Suspension Help

[S13Deviat]

Howdy guys!

In light of my car not going anywhere fast due to dead engine, I am going to hopefully tackle a few DIY jobs this weekend.

I am planning on putting in the coilovers, doing the 5 stud hub conversion and fitting some 5 stud rims.

Now really never done this before and was wondering if people who have done it before could give me a few times.

Coilovers ______

1. Is it a case of removing the current suspension and bolting up the coilovers? Does any modification need doing?

2. Also a mate mentioned some kind of tool is required when removing the stock spring to stop it taking ur head off??? Is a standard G-Clamp gonna go the trick with a bit of improv?

5 Stud Hub Comversion ______

1. Pull the standard hubs off and bolt on the new ones? That simple?

2. Is there specifics i need to be aware of?

Rim Fitting

1. Pretty sure just bolt em on and take it to the nearest tyre place for alignment / balance?

So any help / advice / tips would be so so greatly appreciated!!

Ando

[konect]

check niztek.com for the coilover install. Very good article with pics and all tools. CBF getting link

[S13Deviat]

OMFG Konect!!! If u didnt live in Melb I'd but you a beer or 2 or 3 or even a 6 pack!!!

Found the linky. Awesome write up on how to do it! HHMmmm time to punish the work printer!! PRINT PRINT PRINT!!

[konect]

OMFG Konect!!! If u didnt live in Melb I'd but you a beer or 2 or 3 or even a 6 pack!!!

Found the linky. Awesome write up on how to do it! HHMmmm time to punish the work printer!! PRINT PRINT PRINT!!

LOL work printers / photocopiers are also good for printing multi-page cruise maps

[sky80]

dude...come around on the weekend...im doing a mate's car too...

[Resin]

Coilovers are easy peasy.........just remove the whole existing coilover from the car and replace with the after market unit u have. (funny how it is so much easy to say that! eheheheheh) ......it is very straight forward ....it just some bolts can be a bastard to get off. If you need any help just let me know ....im just a few stations north of chatswood.

[adrnln]

I got times with my Coilover replacment, with a 6 pack, three guys, a jack, spanners, rattle gun and all it took was 13.5 minutes.

Note a must is wheel alignment after

Edited March 2, 2006 by adrnln

[Hella Flush]

strut swap should take no longer than an hour by yourself with a jack, 18mm, 17mm and 14mm

fronts - jack car up by crossmember or 1 side at a time via towhooks with axle stands - both wheels must be off the ground of the swaybar will be lopsided which is where a long 2m pole for leverage to pry it comes in handy (if both wheels off the ground this wont need to be done)

losen top 3 bolts either side strut towers

undo bottom bolts and remove (nut should be an 18mm and bolt a 17mm or other way around)

undo top bolts completely and pull strut out

repeat process backwards to install new struts/overcoils

rears: jack car up by diff so both wheels off the ground

losen top bolts 2x each strut tower

undo bottom 17mm bolt and remove

push shaft loop off of lower control arm

undo top bolts complete and remove strut

repeat process in reverse to install new struts/overcoils

only part youll need someone for is to do up the top bolts on the rears losely when reinstalling... and possibley depending on how wound down the overcoils are - someone to lift the lower arm assemblies to slide inserts for front and rears into position to bolt at the bottom

enjoy!

Edited March 2, 2006 by Hella Flush

[S13Deviat]

sky80 - Ha come around to where....

Resin.. Mate i know the North side like the back of my hand. I live in Chatty area and car is usually either around there or up north around Hornsby.... Will de doing the work around that area.....but if i have any issues maybe PM me ur mobile #?? If u want....but by the sounds of it should be sweet....

More worried about the 5 stub hub conversion... that will be fun....

Ando

[sky80]

come around Ryde 10min from chatty

[S13Deviat]

Okay well time to report in after the weekend spent under the car.....

Coilovers went in easy as pie! So much easier than expected. Case of Carlton Draught, a mate with every tool under the shed and she was done in a couple of hours!!

Things i have noted -

1. NFI on how to set the Softness / Harness properly. On the rears it was pretty easy, just turned it till it wouldnt go any 'softer', then made 15 clicks on both sides to harden it up. The fronts are a diff issues. Unlike the rear coilovers, it would not come to an 'end' when clicking it to the softess setting...it just kept clicking along.... so was unable to get a 'starting' point So just clicked both sides +20 clicks of hardness to each side and hoped for the best. Seems to be working fine thou, NO MORE SCRUBBING....woot!!

2. Handling has changed significantly! The ride is so different.... i think i have set it TOO hard as when accelerating it 'skips' along if the road is a little bumping like it is trying to keep rubber to road. I think it will take a bit of trial and error here.

