EL Falcon Suspension Changes:

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Overall Comment:
The Falcon suspension has undergone a thorough further development process for EL providing benefits by reduced impact harshness, improved handling and ride quality. These changes were significant enough to inspire many positive comments amongst the press - including claims that the Falcon now was able to comfortably out handle even the IRS equipped VR and VS Commodore! To help achieve these improvements the following changes were made compared with EF:

REAR SUSPENSION:

Watts Link:
The Watts Link "bell crank pivot" has been lowered by 20mm to effectively lower the roll centre of the vehicle. This development was lifted from the suspension settings achieved on the EF XR model range.

Rear Coil Springs:
The standard (non XR or sports suspension) rear coil springs on EL were softer by 8% to improve the balance between ride and handling.

Upper Rear Control Arms:
For EL, the rear suspension geometry was revised relocating the upper control arms to incorporate similar geometry to the EF XR, but better suited to the standard ride height of the regular Falcon models (GLi/Futura/Fairmont/Fairmont Ghia).

On Falcon (except XR) the upper arm is shorter than EF Falcon. On XR the upper arm is longer and manufactured of square section tube. Two mounting holes on the rear axle exist for mounting the upper control arms. The mounting brackets on the rear axle have also been revised to suit. These rear suspension modifications change axle path on bounce and rebound.

Rear suspension components are not officially interchangeable with EF Falcon, including the rear axle.

Rear Shock Absorbers:
Please see the document entitled EL Shock absorbers for changes to EL shock absorber valving.

FRONT SUSPENSION:

The front suspension was also slightly revised for EL to improve handling and steering. The front strut rod bush mounting has been modified to soften the initial rate and overall travel providing improved impact harshness (ride). This also results in improved high load cornering and directional stability. The overall movement of this bush is restrained by an extra 25% compared to EF.

The front strut rod bush mount is now welded to the sub frame (K-frame) and acts to retain the bush more effectively than in EF.

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