BlitzSix

Hey guys. I'm trying to install springs and I can't get them off the shock.

I tried the fronts and they can out like pie.

The rears are a huge pain, first of all my bolts on the lower control arms are all seized, but I don't want to replace them so I'm just going them while they're on the car. It's a bit awkward to work there, and of course they're 10000x harder to do than the fronts.

I bent my allen key (see picture). I'm done for the day but I'm going to go back tomorrow with more tools. I already spray liquid wrench and it didn't help, I'm thinking of bringing a torch... but I'm worried I'll fry the bushing...do you think it will be okay if I just heat up the bolt/nut? Or will the bushing get damaged.

Also, I was going to buy a new allen key, but I don't even know what kind to buy. Every allen key I've seen was like this one, just a small piece, and it's just going to bend again if I buy another one. Do they have allen keys as like a socket, so I can just up it on my ratchet and then use a breaker bar?

Thanks!

dumafit

just take an impact gun and zap loose the 14mm's and then shoot the nut into a bucket

BlitzSix

I don't have air tools. My buddy has an impact wrench, those electrical ones. I *could* go and borrow that, but from my experience they do a much poorer job of breaking stuff loose than just hand tools (if it's on very tight), and it's more just for the convenience factor once you crack it loose..

The specs are: Powerful 7.5A motor. 240 lb/ft. of torque. 2,700 bpm, 2,200 rpm.

Is it worth it, you think it will work ? Thanks.

dumafit

might as well try it if you can't get it off as it is

trustdestruction

What I did was I put the rear of the car on jackstands, and then jacked up the lower control arm, forcing the shock piston higher up and relieving the spring's tension.
Then I took an impact wrench and it spun that nut right off.

JohnnyWash1

There are allen key sockets, but that is not what you need. You should be spinning the nut, not the allen key.

BlitzSix

Yeah I know I should be spinning the nut, but it still got bent while I was keeping it still while trying to spin the nut.

Still debating whether I should borrow the impact wrench, seems to me that you guys got it off like that but it's not usually powerful enough when I tried to use it..

tr4c3

Those lca bolts always break. Just go grab spares. I swapped blox lca's on when I did the suspension on my old ej so it was a bit easier. We used a t-handle and vice grips to get the perches off. Was a big pain in the ***.

BlitzSix

Oh god, what a horrible, horrible waste of my weekend.

I borrowed my friend's impact gun, I got a torch, I was ready. I tried doing the back one, and it actually broke it loose, but it won't come fully off, it's stuck near the top (probably because the bolt is a little rusty there..). I tried everything, it would not come off. I then tried again with hand tools, and now stripped the inside of that bold where the alleh key goes. It's RIDICULOUSLY tight, I was using the proper size allen key and everything I have no idea how it stripped it :/

So I figured ok I'll do the fronts (since I can get them off the car, I can't get the back ones off the car..) and then bring it to a shop to let them use their air gun on the back ones. Guess what, same thing with the fronts. It broke loose fine but got stuck at the top. The impact wrench just spins it, I have no way to hold it so that it stays to get the nut off. That one is completely stripped on the inside too.

The kicker? After wasting two days on this on my 00 Civic, for kicks I decided to try it on my 92 Civic parts car in the garage. All of them came off after 2 seconds with the impact gun. FML.

Now here is where I need advice. This is the biggest waste of time but what I'm going to do it, bring the shock off the front to have the shop take it off in another car, come back, install lowering spring, take off other front shock, put spring compressor on it, bring it to shop again. Then with the front lowered and the back stock I'll drive to the shop yet again, and ahve them pop off the 2 back ones, and then deal with those.

My question is, what do I do about the part I stripped? I would need to use that to tighten them down but I can't now.. Like I said I have a 92 parts car, can I somehow use that one's bolt, or is it like part of the shock? Please don't tell me I have to buy new shocks .

Thanks.

trustdestruction

Honestly, you'd be better off buying new shocks/struts and top hats.

If you're installing lowering springs, it's only a matter of time before the stock ones blow anyway.

BlitzSix

Yeah see I woudln't mind spending some $ on shocks, but the thing is like I said my back ones are siezed so I would need rear LCAs... springs + shocks + LCAs + alignement = a lot of money to drop on a car that's supposed to be my money saving reliable gas saver.

I was hoping to run on stocks for a while, maybe replace them next summer or something..

trustdestruction

Yea I doubt you'll get more than 6 months out of them. (stock shocks on lowering springs) Especially since from how it sounds, these stock shocks are pretty old and worn.