3. The rear is sitting WAY TOO LOW!! The front guards are sitting about 2-3 cms above the tyre whereas the rear guards are sitting about an INCH below the tyre . I know how to adjust the ride height but i did it up as much as possible on the rears and she still sits on the deck.... I am thinking i need a spring clamp to try and compress the spring to try and wind up the nut a bit more..... Put it this way, the standard jack only just fits under.... the exhaust rides about an inch off the ground.....SCRAPIE SCRAPIE!!!! But should be something a little tinkering cant fix

4. WTF on the front coilovers are the four little adjustable bolts on the top for? They can be moved left to right with little line markings on em....didnt touch this as i didnt wanna fcuk anything up

I also planned on doing the 5 stud hub conversion this weekend but yeah hit a few snags and ended up not doing it. Reasons -

1. The rotor discs need to be redrilled to fit the 5 stud hub thru.....FCUK THAT!!!!

2. Too hard basket!!!!

So plan now is to try and source the full R33 brake, caliper, hub, rotor etc so to do the full conversion. Or source so decent 17" 4 stud rims....whhic as we all know is next to impossible!

Apart from that fixed the power steering but i think i need a new pump big time as she 'whines' so much when turning the wheels!

NFI on where the wires are for the horn. Got 1 and was struggling to locate the right wires.... Will be posting piccies once loaded so ask u guys if any ideas. I know they are supposed to sit right behing the front bar but there was only 2 wires free and they didnt seem to work.....

So yeah all good apart from a few issues....

Just need to save $$$$ for a new engine as it is getting rediculous driving around with white smoke belowing out of her!

Ando signing out!!

PS thats Alex for the offer! May take u up on it very shortly. Payment by beer of course lol

[Resin]

yea getting the height right can be a little bit of a pain ....just make sure u measure everything .....so both sides end up the same height. Also are the hardness might be caused by the springs being too hard......mine were (well too hard for me) so i have swapped 6k rears into front and im getting some new 4k ones for the rear.

Not sure about the front shock adjustment why it doesnt stop. unless its broken. ( are they second hand?)

Also are urs base adjustable? as well as under spring adjustable?

[S13Deviat]

yea getting the height right can be a little bit of a pain ....just make sure u measure everything .....so both sides end up the same height. Also are the hardness might be caused by the springs being too hard......mine were (well too hard for me) so i have swapped 6k rears into front and im getting some new 4k ones for the rear.

Not sure about the front shock adjustment why it doesnt stop. unless its broken. ( are they second hand?)

Also are urs base adjustable? as well as under spring adjustable?

Resin - Mate did a rough measurement of all corners and had them pretty much same for fronts & rears.

I have NFI what KG rating the springs are.... All i know is the fronts are fine but the rears are questionable!

They are new coilovers, well display model, so who knows....maybe i didnt click enough times but hey how many settings can there be.....

Base adjustable / Spring adjustable...WHA DA??

There is the 'needle' adjuster on top for hard / soft with 4 little bolts on fronts at top by the struts...as before NFI what these 4 bolts do....

There are 3 adjustable nuts under the spring. One at the base where it connects to the wheel / hub. 1 right underneath spring and 1 below to tighten the top one......

That is as far as i know that provides adjustability....once again having never dealth with coilovers before i am very noobish

Ando

[Resin]

Resin - Mate did a rough measurement of all corners and had them pretty much same for fronts & rears.

I have NFI what KG rating the springs are.... All i know is the fronts are fine but the rears are questionable!

They are new coilovers, well display model, so who knows....maybe i didnt click enough times but hey how many settings can there be.....

Base adjustable / Spring adjustable...WHA DA??

There is the 'needle' adjuster on top for hard / soft with 4 little bolts on fronts at top by the struts...as before NFI what these 4 bolts do....

There are 3 adjustable nuts under the spring. One at the base where it connects to the wheel / hub. 1 right underneath spring and 1 below to tighten the top one......

That is as far as i know that provides adjustability....once again having never dealth with coilovers before i am very noobish

Ando

4 little bolts sound like the screws for the camber adjustment. ....

the 3 other nuts sound like the locking plates? ............if so then the two top ones are used to raise the height of the car ......the bottom one sounds like the locking nut for the base adjustment for the heght (which doesnt affect the spring )......u should be able to undo this and wind it down ..........

upload a pic of them ........will be much easier to explain ! heheheh

[S13Deviat]

Resin - Mate sounds like ur on the money I am pretty sure the 4 little bolts are for camber adjustment, but once again, have no idea how to adjust this so am leaving as is.

The 3 locking plates are exactly how u described.....just with the rears i have done the top 2 plates up as tight as possible but she still sits so so low...thats why i am thinking about using a spring clamp to compress the spring and try and do em up a bit more!

Took a couple of pics but will get some more soon.

On side note was wondering if someone can help me find where the hell the wiring for the horn is!! Please see 3 pics.

1. Some wire, red / black / grey with a black plastic connector on end

2. Some dooby thingy cylinder with a thread on end

3. Where i assume the wires can be found....behind front bar

Cheers,