1886 replies to this topic

[MRLXSS]

Thats fantastic Heath! Love your work!





Paint the front

[Heath]

now all you need it to mill the gear select pattern into the top of the gear stick (or something to match the horn button) and your done

lol I was going to do that, but the console compartment lid has it on it already (which means that my car is still roadworthy with a blank knob), and the clean look is nicer in my opinion anyway.

[Heath]

I believe so mate. Need to borrow a knob that has it on it? lol

[Heath]

Depends on how much I'm working over the next few weeks, should be reasonably soon. Also leant my gun out atm, and I have no compressor either, so no point in rushing.

Yeah the H pattern shit is that if someone elses 'needs' to drive your car 'in an emergency', they know how to drive lol. What the f*ck, people can't even release my handbrake unless they know Toranas well, I'm sure the shift pattern is going to be their greatest problem. And how many people have auto shifters with no shift pattern? setups where you have to lift the shifter up and slide it down and shit, no one is gonna know that shit.

Whatever, in this scenario it is okay because I can deal with it. In many other scenarios, it would shit me up the f*cken wall

[Heath]

Changed my front springs and shocks... I didn't have a spring compressor and I just did the best i could manage with basic tools

Basically, the springs were 1/4 of a turn (90deg) from sitting properly in the bottom wishbone... they aren't properly seated. I may have been able to improve that if I had nice compact spring compressors, but I don't know if it would have made a difference.

When I initially dropped it on the ground, it sat very high, as I expected. After a 5min drive to the girlfriend's place though (over lots of speedhumps), it seemed to be sitting better, at least on the passenger's side.

Will the springs turn, and work their way into the correct position, by just going over lots of speedhumps and shit? Or will I need to pull it apart and try and get them to sit properly?



Planning on pulling the box out this weekend to for a quick freshen up & new clutch, pressure plate etc. Depending on whether Stedz_lc comes back from being MIA...

Cheers

Edited by Heath, 29 June 2009 - 06:41 PM.

[MRLXSS]

Hmmm,

Don't think they'll spin 90 Degrees...

What size springs did you put in? Standard ones are near on impossible to get in without help... But shortened ones are normally a piece of piss to change. By the looks of it though.. The car is sitting pretty well on that side.

[Heath]

Yeah well sitting next to the original springs, they were missing about a coil and a half i think... they were fairly short, but i just couldn't get that tang sitting at the back; i couldn't turn the spring far enough, pushing the wishbone down further didn't help, it was just because of the angle between where the spring sits in the top, and in the bottom.

I thought that part of it would have been a lot easier, but i thought the job wasn't as hard as people explained it to be. It does take a long time though hahaha i just sat there and tinkered away for ages until it was back together.

Edited by Heath, 29 June 2009 - 07:17 PM.

[MRLXSS]

Yeah, the more you do, the easier it gets.... But its never a fun job!!!

Its funny when people talk about cutting springs... They say "Just cut 1/4 coil at a time, put in.. see how it sits, then go another 1/4 coil" LOL

Get effed!

How long did it take to knock it out of the ball joint?

How tight did you do the wheel bearings up?

[76lxhatch]

I highly doubt they'll move into place by themselves. If you can find the correct style spring compressor you might be lucky enough to be able to maneouvre them into place without breaking the ball joints again though

[ls2lxhatch]

There is a picture of the factory spring compressor in this thread.

The RYTOOL spring compressor is not particularly easy to use but does the job.

[MRLXSS]

And im the sucker who takes his brakes off each time!!! LOL Why don't i just do it like that? IDIOT! LOL

[rodomo]

Looks like the one I showed Heath here about a week ago when we were speaking about changing his springs?

[ToRunYa]

oh you ppl are weak! put the spring in, hold it with ya foot and use a jackhandle. Smashed ankles are great. harden up blouses LOL

[Rockoz]

Used to help out a mate at a garage.
Did lots of ball joints and bushes over the years.
Cant recall ever using spring compressor on a Holden front end until struts.
Stands and trolley jack was the order of the day.

[76lxhatch]

Stands and trolley jack was the order of the day.

Technique is everything though, you would be a lot safer having done lots of them than anyone attempting it for the first time!