Stock shocks/spring removal

[adey]

Okay guys, I'm utterly and completely stumped. I just spent about 4 hours trying to remove my front passenger side shock/spring... and that doesn't include the other 3 hours from last night.
At this point: the 3 bolts on the strut tower have been removed (but it doesn't make a difference because it's still compressed), the center bolt that keeps the shock onto the springs (that bolt in the middle of the strut tower) is loosened, both bolts connecting the strut to the hub/spindle/brake/whatever are out- but rather than being completely out, the top of these 2 bolts is out and in place of the bottom bolt is a broken screwdriver shaft... (I stupidly hammered out the second bolt; it was under pressure from the springs) ...


What's the deal? I can't fit the spring compressors in a good spot because the wheel well doesn't allow it... and my driver's side assembly came out without even using spring compressors...

what am I missing?


Edit: A quick look at the FSM tells me that I shouldn't need to compress springs while the susp' is still in the car. Why on earth is there tension (compression...?) when there shouldn't be!?

Edit: Okay, it shot off by itself about an hour ago, so it's off... and I'm on to the rear suspension.
Speaking of which, which way does the "trumpet" looking thing (on the bottom of the coilover) face? should it face outwards (away from the car) or should the trumpet open inwards, towards the car?

[Yoshi]

u have pics man?
"Trumpet thing"?

are you s13 or s14? &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/eh.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':eh:'>

[drift into a curb]

Sorry for jumping in so late, but if you happen to have some help, you could have had someone step on the caliper to release some of the pressure and pull out the broken screw driver shaft. &nbsp;

I believe if you lift the whole front end of the car with a hydraulic lift, I think that would have relieved the tension from either side you're working on. &nbsp;I remember having the same problem on my s14, I did one side and when I went to go work on the other front strut, it was alot harder to put on then the previous side. &nbsp;

By the way, what coilovers did you get adey?

[adey]

Thanks for the help guys (guy?) ... <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> &nbsp;it took maybe 3 hrs to get the first coilover on (FL)... then a whopping 7 hours to get the second coilover on (FR)... then maybe &nbsp;1 1/2 hrs to get the third one one (RR) and about 45 mins or so to get the last one on (RL). &nbsp;Now that they're on, though, i have to say... the ride is amaaaaazzzinnngggg... sure, going over any sort of uneven road is shit, but when you get into a turn (where the road is smooth) it's absoultely wonderful.

Let me find a pic of the "trumpet" thing that I was talking about.... <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> &nbsp;I realize it probably sounded pretty ridiculous!

[adey]

http://www-scf.usc.edu/~adrielch/jictrumpet.jpg

... that's the trumpet! <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> On my coilovers though, it's bigger and more pronounced... the one in the photo's painted gold w/ the shock body, but mine is black.
BTW mine are JIC FLT-A2 coilovers. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/inlove.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':love:'> Some pretty sexy stuff. The one in the photo is JIC but something else.
-AD

[misnomer]

Wow dood, you made that way too difficult <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

For future reference:
Pull the entire shock/strut/mount out of the car, then separate it. In the front it's three bolts on the top of the strut tower, and iirc two beefy ass bolts on the bottom. I dunrecall the botton rear, but two bolts on top and whatever is still connected on the bottom. Pullem out, THEN clamp them and use a spring compressor to get the upper mount and spring off The top center bolt is essentially what keeps the spring compressed on there, don't mess with it untill it's out of the car and on a spring compressor. Or. . . since you bought coilovers, you prolly don't even need to dissassemble the spring/strut assembly (unless yours didn't come with pillowball upper mounts).

So, next time you feel like taking the suspension of a 240, you know how to do it. They really are easy cars to work on <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

[adey]

oh, yeah, yeah, I realized after a while that I didn't need to compress the springs at all. I wasn't disassembling them though, all I was doing was trying to take the whole thing out of my car... but they were still compressed after jacking the wheels off the ground; that's what boggled me. (i.e. if I forced them out of their mounts, they would have shot into the ground)
I got them all off though, the two rears were straightforward as was the front driver's side. The front passenger side just refused to come off though, until eventually it kind of exploded and fell off. Which was weird.

[misnomer]

hehe, that's why you leave the bolt in the center of the upper mount in it's place untill the entire spring is out of the car. It will hold the spring compressed.

[adey]

ahhh, yes, I see... but I didn't take it off, I just loosened it by maybe 5-7 turns. Would that have made a difference?
It really bothers me (still) that I had such a hard time getting the F-ing stock fronts off...

Also, to those w/ adjustable pillow mounts: on the fronts, do your camber adjusting bolts (the 4 hex-head 'screws'<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> hit/interfere with the shock tower? Mine are verrrrrrrry close (and probably touching) even when I adjust for a mere -0.5 camber.

[bbp]

Adey, be very careful when handling those front struts with the springs compressed. &nbsp;They let go with alot of force, can easily hurt you. &nbsp;Take the strut out by removing the 3 upper nuts (14mm) and two lower (17mm). it comes out as one piece, don't mess with the center nut until you have the spring compressor securely in place. &nbsp;Then remove it with a quick shot of an airgun. &nbsp;Be careful doing this cause you can f up the internals by spinning the rod inside the shock. &nbsp;Same goes for re assembly.

Usually you need to trim the shock tower to get alot of camber adjustment. &nbsp;I had to cut quite a bit out to be able to adjust +-3-4 degrees, which is too much for the street, ok for track or autocross. &nbsp;I'll see if I have some pics to post.

BTW, the trumpet (spacer) is correctly installed in that pic. &nbsp;The smaller end goes against the inner race of that bushing.