Project: g-Couch has begun!

[fleckster]

I having gotten my freshly powdercoated Eibachs back and Konis in hand, did the rear suspension today. As stated the rear suspension now sets right at 1" lower. I set the rear shocks to "Max Firm". Pressing the rear down, it is noticably stiffer but the biggest change is that the car does not rise back up. You have to look closely to see the rear movement back up. It moves sloooooow. I set them up this way based on comments by the majority of people on the Forum. Since they are not adjustable on the vehicle, most people set on Max Firm and then change the front struts with the knob based on need.

Next up: the front springs and Struts...

Oh and I took pictures along the way for a possible future "Up Front" article.

[86Shelby]

Nice. Which car?

[89acclaim]

G-Couch, that has to be a Spirit.:nod: I am looking forward to the article, it will help me out when I do mine.:eyebrows:

Daniel Merrill

[fleckster]

Sorry about that. I guess I assumed everyone knew the nickname that has been given to my Spirit R/T (The Comfy Couch) by the passengers during the annual SDAC event Fun Rallye. She has been the ride for wins the 1st two years and a third place last year. (Damn Chicago guys and having 7 people working together on the clues in Dave's minivan!)

My Spirit has 82000 miles and still has/had all the original suspension under her so she did ride a bit soft. But then I thought Spirit R/Ts were a bit too soft when they were new also.

[cordes]

That is very cool. Another awesome sleeper raoming the streets. Now it will whoop people in the corners too.

[Whorse]

How is it going over speedbumps, and uneven road surfaces (like where it has been patched with tar). My back end is so soft that my shocks nearly bottom out with normal street driving. I figure the Spirit would be comparable in weight to a Lebaron.

[fleckster]

How is it going over speedbumps, and uneven road surfaces (like where it has been patched with tar). My back end is so soft that my shocks nearly bottom out with normal street driving. I figure the Spirit would be comparable in weight to a Lebaron.

It wasn't that bad with the original set up. The only real issues were my 60' times sucked but the mph was right with my SRT-4 (both run through the traps at 96mph, but the Spirit runs 14.6 to the SRT-4s 14.1) and with two passengers and the wider 225/50-16 tires, the driver's side rear tire would lightly rub on the inner wheelwell on larger bumps. There is visual evidence as the tire has rubbed away the factory undercoating and you can see bare metal!

I don't now how it will be with the new Eibach/Koni set up as I haven't driven it yet. With only the rear done, I was going to wait until I do the front this weekend and get a fresh alignment before I took it out to check the fruits of my labor (and serious $$$)!

[Whorse]

I'd be really anxious to hear how it works for you. I've been considering a similar setup, but I don't my car to ride like an accord slammed on ultra low pro tires.

[csxtra]

Ggg-Ggg..G-COUCH!!!

Ggg.Ggg..Goodbye stock suspension...:p

Let us know how it makes the couch handle and ride...I don't want a harsh ride to interfere with holding intellectual conversations in the car at SDAC...:D

[fleckster]

Now I'm starting on the front strut removal. I marked the slots on the camber bolts and I got the top hub bolt out on the passenger side. I've used my pnuematic impact set on 4 at 120psi and I've used my breaker bar with all the force that I have and I can't seem to get the lower bolt to budge. Did they use 1000lb-ft at the factory to tighten these damn things? I would bet with the 2' breaker bar and the force I'm using, I'm over 400ft-lbs on this thing. I'm now waiting for the 2nd soaking of the rust penetrating fluid to do something. Anything!

[cordes]

The rust does a pretty good job of seizing them on there. I would immagine that I have had then break loose at 600+ ft.lbs.

Heck, I had a 3/4" breaker bar with a 6' cheater on the very end of it while trying to get an axle nut loose once. It took all my might jumping up and down with the thing, and at 250lbs. that is some serious action.

[fleckster]

We FINALLY got the bolt out this morning at about 4am. A buddy of mine came over after we got of work last night and we tried everything with no luck. He then got on the phone and got a hold of a friend of his with a sweet propane torch. We went over and picked it up. Putting the flame on the nut for about two minutes then quickly slapping on the impact was enough to allow the nut to come loose. We had to be careful not to torch the CV Boot or the brake line. Worked like a charm. Before we quit I made sure the two bolts on the driver's side weren't stuck the same way. They came loose without a problem. I managed to pull the passenger strut out and we stopped for the night/morning as it was now getting close to 5am after we got done talking and stuff. The plan is to finish it up tonight now that the troublesome bolt is out. Shouldn't be a problem now. [knock on wood]

My buddy suggested that I use anti-seize on the bolts when I put them back in. You think that's a good idea? I wouldn't think it would hurt anything but since it is suspension bolts, I'd hate for that to give me incorrect clamping force or something and it would come loose.

