Pagin da Injuneer...

[4THGEN Z]

hey Fred...I am going to attempt changin out my front springs (SLP) and shocks (Bilstein) myself and have gone over your outstanding write-up on your website ( ) and want to know how much time I should allow do do the front only cause I planning to do the rear 1 evening after work and the front the next...think an evening is enough time???

Thanks......Stew

[Injuneer]

Its always a hard thing for me to estimate the time to do a lot of this stuff because a) I usually save up a couple related projects and do them at the same time.... b) since my car isn't a daily driver, sometimes I just leave it sitting for a week or so while any project is underway.

But.... to jack the front, put it on stands, and remove the spring/shock assembly on one side shouldn't take more than an hour. There is always that one hard bolt or nut to reach on each side (the one under the A/C switch on the passenger side, and the one under the brake booster on the drivers side).

Note from the writeup that I took apart the lower ball joint (I want to completely remove the lower a-arm from the car, because I was also doing complete new ploy bushings at the same time). The lower ball joint is the hardest one to get apart, and you can do the most damage to the ball joint seal. Second choice is seperating the upper ball joint, and people tell me that if you just whack the side of the upper a-arm, the joint will pop and you don't need a pickle fork. Finally, some people just jack the front end, unbolt the lower shock mount and upper spring perch, loosen the sway bar end link, and press the wheel down real hard to seperate the upper and lower arms and allow the spring/shock sassembly to fall out without seperating either ball joint.

Once you get the spring/shock out, figure 30 minutes to seperate it with a spring compressor, and reassemble the new parts. That can be doubled very easilly if the upper shock nut is rusted fast to the shock stem, and you have to torch it or cut the shock stem.

Another 30 minutes to put it back in the car and tighten stuff up.... so I guess that will make it 1-1/2 to 2 hours per side. Somebody will post and say they did it in 15 minutes per side.... but the way I work tends to be very slow and methodical, and I always work alone..... and maybe too many "cold beverage breaks"....

[4THGEN Z]

Thanks Fred....I'll let you know how it works out....I just did the LS1 brake upgrade and when I had to replace the knuckles, a couple whacks of the hammer (on the knuckles of course) separated both the upper and lower ball joints with ease and no damage....

[FRMLAV8]

One thing to add!

I also used Fred's write up when I did my spring's and shock's and it is a great tool. The one thing I will throw in though is the "unforseen event!"
When I did the rear shocks it took about 1hr., the front's are a different story. My car is a 93 and it had some miles on it so where I ran into the problem was disassembling the coil over strut assembly. There is a nut at the top that has to be removed to take it apart. The nut was so corroded it wouldn't come off. I had to cut the rod at the top of the strut in two with a hacksaw. Now I don't know what that thing was made of, but I am guessing it is the same thing bank vault doors are made of because it took several hours of "hacking" away to get through it.
I noticed you were in Canada - I don't know if you drive in the winter or not, but if so I would guess there will be some rust on there.

Randy

[4THGEN Z]

thanks for the heads-up.....yeah I do drive it all year round and and am willing to bet there will be corrosion, a number of people have mentioned this situation....

....should still be easier than plugs and wires though....right?!?!

[JimmyP]

What type of poly bushings did you use to replace the stock ones? Do you have kit/part #'s?
I plan on replacing the bushings at the same time I install my lowering springs.

[4THGEN Z]

Originally posted by JimmyP
What type of poly bushings did you use to replace the stock ones? Do you have kit/part #'s?
I plan on replacing the bushings at the same time I install my lowering springs.

I believe Fred got the complete front bushing set from Energy suspension....

ES Applications

[Injuneer]

Yes.... the Energy Suspension "Master Kit" includes just about every bushing on the car, including the two for each upper a-arm, and the two for each lower a-arm. The old bushings need to be "burned" out with a torch if you do it at home and don't have a press. Very messy..... that's why its best to get at least the lower a-arms completely out of the car. The upper a-arms will flop out quite a way while still attached to the steering knuckle, and the bushings are relatively easy to burn out and push back in.