I am shocked to see how easy is to change the shock absorber. Very well explained, and thanks for you time making that video, we look forwards for the next video.
Came back to watch since a cut down t+e internal spring compressor wasn’t going to work getting my tlrear spring out. This is the best diy mk1 focus channel because you cover everything and film it clearly. Glad I don’t need to loosen the lower arm bolt since they adjust toe. I have the KYB SM5206 rear shock mounting kit. Costed me $82 USD for a set of two, shipped with two motorcraft FL400s oil filters in the order. Legend!
Another great vid mate 👍 you know you can set the rear ride height by loosening the up and lower arms, lowering the car/lifting the arms and then re tightening while compressed 👍
Hey Matthew, I'm glad you've found this channel mate - I hope the videos come in handy! Best of luck on your resto, I love that these Mk1s are starting to get restored now. Excellent driver's cars. The 15" wheels are a good call probably - they will also give you better ride quality I'd imagine.
Hi mate, i have a black 1.8 petrol focus and i have changed the front and rear shok absorbers KYB with normal springs and the ride is stiff compared to the original one i had before, really rubbish in the city where the roads are bad, but outside city is nice to drive.
on my to do list right now, new springs and shocks front, just shocks on the back . bit rusted bolts so will be bit hard to take off. thanks again for you video's it's a realy good guide. Chears from Belgium
Excellent video! Perfect height! Thanks for showing all the minimus details. I recently did this job and I had the same feeling when I forgot the abs sensor bracket and when I put the car on the ground and nothing changed! It really happens! I think you forgot to pump the absorbers 5 to 10 times before installing them.
Thanks for the great comment! Yeah I didn't know that you needed to pump the shocks before installation so it's great that you shared that with everyone to follow. Happy to say that the ride height is settled and sits nice now - but yes that first moment when you put the car down - haha!
Great video as always! Thanks! I am restoring my Focus mk1 facelift 1.8 diesel and I really appreciate your videos that sometimes help me to better plan my job (as long as it's not motor related). I did this job for the front (replacing also the knuckles, the bushings and control arms as everything was dead) and I plan to do the same at the rear, so your video got the perfect timing! ;) That's true that you're "lucky" as it seems to rust not that much in Australia, but as my fellow from Norway, here in France, they rust as hell and it requires to be inventive to disassemble all that (and we are great consumers of WD40) :( Good job, clear explanations, please keep going, it's much appreciated! Cheers!
So good to see that the videos are being used!! I appreciate your good comments and sorry to hear about all the rust! We have bad rust here near the ocean as well, but I don't live too close to the ocean so I guess I'm lucky. I'll have more vids on the Focus soon 😀👍
Nice video! I have a "bad history" with KYB (I changed the front shocks and springs and I gained 5 cm in ride height). But your Focus looks beautiful after doing this upgrade.
The type of spring compressor you used would be fine for using the shock absorber to help compress the spring but I would not do it myself ,other designs of spring compressor would require removing the shock assembly as complete unit and dismantling off the car .a good job none the less.
Another top video mate. Love the look of your car. I've got bilstein shocks and springs on my 1.6 estate. Such a great mod to do. Best wishes from the UK
Thanks a lot mate, I appreciate that. I'm really happy with the ride height now. Great mod too, I was worried about ruining the already great handling of the Focus, but it's even better now.
I admire your passion for the beloved mk1,i've watched all of your videos!but i would like to inform you that your shocks won't last 6months..and tht is because these kyb shocks are not designed for lowering..these are gonna be working always closed on their length..try the bilstein b8,excellent choice and they are top quality and they hold a lot of punishments..cheers from Greece!!keep up the good work
Thanks for your comment Theodoros, yes these are really great cars, I like mine a lot. While most people go for Honda Civics or Golfs when it comes to playing with a cheap small car, the Focus is much better handling than either of those, and it has also proven to be very reliable if maintained correctly - it's almost a secret which is a shame. They need more recognition. I appreciate your advice by the way, thank you. Let's see how the KYBs go, I will make sure to let everyone know if they fail on this car. If they do I will try Bilstein like you suggested :) Thank you.
