Mod party results..
Mod party results.. Well, it's safe to say at this point that Jason and I got our asses kicked by the mod installs today... And it's not finished, and I will have to work on it during the week.
Here's how the car is sitting right now...
The first thing that screwed us up was that QA1 was so kind as to not including lower shock mounting bolts for the rear. Geez, you spend $700 on a set of shocks, and they can't include $7 worth of mounting hardware...
So we did some searching on the net and found a good write up on the install... and put together a mount..
But what really did us in was the front shocks. Remember these are the factory DeCarbons on a '98 with 81,000 miles on it.. so let's say they were a little rusty. Jason described them as "having been on the Titanic". We tried and tried and tried, and could not for the life of either of us break them loose. I'm going to have soemone take them off for me, because I can't get it. Here are the culprits...
[img]
Oh, and I thought I would at least show off the new wheels on the car, even if they are only on the rear.... but they look NICE, and with the Eibachs, the ride height looks kickass. It's lifted here because the car is up on jack stands... but when the weight is on the ground, it looks totally mean. Navigating my driveway it going to be fun.
Oh and last but not least, my uber trick $5 license plate mount..
This is how I can justify this one if the cops pull me over..
The law in the state says the license plate needs to be 12" off the ground.... if I mount it in the stock location with the lower springs it's going to be 9.5" off the ground... so therefore my stock mounting location is illegal. The place I have it located is within the guidelines of the law... visible from the front, and more than 12" and less than 48" from the ground. Totally legal.
Here's how the car is sitting right now...
The first thing that screwed us up was that QA1 was so kind as to not including lower shock mounting bolts for the rear. Geez, you spend $700 on a set of shocks, and they can't include $7 worth of mounting hardware...
So we did some searching on the net and found a good write up on the install... and put together a mount..
But what really did us in was the front shocks. Remember these are the factory DeCarbons on a '98 with 81,000 miles on it.. so let's say they were a little rusty. Jason described them as "having been on the Titanic". We tried and tried and tried, and could not for the life of either of us break them loose. I'm going to have soemone take them off for me, because I can't get it. Here are the culprits...
[img]
Oh, and I thought I would at least show off the new wheels on the car, even if they are only on the rear.... but they look NICE, and with the Eibachs, the ride height looks kickass. It's lifted here because the car is up on jack stands... but when the weight is on the ground, it looks totally mean. Navigating my driveway it going to be fun.
Oh and last but not least, my uber trick $5 license plate mount..
This is how I can justify this one if the cops pull me over..
The law in the state says the license plate needs to be 12" off the ground.... if I mount it in the stock location with the lower springs it's going to be 9.5" off the ground... so therefore my stock mounting location is illegal. The place I have it located is within the guidelines of the law... visible from the front, and more than 12" and less than 48" from the ground. Totally legal.
Looks like those front shocks will need the blue wrench or hack saw treatment. Man, those are RUSTED dude! Those are well beyond Liquid Wrench & a propane torch....and I forgot all abnout HAL not supplying bolts for the rear shocks. Cheap bastards!!!
Can't wait to see that bad boy....lookin GOOD Zeke!!!
Can't wait to see that bad boy....lookin GOOD Zeke!!!
Yeah, those suckers are on there solid. Not coming off. I couldn't even scrape enough crud off them to see where the bolt ended and the nut began.
Now if I could just figure out a place that was open on Sunday that I could get them taken apart, I'd be batting 1000 and might have the car together in time to get an alignment done on it before next weekend.
Now if I could just figure out a place that was open on Sunday that I could get them taken apart, I'd be batting 1000 and might have the car together in time to get an alignment done on it before next weekend.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,954
Likes: 1
From: Kent WA
Yeah, them bolts were something else... haven't seen anything like that come off of our cars. I think "Titanic" is the new nickname for your Formie...
Had fun wrenching on the car... but man am I sore. Also, I had no idea I had so much dirt on my face. My wife told me I looked like I was working in a coal mine.
Had fun wrenching on the car... but man am I sore. Also, I had no idea I had so much dirt on my face. My wife told me I looked like I was working in a coal mine.
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,023
Likes: 6
From: LT1 land...the "409" of the 90s!
I usually just soak them in Liquid Wrench for 10-15 minutes and hit them with my nasty 1/2 impact 
Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.
Had you ask many of us could have piped up about the "correct" bolt for the shocks. Any good parts store has them in stock I think we paid $2.99 each for Jim's. Old Chevy rear end shock mounts I have seen that setup bend and break.
