suspension change out
 

i am trying to take out my front suspension, (first time changing it), and I am not sure if i am doing it right.

i read the guide on miata.net, but it doesnt seem to help too much.

the upper hub covers the 17mm bolt that it says to undo, and im not sure if i just pry off the cover or not because it seems to be on there pretty good.

also, am I supposed to undo the bolt at the end of the steering column. (maybe called tie rod?) i unscrewed it, but it is not coming out of position with any force. not even budging.

Not sure what you mean buy upper hub...but every bolt and nut should be easily accessible.

I also am not sure why you're touching the tie rods...but you can unbolt the sway bar to ease bending down the A-arms later.


Do this:

FRONT

Jack up car, remove front wheels, open hood.

1. Pop plastic caps off tops of shock mount in engine bay. Loosen but do not remove the nut underneath it if you are swapping shocks or springs and keeping one of the components, or keeping your top hats(shock mounts).

2. Remove the two shock mount nuts that are on either side of the plastic cap. You are now done in the engine bay.

3. Remove sway bar bolt (makes it easier later if you remove both before beginning either side...this allows A-arms to pivot further down), and then remove lower shock bolt. Next remove the upper ball joint nut. It is underneath the upper A-arm, and is a castle style nut with cut-outs for cotter pins. Remove the cotter pin and then take nut off.

4. Now the fun part...be ready to curse up a storm the first time..but you get better. You need to first seperate the spindle from the upper A-arm. I use an impact hammer, or a really big pry bar if I don't have air. The ball joint pin is held into the spindle with forces in several directions, does not want to move, and it will be violent when it does. This last part usually means your lower A-arm swinging down quickly and stressing your brake line as the spindle swings out.

5. Once you can move both A-arms independently you can remove the shock assembly. I usually pivot both A-arms down simultaneously until I can pivot the shock out...then up. It's nowhere near as easy as it sounds...and you may become inclined to remove the upper A-arm altogher per the m.net write-up...but trust me when I say that's frustating and time consuming (more so).

Once the assemblie is out you compress springs and swap parts as needed. Assembly is reverse.

REAR

Super easy.

1. Same three bolts in trunk on top end of shock. Loosen middle, remove outers.

2. Remove lower shock bolt (inside lower A-arm).

3. Get a big fuggin' pry and bend the A-arms down together (I pry on top inner pivot) until the top of the shock clears the chassis cup it's in.

4. Pull out of top of upper A-arm...put new stuff in.

haha. i gave up on the shortcut way that I was informed about and just took out the upper control arm bolt. it made everything so much easier and faster.

just gotta do the same to the other sides now.

good deal...on some cars it's easy.

For me it was more work to get that long bolt out.

Rear is easy though, first time I took out the bottom alignment bolt...won't ever waste the time again.

you mean you did it the 'correct' way. :2cents:

You could have saved me all that typing earlier...

haha. well i used your pulldown and pry method on the rears and it was super easy. took about 5 minutes each side to get the suspension out

I just usually unbolt the upper control arm bolt in the rear (control arm to hub) when I remove the rear shocks. It's really easy.

I did suspension a couple of times and for the front I just took out the the lower ball joint and slid it out... after that it just came out. Dont know weather this is correct but it worked and was pretty quick.

whether*