shock install = hell
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Launching!
Joined: Dec 2005
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shock install = hell who woulda thought the shock install on a trans am would be such a bitch, kinda fun tho.. lol. anyway yeah, so i had a full set of bilstein shocks sitting in my garage for 2 weeks now and i finally had a day off to go do them. i go to start the install at 1, and its 5 now and i just had to stop. so i start off trying to take off the stupid spindle arm thing from the upper control arm, what a bitch that was because i was putting my breaker bar in teh wrong place (on the bolt and not in between the clamp) i finally got that off and started compessing the springs. i got the passenger side off no problem except the bolt connecting the shock to the top housing thing is rusted to pieces!!! no remote resemblance to a nut and bolt! so now i figure if i tap it and drill it out (while the spring is compressed) i can just replace it.. sorry about the rant, btu im dead right now.. and i still have to do the backs! btw im 17 and this would be my first shock install, not bad eh? i cant wait to drive it and see the differance, my ride now is absolute hell!
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2005
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rears are easier much easier , u know what is a real bitch ,, it is the rubber up there AHH THE FU@$# struts mount , i damaged it 2 times because am over compressing the springs !! and i didnt realized until i took the jack and the car is down ! it is leaning to one side 
.. then i had to do it again !! just to replace the fu@# ( the mount ) ..
goodluck ,
.. then i had to do it again !! just to replace the fu@# ( the mount ) .. goodluck ,
hey dont feel too bad when i did my springs (first time ever) i had to take the front passenger apart 4 times tracking down a clunk.................turns out the shop that i had pull the top bolt out of the strut didnt tighten back down on my strut all the way so yeah its going to be 5 times very soon
Damm you guys had some rotten luck. My worst snafu was that I put the strut in the wrong direction so the bottom mouting bolts were at the wrong angle. I was like no biggie just spin it in the bushing until it lines up with a large screwdriver. That thing would not budge for $hit and snapped my screwdriver like it was a twig.
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by 69TA
Damm you guys had some rotten luck. My worst snafu was that I put the strut in the wrong direction so the bottom mouting bolts were at the wrong angle. I was like no biggie just spin it in the bushing until it lines up with a large screwdriver. That thing would not budge for $hit and snapped my screwdriver like it was a twig.
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Originally Posted by 69TA
How the hell did you even get it done with a hand wrench? Not to mention dangerous. I just barely had enough time with my air impact driver before the spring compressor buckled out.
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by 69TA
How the hell did you even get it done with a hand wrench? Not to mention dangerous. I just barely had enough time with my air impact driver before the spring compressor buckled out.
I was oblivious to the danger, ignorance is bliss.
I had these cheap *** spring compressers too. I'll do it differently next time, but I definitely hate spring compressers. 
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by CashMoney
Yeah I don't use the spring compressors anymore I had one one rip the threads off the rod and the bolt shot through the wall on my garage. The spring shot back and put a huge dent in my Father-In-Laws snapon tool box. Now I use the hydraulic spring compressors.
Originally Posted by Predator
I swore I'd never do another spring and shock install after I got done.
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by OneMeanZ
That was the first words outta my mouth when I got done...ended up having to put Koni's on the front a week later.
Originally Posted by Predator
At least the second time you had more experience under your belt. As far as me, I haven't touched my shocks since.
Originally Posted by Predator
I never heard of hydraulic spring compressers. Where can you get them?
If the link doesn't work just go to harbor freight and search "Hydraulic spring compressors"
I've done two of my cars, and I charged 3 friends about a hundred bones to do theirs. Its payed for itself and got me an extra hundred bucks.
Originally Posted by 69TA
How the hell did you even get it done with a hand wrench? Not to mention dangerous. I just barely had enough time with my air impact driver before the spring compressor buckled out.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by CashMoney
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=45860
If the link doesn't work just go to harbor freight and search "Hydraulic spring compressors"
I've done two of my cars, and I charged 3 friends about a hundred bones to do theirs. Its payed for itself and got me an extra hundred bucks.
If the link doesn't work just go to harbor freight and search "Hydraulic spring compressors"
I've done two of my cars, and I charged 3 friends about a hundred bones to do theirs. Its payed for itself and got me an extra hundred bucks.
I did my first front spring replacement a couple of weeks ago. I had watched others do it before (on my vehicle) but that was about the extent of it.
I was horribly paranoid on the first assembly I removed (front passenger). I think it took me 4 hours just to get the thing out of the fenderwell. Upper shock mount was rusted to the shock pin. Soaked it in PB Blaster, blasted it off with a impact, used a die on the pin threads, and put on two locking nuts instead of one. I used anti-seize in the immediate vicinity of the shock pin and nuts, then spray undercoating on other parts to try to minimize future corrosion. Oh yeah, and I had to do some serious grinding on my Koni DA hat to get the Ground Control sleeve to go on. I used a pair of adjustable wrenches to tighten the spring compressor because I didn't have a big enough socket for the compressor nuts.
The driver side I had removed (w/o messing with the master), re-assembled, and re-installed in about 90 minutes. Same problems as above but I just knew how to knock it out. Unless I change shocks, I'll never need a spring compressor again with the adjustable coilovers, though
Oh, that reminds me, I need new upper balljoints because one seal is shredded.
I'd rather do a front shock/spring swap than swap lifters. 
I was horribly paranoid on the first assembly I removed (front passenger). I think it took me 4 hours just to get the thing out of the fenderwell. Upper shock mount was rusted to the shock pin. Soaked it in PB Blaster, blasted it off with a impact, used a die on the pin threads, and put on two locking nuts instead of one. I used anti-seize in the immediate vicinity of the shock pin and nuts, then spray undercoating on other parts to try to minimize future corrosion. Oh yeah, and I had to do some serious grinding on my Koni DA hat to get the Ground Control sleeve to go on. I used a pair of adjustable wrenches to tighten the spring compressor because I didn't have a big enough socket for the compressor nuts.
The driver side I had removed (w/o messing with the master), re-assembled, and re-installed in about 90 minutes. Same problems as above but I just knew how to knock it out. Unless I change shocks, I'll never need a spring compressor again with the adjustable coilovers, though
Oh, that reminds me, I need new upper balljoints because one seal is shredded.
I'd rather do a front shock/spring swap than swap lifters. 