Welcome, thank you for your information. I have a question, please. When the air conditioner is running, sometimes it gets cold, sometimes it gives off hot air, and sometimes the rev counter goes up more than required,,, Do you have any exact information?? And thank you very much.
I'm sorry I don't have any exact information on this problem, but the first thing you should check is your refrigerant gas. If your gas supply is good, make sure your air condenser is not faulty. After many years of use, it's not uncommon for the air condenser to break. I hope this helps you get started...
Hi Bruce, I did replace the strut mounts, only because I wasn't sure how old they were and what condition I'd find them in once I took the old struts out. But I had to order them separately - they did not come with the new struts.
Hi from Brisbane. Great video . I have a 2014 Focus with the King lowering springs and mine is also lower at the rear than the front going by the distance from the tyre to the guard. Are they Dragon sport tyres? How do you like them? Cheers.
Hey Andrew, hope all is well up in Brissie. I got them about a year ago from Jax tyres. They are pretty good, but I'll be going back to Michelin Pilots when they are done. I think the Pilots are the best tyres available right now.
Man, great videos, as a owner of MK1 I love all of your work but I must ask, why....why haven't you polished the headlights yet? Those yellow looking desease like headlights just do a injustice to the car.
I took the struts off as one and put them back on as one , But you probably did it as you was taught and I did as I was taught , But still a good video
@@Horus_Works I don't have the 2 separate spring compressors like yours I have the horse shoe type and one compression bolt , I like the way you actually put your compressors on to the strut it's self made it look safer as well I will try mine in a similar way next time and see if it will work with my type , : - )
The lowering springs I installed are a little bit stiffer then the factory Ford springs. After using these springs for 2 years, I can say that the front springs are perfect. The rear suspension springs could be a little bit stiffer however. Thanks for watching
very good video! I own mk1 focus and I love it! I wonder where you can get all the suspension parts in Australia? Does it available somewhere online? and how much will it cost? cheers mate!
@Haryanto, Edwin Do it mate - the ride is better/sportier. Also combine it with the rear spacers and your stance will be 👌👌 ua-cam.com/video/QyTExFjXArk/v-deo.html
Hey Andrew, KYB are an excellent brand that a lot of car manufacturers use from factory, including the exotics. I can confirm that the ones I used are still perfect after 1 year of fairly spirited driving. Having said that, if your springs are super stiff, you may want to go with something like Bilstein or Koni. Best of luck and let us know what you decided to do.
Hi, well after 3 months waiting for my koni Str-t shocks to arrive, I cancelled my order. In the end I went with the kyb excel G and K-flex springs -ok the stance is higher, but where I live in the UK the roads are bad. Anyway, great videos. Thank you.
Hi mate, I'm half way thru doing my suspension, I've bought the KYB AGX adjustable shocks from USA. They weren't much more money than the regular KYB sport set, also bought lowering springs from USA which claim to be 30% up over stock and 1in front, 1.8in rear drop . Doing the rears tomorrow and will also replace the sway pin bushes with RS ones I've had for a while. 1 thing Ii for differently is I built the strut on the bench compete so it's a simple line up the top 3 bolts and then fit into the stub, and left the brakes on. On the tuning side of things are you going to tweak the motor, headers and exhaust at all ? I'll be doing the cam belt on mine soon (130k kms on original belt) so I'm planning on adj pulleys and maybe mild cams while there. Great video btw 👍
Thanks Marty, great to see you lavishing time onto your MK1 - well worth the trouble keeping the suspension in good shape - these things steer so well... I've been contemplating tuning options, and I'm kind of at a point where I'm either going to go all out (forced induction?) or don't bother at all as the n/a gains seem to be very minimal from what I've researched. If I stay n/a I'm not that fussed as I think in traffic these things are a hoot as-is, very fun to drive. Now I just have to decide on whether my Mk1 will be a bigger project or I keep it as a fun runabout. P.S. FS Werks in the States tell me that their Mk1 turbo kits will be back in stock by August the latest ;)
@@Horus_Works A turbo would be fun but then would it be worth the hassle with unforseen problems later on. I'll keep the turbo zetec to my toy project Escort mk1. I'll give heads up that installing st170 headers with decent flowing zorst will unleash about 15bhp along with a better flowing alloy intake manifold (USA, Ford Motorsport) and if you dare, run a 65mm throttle body you'll be near 155bhp . Nearing ST170 territory.. If your lucky to find a Jackson Racing supercharger kit which was available aftermarket in USA, mine came off a wagon , could be another option.. There's a book(you might have already) by Richard Holdener on tuning focus zetec motor, very indepth info, even showed a few bhp just by fitting a reduction drive kit ..! Anyways, I'm back under the car finishing off the rears and writing a list of stuff to get for the next round.. 😎👍
I love the video however I found the the background music quite annoying . Specifically the bass . That constant thumping in the background made this hard to take .
