Suspension removal

[Honcho]

As this week's task in my build, I am going to pull off the suspension. Has anyone nearby done this and would you mind coming over to assist? I understand it can be tricky (even with the 2x4 method) and I would love some extra input to make sure I don't break anything!

 

[biscuits]

As this week's task in my build, I am going to pull off the suspension. Has anyone nearby done this and would you mind coming over to assist? I understand it can be tricky (even with the 2x4 method) and I would love some extra input to make sure I don't break anything!

It is substantially easier if you jack up both sides of the end of the car your working on. Didn't even need a 2x4!

 

[Venom2049]

I did that on my X and yes it can be a little tricky but when you are done with one side the rest its pretty easy. I learned the hard way i broke one bolt on my inner frame and believe me don't anyone to go thru the same thing.
http://nsxprime.com/wiki/Bilstein_Shock_Install

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

 

[Mac Attack]

My wife helped pry for me. With the OEM '92 suspension, only the front (or maybe the rear) was hard to remove. The other side goes a lot quicker once you figure out what needs to be done.

Make sure to put some shop wrags on top of the rubber axle boots on the rear hubs to protect them. If yours are newer, they should be in good shape if you bump them a bit. If they're older, they are more fragile.

I also taped over the body along the fenderwell just in case anything slipped too.

The first time takes awhile. I can now do it in less than half the time. Good luck!

Dave

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

I used the diy I think posted above. I did the 2x4 method but for the life of me I had a hard time. I think I bent my 2 rear dust shields too since I used them as leverage. I forget since it's been such a long time but maybe I just did something wrong.

 

[Venom2049]

Here my girlfriend changing the rear coilover for me after 3hrs of non stop work

 

[Mac Attack]

I used the diy I think posted above. I did the 2x4 method but for the life of me I had a hard time. I think I bent my 2 rear dust shields too since I used them as leverage. I forget since it's been such a long time but maybe I just did something wrong.

I think you need to put another block of wood to act as a spacer between the top of the hub and your lever so you're not prying on the dust/heat shield :smile:

 

[biscuits]

Umm like I said before if you jack up both sides of the car it's much easier. If you only jack one side at a time it puts tension on the side your working on. I can jack up both sides of the car and remove and reinstall the suspension without prying at all.

 

[Honcho]

Here is my car right now:

So are you saying I don't need to do the 2x4 when it is all up on stands like this? If so, how did you get the lower arm low enough to pull out the shock? Also, none of the writeups show where on the frame you actually put the 2x4 to pry?

 

[NetViper]

I just did this last weekend. Took me 5 hours by myself.

I put the small block on the caliper in the front and on top of the rotor in the back. There is no way on earth I could have done it without the 2x4. Though I didn't have both sides up at once.

Make sure you leave one nut in the top before you pry down with the board.

 

[NetViper]

Umm like I said before if you jack up both sides of the car it's much easier. If you only jack one side at a time it puts tension on the side your working on. I can jack up both sides of the car and remove and reinstall the suspension without prying at all.

Do you mean if you are doing the front to jack up both fronts or to jack up the entire side of the car you are working on.

 

[biscuits]

Here is my car right now:

So are you saying I don't need to do the 2x4 when it is all up on stands like this? If so, how did you get the lower arm low enough to pull out the shock? Also, none of the writeups show where on the frame you actually put the 2x4 to pry?

With my car in that position I can remove and reinstall my suspension by simply putting my foot on the lower control arm and pressing down with minimal force and remove the suspension and reinstall it. Without having both sides jacked up it took a 5 foot pry bar a 6 foot neighbor and a broken sway link to remove it.

 

[biscuits]

Do you mean if you are doing the front to jack up both fronts or to jack up the entire side of the car you are working on.

Correct if doing one front jack up both fronts or put the whole car on jack stands. Let me restate, elevate both ends of the axle you're working on.

Yes I know the nsx does not have live axles but y'all get my point.

This made things much easier for me.

