i'm gonna be installing my teins this weekend, and just looking for anyone that's installed their own suspension to let me know of any difficulties or even just the hardest thing u encountered when doing this...i'm just getting into doing my own work on the car and have never done suspension, only brakes!

One question i have when seperating the knuckle from the ball joint on the rear upper control arm, did you use a pitman arm puller, and when you connect it again, do you have to hammer it back in, or just tighten the castle nut till it pops back in,

and when reassembling the stock upper shock mount, was there any part you would recommend replacing? pls any tips or suggestions would be cool, thanks!

 

Suspension jobs are great first upgrades ! they can be a little tricky at first, but it well worth it. Try and find someone who has done it to help out, but make sure you do most the work, its a great thing to know how to do. 2 things: 1 make sure you get a spring compressor so you dont kill yourself; and 2 if you're not upgrading your tires be carefull on those turns, i stiffer ride doesn't like stock tires and you can lose it easily.

 

i got avid h4's, i know they are not great, but they work for now, and i'm gonna rent a spring compressor, don't worry, i'm not suicidal! I was mainly wondering about the knuckle seperation, and about the tool people used, if you used one at all?? but thanks anyways!

 

just get someone to help you... me and my friends install mine in about 4 hours took our time make sure to get it str8... like somone allready set get spring compressor.. those help... good luck

 

heh my friend tried without a spring compressor... make SURE you use one! he about killed himself when it came flying off

 

Did my springs bout 2 weeks ago. Rent a spring compressor and a pittman arm puller from Auto Zone; spring compressor=$55 and Pittman puller=$20, which you get back when you return them. I found a friend helpful, also. It's pretty straightforward and easy, my prob. was the top threads on two of my shocks stripped out when putting them back on, and one is still stripped; it rattles like a **** back there, but the nut's on tight and I'll prob. just fix it when I get new shocks.

 

As for the ball joint, just slide the the arm puller on the joint and hand tighten it up. Use a socket wrench to tighten it up, and keep your head from outta the tire well: it's gonna pop off suddenly. When putting it back together, just pull the hole-part (bottom) of it back onto the bolt part(top) of it (not sure what to call it all). It should fit together in your hands with a little effort. Just tighten it hand tight, then it will hold itself and you can use a socket to tighten it up good.

 

Wow, I musta been lucky! I've done three cars without a spring compressor.

 

you actually don't have to separate the knuckle... it's less hassle if you don't.

 

I am hosting this page that SOMEONE ELSE wrote.
http://www.geocities.com/joon525/Teins/Tein.htm
I used that when I did my Tein installation on my 5th Gen.
Just take your time. It's not hard at all.

I reused my stock upper mounts. To get them off I didn't use a spring compressor, this is how I did it. You know those futon mattresses? I had an old one that I folded in half. I put the stock shock in the crease. I put the allen wrench in the top of the stock shock and moved the whole thing up against a wall so that there was NO, repeat absolutely NO gap between the wall and the allen wrench. Using an open ended wrench I then took the nut off. When it popped the nut definitely wasn't going anywhere since it would just shoot out along the allen wrench and then stop at the wall. The rest of the shock was engulfed in the mattress as my friend stood on it.
I don't really recommend this technique but that's how I did it. If you can't think of a creative and SAFE, repeat SAFE way of doing it I would suggest just bringing the shocks to a garage and paying someone to get them off or use a spring compressor.

Like I said before just take your time. By the way, some people replace the collar in the stock upper mount to cure shock knock.
It's part number Part# 52728-S30-004 in the following link
http://www.handaaccessories.com/premaint.html

(I assume NO responsibility from people using the page that I am hosting)


[Modified by Joon525, 11:33 PM 11/29/2002]

 

you gonna be posting a guide to the fronts as well?

