So i got the bomz/ebay coil overs and the fat cat upper mounts and 46mm bump stops are on their way.

So i go to start disassembling the shocks (eunos bilsteins, i guess its the jap r package equivalent) and springs (which are gold and REALLY soft btw) only to see that the top nuts look a little rusty. I think no biggie, some wd40 and an air impact will get that right off. It got one off.....the others are not freaking moving.

I have the shock/springs upright and the top mount filled with pb blaster. I will swap in some new pb blaster tonight and get back at the air impact.

Al though i would hate for it to come to this but has anyone ever had to cut those nuts off?

/rant off

 

go buy a breaker bar or slide a lenth of pipe ove the ratchet. i suggest using a 6 point socket, far less likely to slip and round the nut.

also, go buy a little portable blow torch a quart-sized disposable propane tank. between the heat, the pb blaster and the breaker/cheater bar, it will come off.

those tops are hardened chromium steel, which is oing to be a bitch to cut off.

 

the shock shaft rotates so i have to use an air impact, not sure how you are keeping yours from rotating?

 

since you are removing them, you can use a pair of big vice grips and clamp them high on the shaft.

 

First, compress your springs. Next, the Bilsteins have a snap ring groove. Remove the snap ring and take the spring perch and spring off from the bottom. You now have access to the shaft of the shock that will allow you to clamp it firmly so it will not spin when trying to remove the nut. Put the shock in a vice, using blocks of wood on either side so not to damage the hard chrome on the shaft. This will work better if you use a skill saw and cut a very shallow groove in the blocks of wood to allow a stable spot for the shaft to rest. Good luck.

 

i would like to keep the bilsteins so i dont want to destroy the threads on the shaft

ooo i like your suggestion sbrian....never thought of that. if the pb blaster and air tools dont work that will be my next resort!

 

Glad I could help. Wouldn't want you destroy a perfectly good Bilstein in the process.

 

I used a rag between my vice grips and the shaft. I held the shaft well, without messing it up.

 

i just took a look at the bilsteins and you cant take them apart like that.

there is a lip machined on the shock body that is on the bottom of the perch, the snap ring holds the perch down.

i tried the rag method to no avail either....i will get the air tools and heat on it tommorow.....its a war now!:gay:

 

I just looked at mine off my R package and they have a snap ring on the top and bottom. However the fronts have a bracket for the abs sensor wires to attach to that would stop you. The rears should work though.

 

Try Pop's trick of heating up the nut and putting candle wax on it and letting the heat draw it down inside the threads.

 

How are you going to have your sway bars setup? Those coilovers are 450/350 lbs. You're going to have awesome roll stiffness, but not so awesome Front Roll Couple. I'd suggest going with a larger bar in the front and no bar in the rear. That so give you better weight transfer in the corners and shouldn't sacrfice any of the stiffness.

Sorry I'm no help with the stuck nuts.

 

if you ve some extra hose that is clean and about the same diameter of the shock rod, cut it lengthwise (only need an inch) ond slip it over the rod. clamp the vise grips onto that as tight as you can manage. the rubber should grip better than cloth or straight metal on metal.

 

took it to my familys shop (heavy equipment and what not) and borrowed some tools and an acetalene torch

Took the heat to it and had my cousin spraying the shaft with water. We douseded the nut right after the heat and took the air impact to it....voila!

However the top hats were "stuck" to the shaft so i had to convince them that they should come off. 2 whacks with a hammer later and the top mounts went flying (safe...not really but hey i shot them into a pile of boxes). Problem with that is it kinda bitched up the threads a little, luckily they had a die so i rethreaded them.

All in all i would say if anyones doing this, anti seize those sucks. Albeit these shocks/springs were submerged in salt water for a period of time.

Braineack, i am probably going to go with FM sways in the future. I like my oversteer (im a bit of a dori dori guy) and will probably leave in the stock sways as is. I am going to get some solid endlinks and polybushes for the bars while im in england at school for the next 6 months :(. If it gets scary with the turbo goes on next year i will take off the rear bar.

Also im doing some DIY bushings for them since the stockers are DONE. I'm going to cut the rubber off the stock bushing and reuse the metal insert with.......a boat trailler roller cut down on a lathe.

http://shop.easternmarine.com/index....categoryID=201

I will get them to put a small notch around the center cirumfrence as the shocks bushing mounting hole inside surface isnt flat but it points inward toward the center. lif you were looking at it sidways it would be like this

bottom> <top

Once the bush is pressed in i will then get it drilled out to fit the metal insert, grease everyone up and reinstall.

Who says its just turbos that are DIY

 

Check your front sway mounting brackets. Mine were completely torn from some agressive driving. Apparently this is a pretty common problem. If you do upgrade, you'll want to address this issue.

Thanks,
Ike

 

Good lookin out Ike, thanks. I'm going to have a friend weld some plates to re-enforce those points

 

Glad to help.

 

Oh dear, $10 says mine are dead too....everything else broke when I was at the track.....