About to Install Front Coil Over Struts. Any Last Minute Do's/Dont's, Tips?

[reborn]

What the title says.

Ill be reusing my existing strut hats, I read somewhere that that might make a difference?

Thanks for any help!

[bjl4776]

Not too bad of a job. They only thing that like to be a PITA is the swaybar links. if they spin while you are loosening them there are slots for a 15 (or 16?) mm wrench to hold the ball joint while you loosen. other than that it is only 5 nuts and 3 bolts per side, pretty straight forward. Oh and it makes it a bit easier if you have a jackstand supposrt the spindle when you remove the struts because the spindle will fall over if not expected and do bad things. You might find that once you take the old strut hats out that they don't look like they are in the condition that you want to reuse them. And then you will get camber plates and have to do the whole job twice. So you might want to think about that first. Ask me how i know

[reborn]

My hats had been replaced by the po last december, '95 spec unfortunately.

But I know what you mean abt the camberplates. :-(

[reborn]

How do you like the TC Klines, btw?

Thats what Im in the process of installing now, same spring rates!

[BlackBetty08]

Try to prevent this.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/d...fa017b5067.htm

[Volfinator]

Originally Posted by BlackBetty08

Try to prevent this.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/d...fa017b5067.htm

What the hell?

[M3Driver99]

Make sure you put the strut hats back on the same way they are now. Mine were put back on half a rotation off and my caster was totally messed up.

GL

[reborn]

Originally Posted by M3Driver99

Make sure you put the strut hats back on the same way they are now. Mine were put back on half a rotation off and my caster was totally messed up.

GL

What?? Are they factory? Cuz mine are, and they have an arrow pointing toward the front. Not easy to get it mixed up....

Thanks for the GL, we got the left strut bolted up, complete with super camber washers on the bottom bracket.

Ran into a few minor problems, such as losing one of the three strut hat nuts, which magically disappeared somewhere in the engine bay.... Looks like Ill be stopping by the dealership tom.

Tackling the right side in the morning.

[reborn]

Originally Posted by BlackBetty08

Try to prevent this.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/d...fa017b5067.htm

Where in KC are you? I lived in Lee's Summit for a while.

[325Ryan]

You should come out to the auto-x practice this weekend with the A&M Sports Car Club. It's held out at Riverside Campus... See details here: www.tamscc.org

If you make it out, I'll be out there on Sunday with a Cosmos M3. I'd love to check out your new suspension.

[reborn]

Originally Posted by 325Ryan

You should come out to the auto-x practice this weekend with the A&M Sports Car Club. It's held out at Riverside Campus... See details here: www.tamscc.org

If you make it out, I'll be out there on Sunday with a Cosmos M3. I'd love to check out your new suspension.

Hmmmm, when does it run till?

Id love to make it out there, but unfortunately it's a motorsports club weekend out at Texas World Speedway, and Im driving Sat. or Sun.

Wonder why they scheduled it this weekend....

[reborn]

Hey,

Heres a really stupid Noobish Question for many of you to laugh at/hopefully answer:

When adjusting the struts/shocks rebound is all the way to the right (righty tighty) full soft or full stiff?

Thanks in advance.

[Balthazarr]

With my Konis, cw is full soft, so lefty tighty.
These are the inserts, though.

[reborn]

Originally Posted by Balthazarr

With my Konis, cw is full soft, so lefty tighty.
These are the inserts, though.

I have a feeling it's the same with these, hopefully someone will confirm.

Thanks, man.

[BlackBetty08]

Originally Posted by reborn

Where in KC are you? I lived in Lee's Summit for a while.

I live just outside of LS and go to school there.

When did you live there?

[325Ryan]

Originally Posted by reborn

Hmmmm, when does it run till?

Id love to make it out there, but unfortunately it's a motorsports club weekend out at Texas World Speedway, and Im driving Sat. or Sun.

Wonder why they scheduled it this weekend....

It runs Sat/Sun till 430, but the gates close at 2.

[reborn]

Originally Posted by BlackBetty08

I live just outside of LS and go to school there.

When did you live there?

I moved the summer before the 03-04 school year, went to LSHS for 3 years. Cool place. Roads suck!

Originally Posted by 325Ryan

It runs Sat/Sun till 430, but the gates close at 2.

I may try to make it the day Im not driving. Will you be out there both days?

[rootuddha]

Make sure you have the arrows on the strut hat pointing forward when you put them back in the car and don't use an impact wrench on the top strut nut (you run a high risk of killing the bearings)

[Eric98Sedan]

Then how the hell do you tighten those bad-boys? Screw driver and wrench?

I used a good'ole 1/2" impact gun set to "medium" strength. Worked good.

[reborn]

Shit,

Somehow we just bent the crap out of my right swaybar endlink.

46$ at the stealership, what a PITA!