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

I think you need to put another block of wood to act as a spacer between the top of the hub and your lever so you're not prying on the dust/heat shield :smile:

Yeah I just looked at the diagram and I think I missed that detail when I did it

 

[CharlesCA]

This is how a mechanic did it on mine when it was stock. He made it look easy

However, once the car is lowered, it's a lot easier to remove the assembly.

 

[dawk]

I could come over next Friday or Saturday. I have a changed shocks on 2 different NSX's. I used the jack arm and a wood block against the top on the brake disc. The other end is under the car frame. Push down and the shock will have room to come out. I did this myself the first time, but it is easier wih a second hand. I wish I was free this weekend.

 

[NSX2398]

Umm like I said before if you jack up both sides of the car it's much easier. If you only jack one side at a time it puts tension on the side your working on. I can jack up both sides of the car and remove and reinstall the suspension without prying at all.

This is a great suggestion which I have since added to the Wiki page (Bilstein install) which was referenced earlier.

 

[Mac Attack]

Yes, the whole car should be raised while doing this. Swaybars....

However, most of the time you'll need to use the prying method when removing the OEM setup.

 

[Honcho]

Well one shock is halfway off and I've thrown in the towel before I break anything. I got the shock almost all the way out of the lower carrier, but everytime I push down, the damn thing follows the control arm. It's grinding and twisting on my CV boot (thank God I put a shop rag in between) every time I move it.

Aaron, let's do next Saturday if you want. I'll buy dinner.

 

[shawn110975]

Honcho

leave one bolt on the top of the shock,
then put your foot on the caliper,
and one hand on the bottom of the shock
press down with your foot and pull it twords you.

you need to bang it a few times with your foot to get it loose.
if it still will not budge use a falt head screw driver to pry it loose from the lower control arm.

once it is clear reach up with your arm and unscrew the last bolt and slide the shock out. and your done, its the same for the rear thought the front is a little harder but still basiclly the same method.

 

[dawk]

Honcho

leave one bolt on the top of the shock,
then put your foot on the caliper,
and one hand on the bottom of the shock
press down with your foot and pull it twords you.

you need to bang it a few times with your foot to get it loose.
if it still will not budge use a falt head screw driver to pry it loose from the lower control arm.

once it is clear reach up with your arm and unscrew the last bolt and slide the shock out. and your done, its the same for the rear thought the front is a little harder but still basiclly the same method.

X2.... I f you can't get it out I will come over Sat. Should come out easily.

 

[Honcho]

Dawk is the man- he had them out in less than 45 minutes!!

THANKS!!!! :biggrin::biggrin:

 

[Honcho]

Follow-up regarding install. The distance from the top of the top mount to the middle of the shock lower bolt hole on my old Comptechs is 22" rear and 21.25" front. What lengths should I set my new coilovers for a "rough" OEM height setting?

 

[Teej]

I'm following this thread very closely. :biggrin:

 

[RYU]

Follow-up regarding install. The distance from the top of the top mount to the middle of the shock lower bolt hole on my old Comptechs is 22" rear and 21.25" front. What lengths should I set my new coilovers for a "rough" OEM height setting?

I couldn't say off hand but I think you can get to it with some back of the napkin math. I also can't measure my set for you since i'm running 9k/11k springs so my compression rates will be different.

Let's say your car weights 3,000lbs. Let's also say it's 56% rear/44% front bias. I dont actually know what the true numbers but i'm sure they're here on prime somewhere.

So 56% of 3,000lbs is 1680 to both rear wheels. Let's divide this by 2 to get 840lbs on each wheel.

Now let's say you have 500lb/inch springs. So this says you need 500lbs of weight to compress the spring 1". With 840lbs you will compress the coilovers 840/500 = 1.68" when the car is on the ground..

If all my variables are correct (they're not) your car at rest, on it's own weight in the rear, will compress 1.68". So you measure your unweighted shock and adjust the lower shock bracket to take into account this compression. This assumes 0 droop and doesn't take into account that the further you compress the spring the stiffer it gets.

Hopefully this gets you a rough idea. I think...