height

+1.36" ride height over OEM

speedo error of +10% vs OEM

* this isn't real world info..just taken from basic tire size

I had 175/80/13 street tires on original wheels that gave 35-36 MPG overall when the extra 5% speedo error was accounted for.

Dirtmagnet · Post by **Dirtmagnet** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:17 am

Thanks for all the info. This forum is a GREAT place for info. I couldn't believe it when I found it, that there would be any info on this car.

I downloaded the manual last night. It took a whopping 6hrs to download! (Not only do we talk slow in the south, our internet connections are slow too) I have it now, looks like it will help a lot.

I was able to get the measurements on the front and rear heights. These are the same measuring points shown in the manual. They are as follows:

Front: Ground to center of pivot-287.3mm(11.312")

Rear: Ground to center of pivot-320.7(12.625")

This is with 205/75-14 tires

Will get more details on the shocks and lift next week.

takza · Post by **takza** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 6:50 am

BY DANGY...YOU'VE DONE IT!

And just in time...before I redo my front springs/struts, etc. GRRRRRREAT!

Thereminator · Post by **Thereminator** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:03 pm

Yes,Our ship has Finaly arived Takza! A good inexpencive way to lift the Terk! Er...Um...Excuse me,Im getting a~little Misty here :huh: !

takza · Post by **takza** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:17 pm

It's understandable......

Dirtmagnet · Post by **Dirtmagnet** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:28 pm

I talked to the guy who did the lift. He owns a local automotive shop in town. The lift is actually 2". The front does use stock struts. They have a 1" thick spacer plate on top, but the strut is dropped an additional 1" using gussets under the plate.

It's kinda hard to explain. The nut on top of the strut in stock position, is sitting approx 1" above the mount in the fender well. On our lifted car the nut is flush with the bottom of the 1" plate. cOnfUsED? I will have to get some photo's and maybe some sketches to explain it better.

The rear he did use air shocks to get the lift. I did get a number off of the shock. It is a Max-Air. Part number on the shock is 48700-P263V.

Hope this info helps. I will get photo's of this as soon as I can.

takza · Post by **takza** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:54 am

Good info!

On this thread about halfway down:

<a href='http://tercel4wd.com/invision/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=36' target='_blank'>http://tercel4wd.com/invision/index.php ... =4&t=36</a>

...aussie4X4 did about the same thing using an alum "packer" at the bottom of the strut and washers as spacers at the top threaded part. But he also had a front spring that was 1.5" higher...can you find out what spring your car has on front or how they were boosted?

I'm guessing that on the rear, he used the stock springs and added the air shocks?

Dirtmagnet · Post by **Dirtmagnet** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:33 pm

The front struts and springs are stock. On the rear, you are correct, he kept the stock springs and added the air shocks in place of the shocks.

I cannot get any photo's until Saturday. My son drives this car to work and it is dark when he leaves and dark when he gets home. I will get them posted as soon as I can.

In the mean time..I am going to try to show a couple of drawings that I did on the spacer. This part drawing is for reference only, the actual profile is slightly different, I just wanted to try and get the basic idea across.

In this next drawing, the bottom left view shows a cross section. The top plate is 1" thick, the overall height is 2". The <span style='color:green'>green</span> lines represent the fender, the <span style='color:red'>red</span> lines represent the shock. Instead of the shock bolting to the fender, it bolts to the spacer. The actual spacer on our car does not have the bottom flange. He used long bolts to go thru the shock, spacer, and fender. I am showing a bottom bolt flange to bolt the shock to. The thick plate on the spacer can have tapped holes and the bolts enter from the top. Just an idea.

Hope these help.

Thereminator · Post by **Thereminator** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:50 am

Great Diagram Dirtmagnet

! Soon we'll all have lifted Terk's! Onward and upward

!!!

takza · Post by **takza** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 5:45 am

So here is a pic of the front struts:

By putting the spacer between the suspension support and the body...you effectively increase the spring height...but you have to use longer bolts (3) and also extend the useable length of the strut rod at top by using extra washers on it.

The spacer is a little complicated to make....but considering the cost of special springs...it would be the best route.

Wondering if 2 plates and 3 stacks of fender washers at the bolt holes might be easier...since the IDs for each plate need to be different?

aussie4X4 used an alum "packer"...I guess down at the bottom of the strut where it is clamped by the 2 bolts...plus springs that were 1 1/2" longer and the extended strut rod.

Got some info on rear air shocks:

"...we supply Custom Hijacker Air Shocks for your vehicle.

BE SURE. when ordering, that you tell salesman that you want a shock
for a 2.0" lift.

We can furnish the MA700 for $128.00 for a 3.0" Diameter air shocks.

Makee sure you have room to install a 3.0 WIDE air shock.
......FREE AIR LINE KIT...
......WE PAY Postage.

We can ALSO Furnish GABRIEL HIJACKER air shocks....SAME PRICE.
Hijackers are the NUMBER ONE Shock choice in the world.

Please specify if you want Monroe's..."

<a href='http://WWW.shockshopusa.com' target='_blank'>http://WWW.shockshopusa.com</a>

sacwac · Post by **sacwac** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 10:57 am

The only problem I see with this kind of lift, is what to do about the tilt of the front wheels. Doesn't the camber change when you lift the tercel? Also, can that added camber be compensated for by simply adjusting the cam on the bottom part of the front shocks?

sacwac · Post by **sacwac** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 11:01 am

I forgot to mention..... emachineshop.com has somewhat reasonable prices for having custom parts made. They even have free downloadable cad software. I've used them before for making custom electronics testing equipment.

All the rest of the machine shops I've seen are much more expensive.

Thereminator · Post by **Thereminator** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 9:12 pm

Well lets see...mabey 3-AC could desine it,we could all kick~in for material and with help,mabey Jimcat could crank-them-out in his shop

?

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 11:33 pm

LOL! That looks awesome, yet INSANELY funny! Man, the Terse just fits that lift-tire combo perfectly! I agree, maybe a brushguard with some Hella's or PIAA's. It also wouldn't look half bad with a nice aluminum skid-plate undernieth.