Spring Installation Problem (w/ pic)

Andrizzle

Andrizzle

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Hey guys, of course I ran into a problem on the first wheel...

I am following the spring installation instructions, but my car seems to differ slightly. In the instructions, it shows the bolt and nut holding the shock assembly w/ the nut facing forward with the car, however, on my car the nut is on the opposite side facing the rear, so there is this little black link thing blocking me from removing the bolt... I was just going to take it off, but I am not sure what it even is and it is not pictured in the instructions... I tried loosening the nuts for it, but the opposite side is just a great plastic cover and the bolt just turns inside... There is nothing ti grab it and take it off.

Does this make sense? I attached a photo.

Also a pic of my wheels that came today.



Sorry I have never done any suspension work before and this is new to me, I am sure after i finish this one wheel I will be able to do the others much quicker... I hope anyways >.<

help.jpg


jh9.jpg
 
Yeah just go ahead and take that off. Its your sway bar end link. Now is a good time to replace them if there is any play in the ball joint, they are one of the many clunk culprits in the front suspension. The end of the stud should be hexagonal. Just put a socket or wrench on it and turn the nut off.
 
Those wheels are really nice.I was looking at those before.Are they 19's? I guess wrecking your car wasnt such a bad thing after all ,look at all the new stuff you are getting...
 
Those rims look good! Quit teasing me already and throw them on!! I know you are doing the springs but for at least one pic!!!
 
What they said. Just remove it the link.

Badass wheels.
 
okay I got the first spring on...


ALl I can say is wow what a PITA... spring compressors are the most annoying things ever. I am doing this all with a non-air tools too... So it is taking forever... I wish I had someone to help me, do both sides at the same time.
 
Sexy sexy things! Can't wait to see the finished product
 
No air tools? FAIL. That would take forever without them.

Wait til you try to get the rear ones reinstalled.
 
Those little black things are your anti sway bar end links. It's hard to take them off. Most of the time you have to beat them out with a hammer, then you'd be forced to replace them with new ones.

You can try jacking up the lower control arm, which might cause the end links to move around, giving you the room to pull the bolts out.

I gotta give you a lot of credit for doing all that work yourself. Never know how much you can do, unless you try right.
 
Andrizzle said:
so the rears are harder than the fronts?

GDI...
Click to expand...

Just trying to get the top bolts back through the trunk floor is a little challenging. At least, if you are doing it by yourself. When we did my springs, there were 2 of us.
 
Okay so It is extremely annoying trying to align the bolts into their porper positions while lining it up with the strut support... I just had to re compress one of the fronts like 3 times to get it right...


I wish I didnt work in the morning, I wanna stay up and finish this while im on a roll and have my steps fresh in mind. BUt it is already 6pm and i have one spring in, and the other wrestling with lining it up.


And yes the sway bar links are fvcking annoying trying to put back in, I have to play with the jack for the control arm trying to find the perfect alignment to screw them back on. There better not be any of this BS on the rears lol.

I can already tell with the one lowered spring it is going to look badass BTW lol! I am excited, going to eat dinner and go back out there, my little space heater in the garage is working overtime... like me!
 
Dude get em' done and post pics

NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously though I had a hard time with the end links on my 02. I ended up paying a mechanic I know 160.00 to do the springs on my 06.
 
Am I missing something? What is so hard about taking off the end links? I've never had a difficult time on any of the cars I've taken them off of. I will say though that using a spring compresser with only hand tools by yourself really sucks ass. And yeah lining up the spring and the boot and cap all while trying to get the little nut on isn't easy either. But good work so far, hang in there you'll get it.
 
I'll be doing this Friday, with air tools.

After I get my car done, I am doing sussy on a BMW 335. I'm sure the LS will be simple compared to that.
 
pektel said:
Just trying to get the top bolts back through the trunk floor is a little challenging. At least, if you are doing it by yourself. When we did my springs, there were 2 of us.
Click to expand...

i would very much so disagree with this as I found the backs easy as hell! But then again each LS is in its own condition and different things are worn in different places. I had a hell of time with my right front, but the left front was easy and the rears took less time combined than the left front took alone.
 
To avoid the problem with tension on the sway bar end links, have both wheels hanging at the end of their suspension travel, off the ground. That bar is meant to be twisted on turns, but doing it on a jack is a pain.

If you misaligned the shock with respect to the triple bolt upper mounting plate, simply turn the lower end of the shock with a 3/8" drive socket extension. The shock will turn. I slap white grease on my bottom spring support plates to assist in this turning, but they will turn dry as well, given enough muscle.

BTW: I bought sway bar end links from rock auto and they had grease fittings on them! Sweet! No tiny hex holding feature, either, just real nuts on the studs.

IMG00150-20090815-1340.jpg

IMG00150-20090815-1340.jpg
 
phew this is a workout... Major muscle cramps in my arms from all this.

Already slamming down the ibuprofen knowing I am going to want to die @ work tomorow. I am making good time now that I know wut I am doing, the front right was a breeze after doing the left.

The rear left was annoying at first because of that rear sway bar or whatever was blocking the strut from falling. Had to undo that and it was rusted on like amofo!


On my last spring, guess I am going to go ahead and mount the new wheels while I am out there.
 
THEMOJOMAN said:
LS is a WARMED OVER TAURUS.
Click to expand...

The MKS is a Taurus, but I know of nothing at all that is shared between the LS (a DEW98 rear wheel drive platform) and the Taurus. Perhaps you should do some more research before trying a hit-and-run post?
 
Okay I just ran into a huge problem, I have been on the last spring for an hour now and I cant even get the old one out.

For some reason the strut was forced down into the bracket that holds it and now it is jammed. The strut assembly is jammed between this and one of the walls in the strut tower... I have been trying to maneuver my jack on the strut and everything trying to free it, but it wont budge?!


Why is the fvcking control arm so springy?! I have to jump as hard as I can on it to get it to move and it barely moved if at all.

I can't believe this is happening on the last fkn one...



Can anyone help? Here is a photo of the jamming, this sucks a$$!



It looks like freeing the control arm would work, but I don't even know where to do that. I can't figure out how the LS's control arms are forced upwards all the time, I don't get it?????
:mad:

fuck.jpg
 
I called it quits after 2 hours of trying to free the strut... What a mess on the last fricking one!

The worst part about it is I STILL dunno how I am going to get that out.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I am going to be sore as balls for work tomorow
 
Try hammerin it out. How the hell did u get it there anyways? I did my springs myself without airtools. Took a while but wasnt really difficult. Was harder on my 325i.

Take the stand out, put the car on the jack or on a stand and try hammering or turning the shock till it comes out of the jam.

Also disconnect the rear sway bar links, those are keepin the arms "up".
 
When I did mine (without air tools) I removed everything. Took about 4hrs total but everything went very smooth. I was gonna get the JH9's.. Gotta find something else now.. Your LS will look better with them tho :D
 
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