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jhorton3
Jedi Warrior
Offline
12:15AM I finally got all the bits installed for the front suspension, and the wheels are now on the ground. I'm one day shy of it being a month long project. There were some lessons learned along the way though, that I hope helps someone in the future. So here's Jim's Top 10...
First Lesson. Suspect replacing everything in your suspension. It's nice to think just replacing rubber bushings will get you by. If it does, then consider yourself very fortunate. The only items I wound up not replacing were the spring pans. Even my anti-roll bar was bad because it had a curve in the middle.
Second lesson. No matter how much pressure washing you do prior to tearing everything down, you're still going to look like Mark Hammill at the car wash in Corvette Summer every time you work on it.
Third lesson. Don't install the wheel bearings backward.
Forth lesson. Even though removing the steering column seems to a bit of a pain to replace the steering rack, nothing compares to wasting an entire afternoon trying to get the pinch bolt unstuck during reassembly. Wound up cutting it off with a Dremel tool and punching out the remains.
Fifth Lesson. Jack's floor jack method to remove the springs. Quick and easy. Trunion bolt to shock arm should be removed as well as tie rod disconnected from control arm. Let the floor jack down slowly and no one gets hurt.
Sixth lesson. Long bolt method for reinstalling springs. After hearing of the guy here in Georgia who's car fell on him, I wasn't too keen on kicking the springs back into place. I've already suffered enough bruises and cuts. Small 1/4" ratchet with 1/2" socket worked well, along with a deep 1/2" socket to run the nut up the bolt a little quicker. Put a long bolt in the outer front hole (as you're looking from the swivel axle toward the engine bay) and the inner back hole. I thought I had a little more room going with that configuration. It takes time, but I was able to get it done.
Seventh Lesson. Buy the largest pack of paper or shop towels you can get. Goes along with second lesson.
Eighth Lesson. Wife does not like having the air compressor kick on in the garage at 3 in the morning because some nameless person forgot to flip the on switch to off.
Ninth Lesson. Sitting on concrete for hours trying to figure out how to get that part on or off makes you butt numb and flat. Even with some rubber mats I acquired it didn't help.
Tenth Lesson. You're going to spend a lot of time and money on this project. I'm right now about $150 over what the local shop quoted me for a rebuild. Their price would've probably been higher due to the steering rack condition.
So now I'm going to bed where visions of castellated nuts better not be dancing in my head.
First Lesson. Suspect replacing everything in your suspension. It's nice to think just replacing rubber bushings will get you by. If it does, then consider yourself very fortunate. The only items I wound up not replacing were the spring pans. Even my anti-roll bar was bad because it had a curve in the middle.
Second lesson. No matter how much pressure washing you do prior to tearing everything down, you're still going to look like Mark Hammill at the car wash in Corvette Summer every time you work on it.
Third lesson. Don't install the wheel bearings backward.
Forth lesson. Even though removing the steering column seems to a bit of a pain to replace the steering rack, nothing compares to wasting an entire afternoon trying to get the pinch bolt unstuck during reassembly. Wound up cutting it off with a Dremel tool and punching out the remains.
Fifth Lesson. Jack's floor jack method to remove the springs. Quick and easy. Trunion bolt to shock arm should be removed as well as tie rod disconnected from control arm. Let the floor jack down slowly and no one gets hurt.
Sixth lesson. Long bolt method for reinstalling springs. After hearing of the guy here in Georgia who's car fell on him, I wasn't too keen on kicking the springs back into place. I've already suffered enough bruises and cuts. Small 1/4" ratchet with 1/2" socket worked well, along with a deep 1/2" socket to run the nut up the bolt a little quicker. Put a long bolt in the outer front hole (as you're looking from the swivel axle toward the engine bay) and the inner back hole. I thought I had a little more room going with that configuration. It takes time, but I was able to get it done.
Seventh Lesson. Buy the largest pack of paper or shop towels you can get. Goes along with second lesson.
Eighth Lesson. Wife does not like having the air compressor kick on in the garage at 3 in the morning because some nameless person forgot to flip the on switch to off.
Ninth Lesson. Sitting on concrete for hours trying to figure out how to get that part on or off makes you butt numb and flat. Even with some rubber mats I acquired it didn't help.
Tenth Lesson. You're going to spend a lot of time and money on this project. I'm right now about $150 over what the local shop quoted me for a rebuild. Their price would've probably been higher due to the steering rack condition.
So now I'm going to bed where visions of castellated nuts better not be dancing in my head.
words to live by. thanks - ahhh the joy of LBC ownership