Many options to chose from really - depends on what you're after. I wanted a slightly firmer ride than factory, and so I went with KYB shocks (a lot of car makers use KYB from factory) and stiffer/sportier springs - any good spring brand will do - H&R, Bilstein, Eibach, King Springs, etc
I've found it much easier to put the top hat though the mounting hole first, without the strut bar filling the hole as well, and weighing it down. Tried both ways - but this worked best for me 👍
I am shocked to see how easy is to change the shock absorber. Very well explained,
and thanks for you time making that video, we look forwards for the next video.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
I’d say this is the most informative video for this platform. Thanks.
Wow, thank you mate - it's an honor to see that.
Came back to watch since a cut down t+e internal spring compressor wasn’t going to work getting my tlrear spring out. This is the best diy mk1 focus channel because you cover everything and film it clearly. Glad I don’t need to loosen the lower arm bolt since they adjust toe. I have the KYB SM5206 rear shock mounting kit. Costed me $82 USD for a set of two, shipped with two motorcraft FL400s oil filters in the order. Legend!
Nice one mate, and thanks for your support as always. Looks like an excellent deal for the shock mount kit! 👍
Another great vid mate 👍 you know you can set the rear ride height by loosening the up and lower arms, lowering the car/lifting the arms and then re tightening while compressed 👍
Wow thanks for the tip! I did not know that!...
I’m restoring a ZX3 2002. I’m sure I’ll be viewing these vlogs often. Thanks for your time. I’m going 15” rims though for better acceleration.
Hey Matthew, I'm glad you've found this channel mate - I hope the videos come in handy! Best of luck on your resto, I love that these Mk1s are starting to get restored now. Excellent driver's cars. The 15" wheels are a good call probably - they will also give you better ride quality I'd imagine.
5:17 better spiders than rust 😃
Greetings from Slovakia
I don't like the spiders here - they can kill you 😅
Hi mate, i have a black 1.8 petrol focus and i have changed the front and rear shok absorbers KYB with normal springs and the ride is stiff compared to the original one i had before, really rubbish in the city where the roads are bad, but outside city is nice to drive.
That's interesting, thanks for your comment. The springs do most of the work, so I wonder if the sprig rate is higher in your new springs.
Excellent write up! We have an '02 SVT Focus , with a JSC, that is just waiting on a suspension install, right after I finish our AE86.
Nice one! I wonder if the Focus or 86 would win a handling battle once you're done...
@@Horus_Works That would be a great subject on our local track, great suggestion!
on my to do list right now, new springs and shocks front, just shocks on the back . bit rusted bolts so will be bit hard to take off. thanks again for you video's it's a realy good guide. Chears from Belgium
Most welcome my friend, it's good to see that the video helps people and I appreciate you commenting. Best of luck with the rusty bolts! 👍
Excellent video! Perfect height! Thanks for showing all the minimus details. I recently did this job and I had the same feeling when I forgot the abs sensor bracket and when I put the car on the ground and nothing changed! It really happens! I think you forgot to pump the absorbers 5 to 10 times before installing them.