[cordes]

I stay away from antisieze etc. due to the aforementioned affect it has on torque.

[Clay]

If you know the % torque to subtract for the specific lube, you will be fine. Antisieze is your friend in the long run.

clay

[BIGBRUDDA]

"A lil-bit-o-heat goes a looong way":D
Just use "silly cone" spray John.It'll coat the threads to prevent corrosion, but allow proper torque.

[86Shelby]

Meh, just put them on clean and dry. It's easier to fight them getting them to come off than it is to fight the car if they come loose.

[fleckster]

Latest problem...in taking the passenger side strut off the spring last night (we haven't done the driver's side yet either), the bearing "came apart" and the bearings went everywhere when the "death nut" was removed. I don't think we quite had all the pressure off of it. Needless to say, I'm not going to try and put it back together. I'm getting new bearings. Also the original lower spring seat was mummified and turns to powder when you try and pull it from the strut or spring. I'm also having to get new ones for that too. You wouldn't think they would be that hard to find since all the K-based cars used them. Advance Auto and Auto Zone don't even carry them. Lucky for me, NAPA will have them at their store after 1:30pm today.

It's as if my car was fighting me the whole way on this! When I was removing the spring compressor, my socket flew off the end of my impact gun and hit the passenger rear door 10ft away, putting a small dent in the door of my beautiful car. That pretty much sums up how things are going. I'm currently running on about 2.5 hrs of sleep. I'm going to try and get a couple more hours in before 1:30 when I can go pick up my parts. We'll try to work on it again after I get off of work tonight after midnight. [fingers crossed]

[Clay]

thats the one think I would like about working 2nd shift. Getting off late at night when its much cooler outside to work on the cars! ;)

[fleckster]

It sure makes it hard trying to get the yard mowed and other outside stuff done. I still don't have my pool open. It's not as great as you think. Can you imagine my neighbors trying to sleep and having to hear my impact and air compressor running? I'm only doing it now because I have no other option to get it done. Despite me finally falling asleep at 6am, my boss called me a few minutes after 9am to ask a question about a problem we had last night.

[Clay]

oh, I dont think it would be great at all!! ;) Thats just one thing I can think of that might be nice. Given the choice a 2nd shift job would be my last one!!!

clay

[BadAssPerformance]

...and a third place last year. (Damn Chicago guys and having 7 people working together on the clues in Dave's minivan!).

lol, we started with 7 but finished with 6... (Russ was partied out) and with no A/C is was a hot ride! Dave and I took the opportunity of the road block to hang out in Fleck's pimp couch and soak up some cool A/C :thumb:

[fleckster]

Update:

The suspension is done. We got it done the next night. I got two new upper bearings and two lower spring mount rubbers from NAPA for $97 plus change. (Yikes!) We still had to fight the passenger side. I'm telling you, it did not want to be done! The Driver's side went much smoother, bordering on a piece of cake! I dropped off taking pictures since after all of this, I was just wanting to hurry up and get it done! I learned an important lesson. You have to really be careful and pay particular attention where you put the spring compressors on the Eibach springs. I called early this morning and made an appointment for an alignment. They got me in due to a cancellation and I dropped it off on the way to work. I was able to break away from work just before they closed to pick it back up. (What would I do without my trusty Ram and car trailer?!?) The next in the line of bad news, they reported that the outer CV boot on the passenger side has a hole and grease is coming out. It looks like we weren't careful enough with the torch! I was worrried after heating the nut up and getting bolt off, the bottom of the original strut was hot and fell onto the boot. It did melt a spot but on first visual inspection, it looked superficial. I guess we were wrong. Now I get to replace the boot. Yeaaaaaaaa! This willl also keep me from taking it out and seeing how she rides and handles. Before I loaded it up to take it in for the alignment, I made a quick lap around the 0.6 mile block I live on before driving it up on the trailer. Again, I couldn't really get up to speed and test it out but it is definitely stiffer. (It was set on full firm all around.) I will get after height pictures taken too.

I didn't think this was going to happen again this year but it always is a mad rush to get stuff done in time for the annual SDAC event. Next up, replacement of the CV boot, power steering leak stopped, power rear window working correctly, and then to get the tension on the timing belt set properly. (It's too tight now.) All this and getting the brakes on the trailer adjusted. T-minus 19 days and counting...

[TurboJerry]

I was going to recomend *not* to use the lower rubber isolaters. They raise the front, and give extra "squishiness". The Shelby's never had them from what I've seen of original cars. Both my Spirits had them, and I'm glad I took them out....(among many other mods)