Decided to install my coilovers today so I looked online and found this JIC coilover install tutorial.

http://deviantspeed.com/RX8-coilover...n-installation

I followed everything on it removing the top bolts and the 17mm on the bottom and now my front shock won't budge. It seems that the spring extended the shock or somethin'? It's pushing it against where it was connected to the 17mm +farther and now I can't get the bolt back in if i tried.. Sorry guys it's my first time.

help? )=

 

There are several spring DIY's there, I think you have to loosen or take more stuff off to get the suspension to drop a little more. I gotta run, so you need to search.

 

Did you remove the sway bar link? Are you jacking up the car one corner at a time, or did you jack up both sides at once?

If you just jacked up one corner, the sway bar is preloading the suspension and you won't be able to drop the arm until you disconnect the sway. You need to do this even if you jack up both sides, but it's much worse if you only jack up one corner.

 

thanks this makes alot of sense. i only jacked up one corner at a time.

 

Good luck man, taking off the stock front strut is a pain. Putting on your coilovers will take no time at all since they're a few inches shorter.

 

It's going to be a bitch to get the bolt out of the sway bar link with all that preload. You might try picking up the other corner before you go futher. But be careful doing this - it may be safer to dop the one corner back down (you can leave the shock bolts out to do this) and pick the car up using the center jacking point & raise the whole front end at once. Of course, use jack stands on both sides before you begin working again. I assume that's obvious but it never hurts to make sure...

 

i just got the end links out but still the shock won't budge..

edit: also the front end is equally jacked now......

 

Next step is to remove pre-load from bushings. First, loosen the two 17mm bolts in the upper control arm (that bolt the arm to the chassis) to see if you can get the suspension to drop.

 

It's been a while since I pulled OEM shock units, however. I think you'll really have to bear down on the suspension to get it to drop enough. You may also have to loosen the alignment eccentrics.

 

Are you by yourself? I found the easiest way is to have one person push down HARD on the rotor and another person pull down and out the shock housing.

 

Since when do you remove the front sway bar end link to replace the front shocks/springs? I have done this on probably 10 RX8's by now and never had to do that on the front. Did you take the two bolts out on the A arm? Once you do, make sure you don't damage the brake line. Push down, and it should drop out. You do need another hand as well.

 

yep, especially for a first timer learning as he go )=

k, gonna do that right now

 

I've had different shocks on and off my car over 10 times...And I have always unhooked the endlink...It might not be completely necessary but it sure makes it a hell of a lot easier.

 

Especially if you're by yourself.

 

^Yup.

And yes, an extra pair of hands helps a lot.

Particularly when you get to the point of putting the upper A-arm back in (as 9K says, you'll need to drop it altogtether).

 

good news. i got the shock out and put in tein flex # 1 (=
bad news is i bolted everything back and forgot about the endlink
face slap*

now i gotta reverse back -__-
lol

 

Hmmm, I have never had a problem getting them out. Maybe just different technique.

I just unbolt everything, pull (sometimes rubber mallet) the bottom of the shock towards me, slide it to the right, drop it down, and slide it up and out. Just be careful of the fender when pulling it out. And I use a zip tie or put the bolt partly back into the A arm to keep it from falling and stressing the brake line.

 

, well you have to start somewhere I guess. Welcome to wrenching.

 

Lmao, did the same thing today man (well kinda). Took wheel off, then put it back on and forgot to tighten lug nuts... got a mile down the road before my wheel starts clunking

 

hahaha yeah. i got it back on tho' in like 2 min.

thanks for all the help guys. i really appreciate it.

stay posted though. ima get to the rears really soon and i might run into a problem again. lol -__- idk why i tend to do that.

 

Make sure that you don't tighten the A-arm bushing bolts until the car is at normal ride height. You can do this by putting a floor jack under the lower A-arm and jack up the suspension until you get close to your expected ride height, then tighten the bushings.

 

Oh yeah, "pre-loading". Good catch George

 

sure thing bro.
would u happen to know the torque specs of all the nuts?

endlinks, the 3 bolts up top to the strut tower the, a arms, the 17mm bolt at the bottom etc

 

Lower shock bolt - 57-76 ft-lbs
Upper A-arm - 62-72 ft-lbs
End-links - 32-45
Upper shock bolts - 34-46

 

The pain in the *** to remove are the rear suspension! You will have to take off a lot of nuts and bolts for it to come off completely.