lswon80

So I took everyones adivce and got some bilsteins.. they came but its cold as f outside.. I was off of work for the christmas holiday with the addition of monday.

So I figured that monday will be a nice day to get these shocks done..

I wake up 11 eat shower all that good stuff and head out to my buddies house were a garage awaits.. I pull in get the back tworn apart get one off and my buddy is like hey we have air tools.. Like every guy would think "KICK ***"

so put one on get to the other put it on then the nut ok put the nut on one thread "key words, ONE THREAD" then I decide like a DA to put the air to it.

well the bolt spins right off.. also causing the beginning thread to spin off...

At this time I didnt know the thread spun off soo im trying to put this nut on over and over again without getting it started let buddy try it a couple of times.. no luck.. So I hate to say it but i work in a machine shop so the first things that come into my head are that its just burred up and well I take some sandpaper to the bolt.. still nothing so.. I take it off the car and over to a wire wheel and buff on it some..

still nada,, im like wtf.. so buddy is suggesting that we force one of these nuts he has laying around the garage on it.. redemption working at a machine shop im like NO... that bolt is metric and knowing half the nuts have to be 1/2 13 that he has cause where not in japan..

so fed with that about 2 .5 hours has passed when im like does your dad have a tap and die set.. hes like yea so he gets it out and its only a standard tap and die set..

has to be metric cause metric socket fit the nut of the one thats on the car.. so thats a no go.. Off to the autostore we go.. get to Orileys put the nuts on the size bolts m12 1.5 what the nut fit so I look at the nuts they have pick up a box of the 12 mm and open them and try one on the shock itself nogo im like wtf.. that is when I figured it was the bolt and not the nut..

soo metric tap and die set from oriley "SUX" btw never buy one.. took it back to the house.. tray to die it.. wont cut.. POS soo Im pissed... took out his dads standard tap and die set died it 1/2 13 put it on the car with a lock washer.. need to get a new shock for it..


NOW to the front by now like 5 hours has passed due to bsing and tinkering and thinking too damn much.. so morale is low and its cold in this garage now.
get the front off buddy had to go make a run for some dope which I dont care for but to each their own.. I start taking the front apart, let me tell ya the swabar bushings was a b*tch to get off I wasnt about to use the air tools anymore and I went at it with a ratchet..

took alittle time and your arm will feel it but I finally get it out.. so were about 6 hours in stopping to look at koni strano install vid on streetfire to make sure I was taking the correct stuff loose.. I think it was about 6 oclock when i fianlly get it off..

sprayed the strut bolt with pb let it sit for a min.. this thing was rusted like the titanic.. scraped the rust out compressed the springs wich i didnt thing the compressor was gonig to fit in between the springs so I was about to just put it all back on the car and say f it till this weekend.. cause when your cold and pissed thiers no hope in trying

anyways took the air to it and well lets just say that we ended up sawsawing the damn bolt off.. put the new one on only to realize that we needed to spin it 180 for it to be put back on the car so had to take it all back apart.. kinda makeshift twisted it a bit it was a fed up fit grabbed some channel locks to try to twist it more to get the bottom two bolts to work put everything back together..

so about three hours fing with that we started to do the drivers side and that one torx bolt under the master I think I started feeling better about how long I was taking to do the install because whoever designed that has to be more idiotic then me.. was soo much of a bitch to get off we only got it off half way before put it back on and saying F it and I went home with my 2 shocks with 1 modified and my front one not in correctly have to redo it..

and one stock shock.. on the car..

have a bummping noise from back of the car where the modified shock is have to order a new one and then the front where its not lined up all the way..


EPIC BILSTEIN "FAIL"

djfury05

iTrader: (30)

Please don't ever post again.. reading that gave me a migraine.. don't blame it on the bilsteins either

BIG_MIKE2005

iTrader: (116)

LOL^^, come on man dont be so harsh, I think any gearhead has had a day like this. I got some amusement out of this story after my horror story today from the DMV, LOL.

lswon80

it was one of those days,, I helped swap out one rearend for another in less time and also done both wheelbearings and replaced axles in less time.. just one of those days I guess.. so please have a good laugh and ill be fixing this soon lol

LilJayV10

iTrader: (39)

"So I was like dude!" and he was like "Dude I know!"

Everyone has had projects where a simple job takes all day and then some.

ssam98

iTrader: (5)

I think we all have a story like this one, At end and have a.

djfury05

iTrader: (30)

Haha ya I was just kiddin.. I couldn't read through it fast enough because he posted so much lol.. OP you'll get it figured out and you'll love the bilsteins they are so much better than stock. Are you lowering it also?

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

I think we've all had a day like that at one time or another, I know I have!

STREETSLEEPER

iTrader: (6)

I love my Bilstiens. Every time I get in a take a ride I am drawn to way it rides and handles. The other thing I like is, I used to avoid the pot holes. Now I hit em now and then just to see how they take em. And usually I can't beleive that I barely felt it. Now don't get me wrong you still feel every imperfection in the road, so there is good feedback. But they really dampen the big stuff. Probably the best mod I have done so far. It is a hassle to change the shocks though. Not like the old ones.

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

That was extremely hard to read

ODAWG

What the hell is sawsawing!

Turnin20s

iTrader: (12)

Sawzall I think is what he meant, sawsawing is common on the jeep forums must be a cheap knockoff LOL

Reading that whole thread made my head hurt though, I almost stopped but continued on for some reason

wfritts911

iTrader: (2)

^^^ Yes what he said. Sawzall the ultimate "F*ck this piece of ****" tool. It goes hand in hand with "If it doesnt fit, get a bigger hammer"

-Will

$750 L98

iTrader: (7)

Reminds me of the time I went to change a thermostat and flush the coolant on my TPI (thermostat in the intake manifold). One thermostat..simple right?:
1. Thermostat housing stud snapped
2. Drilled hole in stud
3. Inserted O'reilly easy out
4. Easy out snapped
5. Proceeded to grind down the "easy out" with a dremel
6. Retap hole after a solid 4 hours of grinding
7. Medicate back pain and realize 30 minute job just cost me an entire day...

WS6 Rampage

iTrader: (3)

SLP header install was a fun day for me. .. This story reminds me of that day. I want a beer just thinking about it.

ShortChevy

iTrader: (21)

^^^ Same here although not SLP's. In the amount of time and beer it took me to do my header install I could have dropped the engine out and put it back in. I had like 10 to 12 hours in my header and solid motor mount install. I've dropped the K member in 2.5 and put it all back in about 3.5. Makes ya kind of sick to think of it like that.

SuperSport01

Reminds me of a day the #2 spark plug in LT1 car rounded off while trying to remove. Many hours of frustration. Almost resulted in engine removal to change the damn sparkplugs.

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

A camera crew following these guys around that day would make a great 1/2 hour reality show on Speed channel.

Episode 1: "Cheech & Chong replace 2 shocks - on the passenger's side".

tmdz28

iTrader: (2)

update on the shock install? I am about to install slp bilstein with strano springs, just wanna know what your before/after thoughts.

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

You got THAT right!!!