Quote:
Originally Posted by cycleboy
One more thing, my install time was nearly 7 hours. 1.5 for the fronts, the rest for the rear. The problem was I needed to bench press the LCA enough to get the bolts through the holes. This was VERY hard to do by myself. I finally succeeded by putting the bolt through the hub first, then strut, then pushing like hell to get the sway bar attached. That then made the inboard end of the LCA close enough that with another big struggle I got that bolt in.
If I'd only had a second jack to lift the arm with, which I learned later was a good way to go.
I've been sore all over for most of this week!
|
7 hours
I guess you are sore.
glad you were able to get the job done.
Replacing brake pads and rotors is the closest I have ever come to doing an install on the scale of the RCE Yellow spring installation. It took me a bit over 4 hours to complete and for the most part, I would describe the task as straight forward. Follow what others have posted on this forum regarding the install process and take your time. Proper workspace, tools and lighting are mandatory, IMO. Don't forget SAFETY. Especially, when climbing under a car on jack stands.
The rears took me the longest, too. Fortunately, I had a second jack and was able to get the rear LCA back in place once I realized that the spring needed to be compressed a little to get the LCA bolt back in place.
Like you, I was confused as to the orientation of the springs, but I saw in the installation manual that the writing on the spring was right side up, so that's what I did.
Removing the black plastic strips between the coils never entered my mind. I think I read somewhere that they had a purpose.
I was temporarily stalled by the fact that the rear bump stops I received in my kit were different than the bump stops shown in the instructions. Frustrated, I called RCE during the installation, but the guy that answered the phone seemed perplexed and did not know the answer, and Miles was not available. In the end, the rear bump stop was the same on both sides, so I figured as long as RCE included the correct part, I couldn't go wrong.
I was able to complete the installation. Test drove my car and was really very impressed with the results.
For me, the feeling of satisfaction was off the charts. I think it also helped with my level of confidence when working on my car. Well worth the effort and I could justify buying a few new tools with the money I saved doing the job myself.
.
.
.