Removing the factory springs

[wookieneck]

Alright, I give up.

How in the H*ll do you take the factory springs and struts off? I havent tried the back yet, that looks pretty easy (2gnt GS). But the front is eating my lunch.

I bought spring compressors hoping that would ease my pain, but of course they wont fit between the spring and the control arm. Im about two seconds from going for the persuader (blow torch).

HELP ME??

 

[jtmcinder]

Unbolt the sway-bar end links.

Unbolt the fork from the control arm.

Loosen the upper-plate nuts, but leave at least one nut on.

Unbolt the shock from the fork and remove the bolt completely ... this is a step that some forget.

Yank the fork down off the shock.

Remove the last nut from the upper plate and remove shock and spring as a unit.

NOW get out the spring compressor....

- Jtoby

 

[PaleDSM]

Just follow JToby's steps. The only PITA is when that lower fork bolt and bushing fuse together. I have had it happen on a few 2Gs. Then it is usually time to start 'a cuttin'.

 

[wookieneck]

yeah I tried taking out the lower shock fork bolt and that bugger just sit there laughing at me. I havent thrown the PB to it yet, but I have one bad mama jama of an Ingersol Rand Impact that walked away from that bolt feeling stupid.

Thanks Jtoby - so I dont have to remove the upper control arms then? (at least not until the camber kit comes of back order and shows up.)

 

[jtmcinder]

so I dont have to remove the upper control arms then?

Correct. You see, no matter what some people on this list claim, 2Gs don't have struts.

- Jtoby

 

[wookieneck]

Got the first side done last night, thanks to you guys. Between the PB, impact and big assed hammer the lower bolt came right out. The big problem I had was the sway bar link, I whipped out the vice grips to get that one off. Is there an easier, less destructive way to get that off?

 

[PaleDSM]

On my end link bolts there were allen recesses in the ends of the bolt shaft. After a little cleaning I could actually get an allen wrench in there to keep them from spinning.

 

[wookieneck]

Really? I didnt notice that, I will take a look on the other side. That would be alot easier on the boot than the visegrips.

 

[wookieneck]

Next stupid question:

Eibach says that I need to trim down the bumpstops. they dont say where they are and its not immediately apparent to me. Unless its that yellow thing in the shock boot?

 

[wookieneck]

disregard.
I ran through some old threads and after I sorted through all the dick contests I pieced it together.
The bump-stop is the yellow thing I was wondering about. The parts manual refers to it as a "strut dampener", which kinda threw me but im on track now. Just glad I only got one corner done before I realized that particular folly.

 

[arash15]

go to vfaq.com. that should really help u out.

 

[phastalon]

I'm guessing that this is your first one ever, but once you do it you'll never forget it and it'll continue to get easier and easier. Soon, you'll find that you can lower most imports in around 2-3 hours if you pace yourself and have a helper.

 

[wookieneck]

Youre right, its all a matter of becoming one with the suspension. I put the camber kits on the other night and it took about 10 minutes per wheel start to finish. Fun stuff.

 

[Raph]

I'm guessing that this is your first one ever, but once you do it you'll never forget it and it'll continue to get easier and easier. Soon, you'll find that you can lower most imports in around 2-3 hours if you pace yourself and have a helper.

took 1 hour the 1st time..then only 40mins the second time ewts..those Doublewishbone setups on the 2gs are the best ..easy to work with!

and they keep getting easier

 

[wookieneck]

okay guys.
So I put the sportlines on and ran around the block a couple times. The toe was way out , but the ride was excellent. Then the car got some paint and clearcoat, and I put on the rear camber kit. Ran it around the block again to charge the battery, handled all kinds of squirrely because of the rear camber being so far out but the ride was still pretty okay.

Then I put on the front camber kit, didnt drive it. Just finished buffing it and jumped in to take her to the alignment shop. Not only was it completely all over the road, but now it feels like it was riding on the bumpstops. I rides like a brick. I dont see how the camber kit could have changed anything, did those springs just settle over the period of a week?

 

[cuttheduck]

1. Do you have aftermarket shocks?
2. sportslines for 2g FWD cars suck, honestly.
Slamming the hell out of the car and using low springrates will make for a crappy ride. Sucks to find out the expensive way.

 

[wookieneck]

I just put on new KYB Gr-2's.

The problem is that this forum, and any other for that matter is about 50% opinion and about 40% fact with a 10% BS factor. So for every person that says the sportlines are too low there is someone that says the prokit didnt lower their car at all. Then about one for one on the KYB's working on lowered vehicles. Its the nature of the beast sadly, and realistically it was something I had to find out for myself.

I dont know if the gr2's will crap out in 100 miles like everyone says, if they do I will replace them with something better. But one thing is fairly certain, the sportlines will be coming out and the prokit will be going in. I cant get in my driveway with the sportlines, so I cant get in the garage and we all know what a horrible tragedy that is.

 

[PaleDSM]

It is possible that they settled enough to be a problem with the bumpstops. You can check how much travel you have or even how much clearance you have sitting by pulling up the dust boots. Put a zip tie around the shaft on top of the bump stop and go for a drive. Now look where the zip tie is. It is probably jammed up against the upper assembly of the shock.

 

[wookieneck]

Just got it back from the alignment shop last night. Its not so bad as I thought, still rough but not unbearable.
Im going to give it awhile and see how it works out. I did learn that my caster is way off, I knew the car had been wrecked but I didnt realize that one of the wheels was pushed back an inch. Funny that the other alignment shop I went to a year ago didnt mention that.

I will check the stops though. If memory serves I was supposed to cut out 1 3/8" but I cut right on the groove with was just a hair over an inch.