Good luck man! Looking good so far!
Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.Had you ask many of us could have piped up about the "correct" bolt for the shocks. Any good parts store has them in stock
I think we paid $2.99 each for Jim's. Old Chevy rear end shock mounts I have seen that setup bend and break.Good luck man! Looking good so far!
Originally Posted by TwoFast4Lv
I usually just soak them in Liquid Wrench for 10-15 minutes and hit them with my nasty 1/2 impact Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.
Had you ask many of us could have piped up about the "correct" bolt for the shocks. Any good parts store has them in stock I think we paid $2.99 each for Jim's. Old Chevy rear end shock mounts I have seen that setup bend and break.
Good luck man! Looking good so far!
Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.Had you ask many of us could have piped up about the "correct" bolt for the shocks. Any good parts store has them in stock
I think we paid $2.99 each for Jim's. Old Chevy rear end shock mounts I have seen that setup bend and break.Good luck man! Looking good so far!
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 609
Likes: 0
From: Moxee
[QUOTE=TwoFast4Lv]I usually just soak them in Liquid Wrench for 10-15 minutes and hit them with my nasty 1/2 impact Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.[QUOTE]
Hmm I think you sleep with that nasty 1/2 Impact I wonder how much my car was violated with this thing....
Anyways zeke your Car looks good.
Soon i will make it up to a saturday quiznos to check out everyones car in person.
Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.[QUOTE]Hmm I think you sleep with that nasty 1/2 Impact I wonder how much my car was violated with this thing....
Anyways zeke your Car looks good.
Soon i will make it up to a saturday quiznos to check out everyones car in person. Trending Topics
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Originally Posted by TwoFast4Lv
I usually just soak them in Liquid Wrench for 10-15 minutes and hit them with my nasty 1/2 impact Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.
Had you ask many of us could have piped up about the "correct" bolt for the shocks. Any good parts store has them in stock I think we paid $2.99 each for Jim's. Old Chevy rear end shock mounts I have seen that setup bend and break.
Good luck man! Looking good so far!
Some times I have to use a pair of vise gripp's to but they always come off.Had you ask many of us could have piped up about the "correct" bolt for the shocks. Any good parts store has them in stock
I think we paid $2.99 each for Jim's. Old Chevy rear end shock mounts I have seen that setup bend and break.Good luck man! Looking good so far!
Once I was finally done I cleaned up the upper strut mount and jammed grease all over it, then covered all that with RTV.
I'm hoping that I can get all the parts rounded up by the weekend to put it back together. I'm going to be real desparate to get this car back on the road by Sunday evening so I have time to be ready for the trip to Atlanta. If I can't get it ready by Sunday night, I'm pretty much fucked. I'm gonna have to take extra days off work just to get everything done.
Begging... pleading for some help this weekend. I know there's a race on Saturday, but I gotta get this car together by Sunday night.
Begging... pleading for some help this weekend. I know there's a race on Saturday, but I gotta get this car together by Sunday night.
I've been driving mine now for 6 months with no license plate in front. Even driving in hilltop in Tacoma and they looked right at my car several times and left me alone. I think I may be running out of luck and maybe should do something like you did.
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
Zeke, I thought I had a pretty good idea where you were located so I tried to swing by on Sat afternoon. I was wrenching on the burb and needed a bolt from Ace so I ran up past the storage place to see if I could find a mess of F-body's all in the same place. Guess if it was just Jason and you, I could have driven right by and never noticed. I'm headed to Vegas on vacation this weekend, but if you still need some help after I come back, I can come by and provide a bit of muscle.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,954
Likes: 1
From: Kent WA
Originally Posted by burbman
Zeke, I thought I had a pretty good idea where you were located so I tried to swing by on Sat afternoon. I was wrenching on the burb and needed a bolt from Ace so I ran up past the storage place to see if I could find a mess of F-body's all in the same place. Guess if it was just Jason and you, I could have driven right by and never noticed. I'm headed to Vegas on vacation this weekend, but if you still need some help after I come back, I can come by and provide a bit of muscle.
No f-bodies in sight except for the one in the garage. Yeah, my house is not visible from the road... I'm off in the trees and about 40 feet above the road level. Pretty secluded.
Without directions you'd probably never find it... hehehe
Without directions you'd probably never find it... hehehe
Last edited by DrEvyl; May 2, 2005 at 07:44 PM.