Lowering your AWD astro/safari

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Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by Someone »

This is how you lower the front of an AWD Astro/Safari... The rear uses the same "flip kit" as the 2WD.

First locate the torsion bar adjustment bolts (one on each side)

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if you take this bolt all the way out it will lower the van about an inch, but i wouldnt recomend driving with out the bolt in place, and if an inch is not enough for you as it was with me follow along and i will show you what to do. if you study the area you will see that this bolt screws into a metal plate and then goes on to push and hold up the torsion bar key, by turning this bolt it will raise or lower the van by twisting the torsion bar. first lets list the tools needed.

you will need an 18mm socket for the bolts
a grinder with a cut off disk
a sawzall with a narrow blade
and maby some p[liers and a flat screw driver

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note the narrow tip on the blade

it would also make life easier to modify a floor jack by removing the cup and replacing it with a stud or bolt like this.

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Jack up the vehicle ( i supported the front frame under the rad with two jack stands ) so that both front wheels are hanging. next completly remove the torsion bar bolt from one side of the vehicle, you will notice that next to the plate, there is another notch in the torsion bar key this is where you place the jack with the stud, jack it up till the van starts to lift just a little off of the jack stand, this way all of the the weight is on this torsion bar key pushing it up.

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once the pressure is off of the plate you can pull it out.

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you will se that this leaves a hole 1 inch down by 1"1/2 across.
measure from the top down 1"1/2 and score a line with your grinder on the same angle as the top

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next take the sawzall and cut down on both sides to your cut across the bottom. and then repeat on the front side of the crossmember so you end up with a whole like this

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if you look at the plate you will notice that it has curved grooves in it for th original whole so you will have to notch them a little with a grinder so they will lock back in like they originally did

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next put the plate back in reinstall the bolt and let the jack down, and repeat on the other side, at first i would recommend putting the bolt most of the way in and after you get it all done park somewhere level and lower to the point you like... you will need to buy shorter bilts (sooner than later) as you will bottomt hem out on speedbumps and bend them or snap them off.

this is how it looked fresh out of the garage, with a 3" flip kit in the back and the bolts most of the way in upfront, i have since dropped the front about another inch

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'98 Mercedes E300 Turbo Diesel
'89 4Runner SAS'ed, 38.5SX's, Mercedes OM617 Turbo Diesel
'98 Suburban K2500, Cummins 24Valve, 5spd 4x4
'03 VW Jetta TDI
'78 Vette 350 4spd

www.vehiclefleetsolutions.ca

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meetthespeakers
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Re: Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by meetthespeakers »

God I feel like this has been beaten to death, can you retain the stock shocks in the front and back? I just put in Bilstein HD's a few months ago. Also.... I know this has been asked, but I am about to order the keys from airbagit that say it can lower it 3 inches. Not saying I want to go that far, whatever it takes to make it a little lower than a 2.5" flip kit. Thoughts?
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1993 Astro, 1973 Austin Mini Clubman Estate, 1980 Trabant, 1961 Morris Minor

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Re: Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by Someone »

If you lower it your shocks will be to long... I ran the stock shocks up front for a week, and when I pulled them you could see where 1 was bottoming out and they were both leaking like crazy.

You can try those keys but I remember going threw this last year where the keys did not work... I think it comes down to old style or new style.... but not sure wich one it was... Unfortunatly the thread no longer exists!

Just so you know the cutting method only took me an hour, I have put 100,000 Kms on the van since I did it and it still looks exactly the same, no damage or anything caused by it. only issue would be resale, but these vans depriciate so fast I knew the van would be scrap or close to it by the time I got rid of it, So I was not really to concerned.