 

ok ok here we go

first take off your wheel, then take off the 2 10mm bolts that hold the ABS line in place just to make sure u dont break it also take off the 2 12mm bolts that hold the brake line onto the strut, then take off the upper bolt that is holding the A brace together (has a cotter pin throught it is a 17mm). now notice nothing happens. if u have a balpeen hammer bang on the metal peice(if u do this put on the nut so u dont hit the threads and tear it up) or u can get a ball joint seperator. if u hit it with a hammer it will take a few good hits. next remove the 17mm bolt that holds the fork on.(you will have to use another 17mm on the other side to hold it in place). next remove the 14mm bolt that holds the fork to the strut. next remove the 3 14mm bolts under the hood off (strut tower bar bolts). not all u have to do is push down on the rotor assembly. (your gonna leave the fork over the axle so jus tthe spring and the strut comes off. and repeat for the other side. just reverse to install. its that easy. dont forget when you install it the strut has to be alined to go into the fork. it has a little grove in the fork. also make sure u put another cotter pin back in the 17mm bolt with the ball joint.. you have to line up the holes in the thread...rear is straight forward. im tired of typing... must get an alighment fast cause your toe and camber will be off as well as caster.


[Modified by BoostedH23a1, 11:53 AM 11/30/2002]

 

Yeah, del_ is correct. I did it also without separating the knucle from the ball joint... And you need spring compressor for the front ones if you do not have new top mounts. Good luck !

 

its not a hastle to. it only takes 2 mins. then u can move the **** easier. but techinally no, u dont have to take it off..

 

Suspension is easy, I can do it in an hour.

 

Nope......the fronts on a base model 5th Gen are just like the rears but without any of the hassle with the ball joints.

 

Thanks everyone, i'm in the process right now, and i've got one done, i spent many hours taking out my driveshaft yesterday and repacking my inner cv joint with grease and new boot, man that was ****** frustrating, i'll never do that again...
just buy a remanufactured driveshaft nextime, the clamp that came with the boot kit was so shitty, it didn't even really fit, we had to stretch it just to fit on...to hard to explain, but i just know i'll never do it again!!

So i am using the pitman arm puller, i think it goes pretty fast even with that, so it doesn't bother me...

Just one thing...the brake line? Did you just ghetto rig it around the shock or something? What did you guys do?

 

When i put mine back on, one of them didn't wanna fit back on right, so I just attached it back w/ only one of the bolts insteada two. No probs since...

 

OK.....well i got the two front ones in, didn't have to remove the ball joint on the passanger side, but now to the rears...i heard it was easier...seems like the fronts are easier to me, even with seperating the upper ball joint it was still a real bitch to get the stock shocks out in the rears!

**** the first time is frustrating...i know it will be easier next time though!

 

I think i got shock knock, i have never heard what shock knock sounds like but it sounds like a big clunk, like something is loose back there on my right rear shock, but i checked and everything looks tight and good, what else could it be, could replacing the mounting collar in the stock really take clunk away...

seems kind of a harsh sound for such a little thing...i just don't know how that could be possible....please someone explain this if you know, cause it just doesn't enter my brain...

But if anyone knows what else it could possibly be, please let me know!!! I'm going crazy!

 

how about the coil to the strut?

 

no, i checked that, it's tight on there, i tightened it with the two wrenches as tight as i could...the top of the strut is tight, but for some reason i couldn't tighten them to 22lbs torque...it just turned the whole upper mount rubber part...and was really squeeky while doin that, i don't know, i'm puzzled!

 

I need help guys....can anyone explain SHOCK KNOCK???? I think i have it...but i've never felt it before...it feels like my rear right shock is loose, when i go really slow over a bump...kind of like a hollow clunk...but i've looked and it looks fine...i'm gonna put a new collar for the rubber mount bushing, like was mentioned above, hopefully that should do it, but anyother suggestions would really help...

i just want my $1600 suspension to feel like it's worth that money!! Thats canadian dollars by the way

 

I had the same problem when i did mine; turns out i forgot the big washer thing in the assembly that kept the shock's threaded rod from pokin into the trunk. I fixed that, but it still creaks and knocks b/c I stripped the threads on the shock's rod putting them back on. Since I couldn't tighten it up enough, the shock was loose and creaked. Yours is prob the same thing; since you couldn't tighten it up, it's knocking. For you to fix that, though, you just have to use a wrench to tighten the nut while holding the shock's rod w/ an allen wrench. Look at the top of the rod and you'll see what I'm talkin about; just make sure not to strip that out!

 

I know what your talkin about with that hex key hole on the top of the strut but i can't do that with the Tein's cause that's the valving adjustment...i'm not gonna screw with that!

But thanks anyways...and if anyone else can explain shock knock..please, c'mon all you suspension experts...there's gotta be a couple of you here???