Coil Binding on Coilovers

[sshole]

1. You can work on 1 side at a time. It will be difficult to get everything back in, though because of the sway bar endlinks. Personally, I would just lift the front of the car and work both sides.

2. Yes. See above.

3. Yes. Front jacking point with a long reach jack, 2 jack stands on the pinch welds, make sure your e-brake is tight and the car is in gear (any gear will work - this is just a backup in case your e-brake fails).

[ericmpena]

Thanks for the response. One last thing, where exactly do you place the jackstands under the car to support it? I'm assuming you don't place it on the same beam you used to raise the car?
A video I watched online said to just look for a solid area under the car, but didn't really give details on how to know if it's a solid area that will hold the weight of the car.

[sshole]

Front jack point is the black metal bar that's between the aluminum splash shield and front under tray (the one closest to the front bumper that covers the headers).





Place your jack stands under the pinch welds - one on each side - look below your side skirt for the following:




http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10111

[Propaganda]

Whole thing, from the second you start to grab your tools to the point it is back on the ground should be under an hour. It's not hard at all with the end links... that was the easiest part. If you have an impact.... use it on the top of the strut, it will make your life easier. Just make sure that everything goes on the same way it came off

[ericmpena]

Radial Bearings worked like a charm! Zero spring binding now. Got them installed + alignment all for $100. Radial Bearings from Fortune Auto were $98 shipped, so all together it only cost me $200. I'm satisfied with the fix. Car sounds good as new!

[solidONE]

Nice!

[spdbydesignchris]

Originally Posted by ericmpena

Radial Bearings worked like a charm! Zero spring binding now. Got them installed + alignment all for $100. Radial Bearings from Fortune Auto were $98 shipped, so all together it only cost me $200. I'm satisfied with the fix. Car sounds good as new!

Can you send the old bearings back to us?


I'll send them to the manufacturer for inspection.


Thanks man!


Chris

[spdbydesignchris]

I'll PM you with my FedEx account, won't cost you a penny to send back.


Appreciate your patience


Chris

[PNW FRS]

OK... I ordered the bearings from FT86.com... box has come in with the two bearings... and one baggie with two black discs (spacers? gaskets?) When I watched the install video from Fortune, it sure looks like the guy is putting one disc on lower perch and then one disc on top... between top of spring and the new bearing.

How did your install of the bearings (and rings) work out?

[PNW FRS]

Alrighty... pulled the front struts off and installed the TB from Fortune-Auto. A couple of install notes from the install on the Coilovers from SBD...

The perch isolators (2x) that come with the Fortune Auto TB do not really fit well. The hard plastic isolators that came off the SBD product actually fit better -- a nice tight centric fit... instead of what would be a very non-centric loose fit with the provided isolators from FA.

When reassembling the top end... it became apparent that there isn't a real easy way to torque down the top nut to 40-60 ft/lb -- no way to easily keep the shaft from turning -- no way to safely grip the top tip of the shaft. So, my wrench suggested we just use the impact gun to set the top nut as he didn't want to use vise grips on the shaft. Not really a good set of options, so that's what we did... and time will tell if the impact gun torque down enough.





Went for a short test drive... no coil bind from the usual locations on my driveway/street... we'll see how it works out during tomorrow morning's commute.

Edit/Update: Wow... for the first time since I've had these on the car, NO coil bind (wind) noise. I still need to track down some intermittent "clunking" sounds that only seem to occur when I'm on especially rough roads (e.g., really bad asphalt with lots of small ripples, ridges, depressions, etc.).

Update: Huzzah!! Found the offending nut on the end link (at one of the adjusting ends...) that was tightened the wrong way!! Instead of being tightened down onto the shaft, it was tightened UP to the ball joint -- "grinding" against the outside of the ball joint. Fixed... and now the suspension is QUIET!!

Wow.. what a learning experience!

[fretchh]

The spring is moving each time the wheel is turning, that's the sound you're hearing. I had the same thing happen this weekend when I put my stock shocks back on and had to move my top hats from the KW to the stock shocks.