The only downside to a lowered AWD is that the spring rate is not increased so you still have that same stock soft ride, making good stiff shocks your only way to tighten up the suspension.
'98 Mercedes E300 Turbo Diesel
'89 4Runner SAS'ed, 38.5SX's, Mercedes OM617 Turbo Diesel
'98 Suburban K2500, Cummins 24Valve, 5spd 4x4
'03 VW Jetta TDI
'78 Vette 350 4spd

www.vehiclefleetsolutions.ca

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meetthespeakers
I sleep in my van
Posts: 334
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:01 pm
Location: Vienna, VA
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Re: Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by meetthespeakers »

Well I def dont want to cheap out on shocks, and yes the van currently still feels like it floats around and I went with Bilstein HD's. I would just get shocks for front and back for a 2" drop then? Wait, what brand offers shocks for a AWD with 2" drop?
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1993 Astro, 1973 Austin Mini Clubman Estate, 1980 Trabant, 1961 Morris Minor

Topic author
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Re: Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by Someone »

now this is where it gets tricky... After you have lowered it and let it settle (about 10 miles of driving) you will have to measure the distance between the mounting bolts of the shock, I believe mine was something like 11" or close to it. next I had to source out a shock that had the right mounting attachments at the top and the bottom that was about 11" at rest... this was not to big of a hassle, I found some pretty easy made by DJM, but wish I had of got something a little better. you just need to find a parts guy with good catalougs and the will to help you figure out what you need. a good plae to start is monroe.com, they have a full online listing of measurements and eye styles and sizes... but I dont think they make anything that will fit once it is dropped.

A little more involved but worth the hassle would be to try and fit an airbag style shock in there to help stiffen it up at the same time.

Nothing is easy when you want to be different!
'98 Mercedes E300 Turbo Diesel
'89 4Runner SAS'ed, 38.5SX's, Mercedes OM617 Turbo Diesel
'98 Suburban K2500, Cummins 24Valve, 5spd 4x4
'03 VW Jetta TDI
'78 Vette 350 4spd

www.vehiclefleetsolutions.ca

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User avatar

meetthespeakers
I sleep in my van
Posts: 334
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:01 pm
Location: Vienna, VA
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Re: Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by meetthespeakers »

Just talked to airbagit, and yeah they dont have shocks for awd. I understand what your saying. Its just ashame cause I measured the rear and the front is 2 1/4" lower. I'll have to see if I can lower the front anymore with the screw. Like I said if it were possible to lower just the rear with the flip kit I would be all over it, and the belltech kit says 2.5". It would be awesome not to have to dig into the fronts and deal with shocks, and cutting blah blah. F-ing AWD. I hate you. :-({|=
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1993 Astro, 1973 Austin Mini Clubman Estate, 1980 Trabant, 1961 Morris Minor
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meetthespeakers
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Posts: 334
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Re: Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by meetthespeakers »

So is the front shocks loop to loop, or stem/loop? I can't remember. Do any of these look good, and what shock do you think is better than the DJM ones?

-Part# 1309 Calmax Drop Shocks
DJM Calmax 13.5 inch Loop/Loop
Universal

-Part# 1115 Calmax Drop Shocks
DJM Calmax 11.5 inch Stem/Loop
Universal

-Part# 414515 Toxic Drop Shock - 10 Stage Nitrogen
Extended 14.71" Collapsed 9.54" Stem/Loop Mounting 1.75" Diameter Shock Body

-Part# 418509 Toxic Drop Shock - 10 Stage Nitrogen
Extended 18.59" Collapsed 11.70" Loop/Loop Mounting 2.36" Diameter Shock Body
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1993 Astro, 1973 Austin Mini Clubman Estate, 1980 Trabant, 1961 Morris Minor

Topic author
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Re: Lowering your AWD astro/safari

Post by Someone »

I think all the drop shocks are going to be very similar.... I am pretty sure it was 11" loop to loop on mine, you may be able to get 12".... I am pretty sure I posted it when I put them on at AS... but I am not even going to try to look as I have not signed up. I would say go for the best quality (propably most expensive) shock that you can get in that size with the right loops... I have 100,000Km (60,000miles) on these DJM's and they are still working... just would have preffered something a little stiffer.


If you only lower the front as much as it will go with the bolts you could propably get away with using the stock shocks for a bit.. but I drove mine for a couple of days with bolts backed right out and still did not settle enough to even out with the back... maybe if you raise the back another 3/4" after you drop it... but then it really isnt low....
'98 Mercedes E300 Turbo Diesel
'89 4Runner SAS'ed, 38.5SX's, Mercedes OM617 Turbo Diesel
'98 Suburban K2500, Cummins 24Valve, 5spd 4x4
'03 VW Jetta TDI
'78 Vette 350 4spd

www.vehiclefleetsolutions.ca

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