Thanks for the great comment! Yeah I didn't know that you needed to pump the shocks before installation so it's great that you shared that with everyone to follow. Happy to say that the ride height is settled and sits nice now - but yes that first moment when you put the car down - haha!
Great video as always! Thanks!
I am restoring my Focus mk1 facelift 1.8 diesel and I really appreciate your videos that sometimes help me to better plan my job (as long as it's not motor related).
I did this job for the front (replacing also the knuckles, the bushings and control arms as everything was dead) and I plan to do the same at the rear, so your video got the perfect timing! ;)
That's true that you're "lucky" as it seems to rust not that much in Australia, but as my fellow from Norway, here in France, they rust as hell and it requires to be inventive to disassemble all that (and we are great consumers of WD40) :(
Good job, clear explanations, please keep going, it's much appreciated! Cheers!
So good to see that the videos are being used!! I appreciate your good comments and sorry to hear about all the rust! We have bad rust here near the ocean as well, but I don't live too close to the ocean so I guess I'm lucky. I'll have more vids on the Focus soon 😀👍
Nice video! I have a "bad history" with KYB (I changed the front shocks and springs and I gained 5 cm in ride height). But your Focus looks beautiful after doing this upgrade.
Thank you mate, I appreciate it. Let's see how long the KYBs last ;)
Really loving this great little car and all the great work you are doing to it. Keep the coming!
Thanks, will do!
The type of spring compressor you used would be fine for using the shock absorber to help compress the spring but I would not do it myself ,other designs of spring compressor would require removing the shock assembly as complete unit and dismantling off the car .a good job none the less.
Thanks as always mate.
many thanks. i,ve the ford focus mk1 station wagon. next week i change the rear control arms . congratulations for the channel.
Thank you for saying so Marco, I appreciate you watching. Best of luck next week with the rear control arms! 💪
Another top video mate. Love the look of your car. I've got bilstein shocks and springs on my 1.6 estate. Such a great mod to do. Best wishes from the UK
Thanks a lot mate, I appreciate that. I'm really happy with the ride height now. Great mod too, I was worried about ruining the already great handling of the Focus, but it's even better now.
Like your logic with KYB, I made a similar decision with the ST170 and stuck with Monroe. Nice vid!
Thanks mate, 1 year later and no complaints 😀
@@Horus_Works I also replaced the OE springs with Eibachs. I’m not convinced.
Hello, nice vid.,with changing valve seals on the car for focus mk1 have a video?, with thanks. Aurel
At the end I noticed the Z rated tires. Nice. My focus has 205/50r16 tires. I wonder why? Stickers in the frame shows they are stock.
Here the 2.0 Zetec came with 17" tyres much like the ST170 🙂
I admire your passion for the beloved mk1,i've watched all of your videos!but i would like to inform you that your shocks won't last 6months..and tht is because these kyb shocks are not designed for lowering..these are gonna be working always closed on their length..try the bilstein b8,excellent choice and they are top quality and they hold a lot of punishments..cheers from Greece!!keep up the good work
They work fine in my st170 and that's lowered from the factory 👍
Thanks for your comment Theodoros, yes these are really great cars, I like mine a lot. While most people go for Honda Civics or Golfs when it comes to playing with a cheap small car, the Focus is much better handling than either of those, and it has also proven to be very reliable if maintained correctly - it's almost a secret which is a shame. They need more recognition. I appreciate your advice by the way, thank you. Let's see how the KYBs go, I will make sure to let everyone know if they fail on this car. If they do I will try Bilstein like you suggested :) Thank you.
Welcome, thank you for your information. I have a question, please. When the air conditioner is running, sometimes it gets cold, sometimes it gives off hot air, and sometimes the rev counter goes up more than required,,, Do you have any exact information?? And thank you very much.
I'm sorry I don't have any exact information on this problem, but the first thing you should check is your refrigerant gas. If your gas supply is good, make sure your air condenser is not faulty. After many years of use, it's not uncommon for the air condenser to break. I hope this helps you get started...
