Successfully replaced front struts and springs.

"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem) 02/02/2015 at 08:49 • Filed to: None

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It's like driving a different car!

Had trouble hammering out one pinch bolt until I got angry enough at it. Had trouble inserting new struts until I got angry enough at them. My mechanic skills are fueled by rage and hard hardheadedness.

It took me most of the day to do. Now I've got a couple more projects. The driver's front link boots have leaked out all the grease. That'll need replacing. Passenger pinch bolt nut was pretty banged up so I just replaced it with a grade 8 nut. I'd like to replace that whole bolt sometime soon.

All in all it came apart real easily. Bullmobile is amazingly rust free for a 13 year old New England car.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 09:06

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My mechanics are fueled by rage and/or Mountain Dew Kickstart or Livewire. What occasioned the need for spring replacement, breaks? At least it looks like the setup doesn't require compression in place - the Crown Vics have a separate spring that requires sticking coil compressors up in a hole, and getting them tight enough to pull off a good bit of preload. Much like the Ranchero, which I was doing Saturday.

CalzoneGolem > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/02/2015 at 09:17

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My car has been eating tires. I should have done this awhile ago. I think the old set might have had the full 185k on them

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 09:26

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Eating tires = camber tweak through spring collapse? Interdasting. For a while, my Benz was eating tires due to wrong toe-in and my camber bolts going screwy, but it's (and I quote the tire guy here) now "perfect" in alignment. There was something hideously wrong with the Ranchero's alignment too judging by its tires, but since the front suspension is coming completely apart, nothing will be the same.

CalzoneGolem > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/02/2015 at 09:39

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We'll see. At speed the front end bounced so much it shook the steering wheel. Throwing some junky tires on and hoping for the best.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 09:44

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I had some bounces in the Benz in the left side front, due to the shock being toast. That's a less usual setup, in that it's a shock-only strut with the spring on the lower A-arm... but it's also an air shock, so when the fluid stage in it was dead, it want go back to my place, go bouncy bouncy.

CalzoneGolem > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/02/2015 at 09:46

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That strut's not dead. It's pining for the Fords.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 09:49

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Look, I took the liberty of examining that strut, and I found that the only reason it hadn't jumped out of the car was that it'd been wired there.

CalzoneGolem > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/02/2015 at 09:58

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Well, of course it was wired there! If I hadn't wired that strut in, it would have nuzzled up to the spring, bent it apart, and BOOM! Screeeech!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 10:06

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Now see here, my man - I know a dead strut when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now. That strut wouldn't damp if I put rubber blocks under it. It's bleeding demised.

deekster_caddy > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 10:06

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I find it fascinating how many people drive around with bad struts. I don't think most people realize how important they are during a panic stop. The car nosedives badly and the rear tires can hop creating longer stopping distances when the ABS freaks out... good struts minimizes the wild movements but most people with older cars have no idea their struts are bad, or it rides "good enough" that they don't really care. It's not like the old days where bad shocks meant you floated and weaved down the highway. Suspensions are much tighter in general so it's harder to notice how bad the struts are, until you drive one with good struts and Ding! "Oh yeah, that's what it's supposed to feel like!"

CalzoneGolem > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 02/02/2015 at 10:07

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Well you'd better replace it then.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 10:14

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*cue going to suspension shop in Bolton Ipswitch BOLTON*
Pre-empted by you cutting things short:
"It's not pining, it's passed on! This strut is no more - it has ceased to bleed! It's expired and gone to meet its manufacturer! It's a scrap! Bereft of damp it clanks in pieces! If you hadn't wired it to the tower it would be pushing up the fender! This, is an ex-strut!"

NaturallyAspirated > CalzoneGolem 02/02/2015 at 13:05

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My suspension work is also fuelled by firey rage and hardheadedness, but I also find literal fire to be helpful too.