I forgot to install a mount that fits between the top hat and the top of the spring. It was a cone shaped metal piece that held the spring straight while still allowing movement when the wheel is turned.

[Strife26]

Originally Posted by PNW FRS

Alrighty... pulled the front struts off and installed the TB from Fortune-Auto. A couple of install notes from the install on the Coilovers from SBD...

The perch isolators (2x) that come with the Fortune Auto TB do not really fit well. The hard plastic isolators that came off the SBD product actually fit better -- a nice tight centric fit... instead of what would be a very non-centric loose fit with the provided isolators from FA.

When reassembling the top end... it became apparent that there isn't a real easy way to torque down the top nut to 40-60 ft/lb -- no way to easily keep the shaft from turning -- no way to safely grip the top tip of the shaft. So, my wrench suggested we just use the impact gun to set the top nut as he didn't want to use vise grips on the shaft. Not really a good set of options, so that's what we did... and time will tell if the impact gun torque down enough.





Went for a short test drive... no coil bind from the usual locations on my driveway/street... we'll see how it works out during tomorrow morning's commute.

Edit/Update: Wow... for the first time since I've had these on the car, NO coil bind (wind) noise. I still need to track down some intermittent "clunking" sounds that only seem to occur when I'm on especially rough roads (e.g., really bad asphalt with lots of small ripples, ridges, depressions, etc.).

Update: Huzzah!! Found the offending nut on the end link (at one of the adjusting ends...) that was tightened the wrong way!! Instead of being tightened down onto the shaft, it was tightened UP to the ball joint -- "grinding" against the outside of the ball joint. Fixed... and now the suspension is QUIET!!

Wow.. what a learning experience!

So was this still a Spdbydesign design flaw or user error? Sorry I couldn't tell if all was fixed after getting the new part or if after you got the new part you realized something was done incorrectly initially.

[PNW FRS]

Originally Posted by Strife26

So was this still a Spdbydesign design flaw or user error? Sorry I couldn't tell if all was fixed after getting the new part or if after you got the new part you realized something was done incorrectly initially.

To be clear... the addition of the Torrington Bearing (TB) is just a mod to the Coilover sold by SBD -- which is pretty much designed just like any other product of the same price point. After I bought the SBD product, I did further checking on other products and for the price-point, there isn't anything out there that I could find (YMMV) that had TBs as standard component.

Since I added the TB... got my alignment correct... and figured out what was going on with the crunching sound (front right) -- which was NOT a SBD-thing -- it was a missed tightening during install -- I've been very happy with the product -- that is, as advertised, the ride is good for daily driving.

I've got my drop... I've got a pretty good ride quality for DD... and when I push my rig through turns, everything is good! So... my ONLY complaint of my experience with the SBD product was the lack of any installation documentation.

My .02 if SBD was to ever offer this product again would be to make sure there is documentation -- and have their manufacturer just add the Torrington Bearings as standard component... and raise the price a bit to cover the extra cost.

[Strife26]

Originally Posted by PNW FRS

To be clear... the addition of the Torrington Bearing (TB) is just a mod to the Coilover sold by SBD -- which is pretty much designed just like any other product of the same price point. After I bought the SBD product, I did further checking on other products and for the price-point, there isn't anything out there that I could find (YMMV) that had TBs as standard component.

Since I added the TB... got my alignment correct... and figured out what was going on with the crunching sound (front right) -- which was NOT a SBD-thing -- it was a missed tightening during install -- I've been very happy with the product -- that is, as advertised, the ride is good for daily driving.

I've got my drop... I've got a pretty good ride quality for DD... and when I push my rig through turns, everything is good! So... my ONLY complaint of my experience with the SBD product was the lack of any installation documentation.

My .02 if SBD was to ever offer this product again would be to make sure there is documentation -- and have their manufacturer just add the Torrington Bearings as standard component... and raise the price a bit to cover the extra cost.

Thanks a lot for the response !! Thinking of getting them someday after their turbo.