@@Horus_Works thank you very much.
Fantástico como siempre. Para cuando una reparación de los faros delanteros ?
¡Gracias, agradezco su apoyo! Planeo hacer un video de los faros delanteros una vez que comience a trabajar en el exterior del automóvil.
a quick question did you replace your front strut mount? when you order the full suspension kit does it come with new strut mount? thanks
Hi Bruce, I did replace the strut mounts, only because I wasn't sure how old they were and what condition I'd find them in once I took the old struts out. But I had to order them separately - they did not come with the new struts.
Hi from Brisbane. Great video . I have a 2014 Focus with the King lowering springs and mine is also lower at the rear than the front going by the distance from the tyre to the guard. Are they Dragon sport tyres? How do you like them? Cheers.
Hey Andrew, hope all is well up in Brissie. I got them about a year ago from Jax tyres. They are pretty good, but I'll be going back to Michelin Pilots when they are done. I think the Pilots are the best tyres available right now.
@@Horus_Works Thanks. That’s good to know. Just the Pilot Sport 4? Really enjoy your channel. Great to watch some Australian Focus/car content. 🙂
@AndrewH 60 yeah the PS4 tyres are fantastic. Glad to see you're enjoying the content - I appreciate your support mate 👍
Hi do you have a chart with all the torque specs for.the mk1 as i cant find any online? Thanks
Man, great videos, as a owner of MK1 I love all of your work but I must ask, why....why haven't you polished the headlights yet? Those yellow looking desease like headlights just do a injustice to the car.
😅 Thanks for noticing Andrea - I will fix it, promise. I just have been working on other things first 😊
I took the struts off as one and put them back on as one , But you probably did it as you was taught and I did as I was taught ,
But still a good video
Thanks David, yeah there's a number of ways to do it. I just showed what worked for me.
@@Horus_Works I don't have the 2 separate spring compressors like yours I have the horse shoe type and one compression bolt , I like the way you actually put your compressors on to the strut it's self made it look safer as well I will try mine in a similar way next time and see if it will work with my type , : - )
Thanks sir
Welcome :)
Uma.perguntanessas molas são as mesmas mudando somente a cor ou elas são de alta performance
The lowering springs I installed are a little bit stiffer then the factory Ford springs. After using these springs for 2 years, I can say that the front springs are perfect. The rear suspension springs could be a little bit stiffer however. Thanks for watching
very good video! I own mk1 focus and I love it! I wonder where you can get all the suspension parts in Australia? Does it available somewhere online? and how much will it cost? cheers mate!
Hey Edwin thanks for your comment and your support. Here is a link to where I bought the suspension kit from:
www.ebay.com.au/itm/153459872650
👍
@@Horus_Works thanks mate, I might buy one for mine.. 👍🏽
@Haryanto, Edwin Do it mate - the ride is better/sportier. Also combine it with the rear spacers and your stance will be 👌👌
ua-cam.com/video/QyTExFjXArk/v-deo.html
RKK , Fala Meu Carro Ford Fucos que Vídeo 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Parabéns
BOA NOITE..... UA-cam
Fico feliz em ver que você gostou do vídeo meu amigo 😀👍
Great idea if you live in a country where there are no speed bumps and roads as flat as a pool table.
Thanks, I would definitely say that the ride is firmer, but not as firm as a bespoke set of coil overs.
👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻tnx
Welcome and thanks 🙏
Do they make the same parts for sedan models? Lx specifically
Yes they do.
Hi ya, great video, are KYB shocks good with lowered cars as I've lowered my VW polo 6r and looking for a good shock . 👍
Hey Andrew, KYB are an excellent brand that a lot of car manufacturers use from factory, including the exotics. I can confirm that the ones I used are still perfect after 1 year of fairly spirited driving. Having said that, if your springs are super stiff, you may want to go with something like Bilstein or Koni. Best of luck and let us know what you decided to do.
Thanks for your help, I'll let you know.
