Suspension & Brakes Springs | Shocks | Handling | Rotors

In progress of spring install, have a question

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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 12:26 AM
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Default In progress of spring install, have a question

Alright so i got my Hotchkis springs and and currently installing them, holy crap it isn't as easy at that tutorial makes it sound. We got the front - left side done, took about 2-3 hours i'd say.....but the left side we are having problems. We got the springs compressed but the nut on top of the spring by the rubber shoe is rusted and will NOT come off...we tried spraying a bunch of Wd-40 on it but it just gets to a certain point and will absolutley not come off. Even with power tools.. I hope we didn't strip anything out in the process, any reccomendations on what i can/should do? How much would a tire place charge to mount the new spring on just 1 shock? This is so frustrating!

And another thing, it's so hard to compress those hotchkis springs there is NO room to get the compressors into the coils, kind of had to ghetto it out to make it work which i HATE doing on stuff like this...

Last edited by slikrider20; Mar 12, 2008 at 12:32 AM.
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 12:53 AM
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ALOT of people run into these problems including me. I tried compressing them at home with the compressors to mount the shock in and it just wasn't happening. And to make it worse the nut was also rusted. I just took the 2 springs and shocks to a shop and they mounted them all up for like $30. They had to cut the nut off since it was so rusted. After that I took the assemblies home and threw them in.
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 11:56 AM
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over spring break i was going to install my strano springs and i had the same problem. i even took the struts to a couple shops, and noone would touch them because they were afraid theyd snap the bolt. i ended up having to reinstall the struts just as they were because i ran out of time. i hate my life.
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 12:43 PM
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ok, heres a little update....i took it to a shop, and they got it done for me. Now i went to install everything back on the car....no problems. Except for that darn Sway bar, i get it tight, but those long bolts with the rubber things on them doesn't seem to sit in evenly. But i decide to go for a test run. Car sits much lower but when you hit a bump it just sounds like something is completely loose up in the front, doesn't sound right at all. It's almost like a whole bunch of popping sounds...anyone else have a problem like this?
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 12:50 PM
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have u tryed just a little heat. Or leave it on the car put a jack under the lower a arm an try loosening it while still under presure.
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 12:50 PM
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What kind of swaybar?
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 01:00 PM
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Stock Sway Bar.. It has to be this, everything else is plenty tight and aligned perfectly..

Also, if this helps, i can't re create the sound by pushing up and down on the car..The spring is mounted fine on the rubber cup....It only does it when i drive it..hard to explain the sounds, just basically sounds like something is really loose somewhere
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 02:01 PM
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did you replace the front swaybar endlinks. that might help. i just replaced my rears with moog from o'reilly's and that helped a lot.
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 04:44 PM
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Well, i got the back done, pretty easy, had to really pry up on that spring to get it out of the mounting thing on the axle. The stance looks awesome, i will get some pics soon.

Just got to go take the front wheels off and see what that sound is .....
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Old Mar 12, 2008 | 07:15 PM
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heres a few pics...

before:







after:







now that i look at it, it looks like the right side is lower than the other. still haven't figured out the sound. i'll just have them look at it when i get it aligned friday.
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