Hi, well after 3 months waiting for my koni Str-t shocks to arrive, I cancelled my order. In the end I went with the kyb excel G and K-flex springs -ok the stance is higher, but where I live in the UK the roads are bad. Anyway, great videos. Thank you.
Hi mate, I'm half way thru doing my suspension, I've bought the KYB AGX adjustable shocks from USA. They weren't much more money than the regular KYB sport set, also bought lowering springs from USA which claim to be 30% up over stock and 1in front, 1.8in rear drop . Doing the rears tomorrow and will also replace the sway pin bushes with RS ones I've had for a while. 1 thing Ii for differently is I built the strut on the bench compete so it's a simple line up the top 3 bolts and then fit into the stub, and left the brakes on.
On the tuning side of things are you going to tweak the motor, headers and exhaust at all ?
I'll be doing the cam belt on mine soon (130k kms on original belt) so I'm planning on adj pulleys and maybe mild cams while there.
Great video btw 👍
Thanks Marty, great to see you lavishing time onto your MK1 - well worth the trouble keeping the suspension in good shape - these things steer so well... I've been contemplating tuning options, and I'm kind of at a point where I'm either going to go all out (forced induction?) or don't bother at all as the n/a gains seem to be very minimal from what I've researched. If I stay n/a I'm not that fussed as I think in traffic these things are a hoot as-is, very fun to drive. Now I just have to decide on whether my Mk1 will be a bigger project or I keep it as a fun runabout. P.S. FS Werks in the States tell me that their Mk1 turbo kits will be back in stock by August the latest ;)
@@Horus_Works A turbo would be fun but then would it be worth the hassle with unforseen problems later on. I'll keep the turbo zetec to my toy project Escort mk1.
I'll give heads up that installing st170 headers with decent flowing zorst will unleash about 15bhp along with a better flowing alloy intake manifold (USA, Ford Motorsport) and if you dare, run a 65mm throttle body you'll be near 155bhp . Nearing ST170 territory..
If your lucky to find a Jackson Racing supercharger kit which was available aftermarket in USA, mine came off a wagon , could be another option..
There's a book(you might have already) by Richard Holdener on tuning focus zetec motor, very indepth info, even showed a few bhp just by fitting a reduction drive kit ..!
Anyways, I'm back under the car finishing off the rears and writing a list of stuff to get for the next round..
😎👍
Hi, mate great vid. If you are interested in supercharging your mustang I have a manifold w/ intercooler for sale in Vic. Let me know.
Thanks mate, interesting... have just replied via message.
I love the video however I found the the background music quite annoying . Specifically the bass . That constant thumping in the background made this hard to take .
Thanks for the tip I'll keep it in mind
Dang mate so lucky you guys don't have rust 😂
Yes not much rust here, plenty of floods, bushfires and killer spiders though 😅
@@Horus_Works idk which one worst 😂
@Danilo Benitez rust won't kill you 😅
Can anyone tell me what shocks and springs to get for a mk 2 focus please
Many options to chose from really - depends on what you're after. I wanted a slightly firmer ride than factory, and so I went with KYB shocks (a lot of car makers use KYB from factory) and stiffer/sportier springs - any good spring brand will do - H&R, Bilstein, Eibach, King Springs, etc
@@Horus_Works Thank you I'll see what's about 👍
Is it -3cm or 4cm?
-4cm 👍
A videód után én is cserélek hátsó gátlókat. KYB-t rendeltem😁😁😉
Jó látni, hogy hasznos vagyok 😁
@@Horus_Works Be is kerültek a KYB hátsó gátlók. 🙂
@Laci G. hamarosan megérkeznek 😀
Why did you put the top on first?? Why not put top hat onto strut first, then put whole strut in place!! You are doing it the hard way
I've found it much easier to put the top hat though the mounting hole first, without the strut bar filling the hole as well, and weighing it down. Tried both ways - but this worked best for me 👍
Milwaukee tools? I thought you only got Makita tools in Australia. 😂
Haha, I can't disagree that Makita is popular here! Milwaukee suits me better though :)