Drop Day...more than one sense.

[Pooponurhead]

Well boys and girls, as some of you may have known, today was the day of my big shock and spring day aka DROP DAY!!! Yay. Well, things started out smoothly...but we soon ran into troubles.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/DGGMNinetySSix/IMG_0378.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/DGGMNinetySSix/IMG_0375.jpg
Neither of us, for the life of us, could figure this shiznit out. I know it's supposed to be easy and all, but even the seasoned veteran mechanic that Dale is, we were stumped. Well, someone (meaning me) thought of the crazy idea of using a HUGE block of wood for the left rear as a good substitute for a missing jack stand (Yea, I know I should have driven the 1/4 mile back to my house to get one, but we were both in a hurry to get the car off the ground so we could figure out what we were up against.) Anyways...a little too much spirited tugging on a certain bolt, and the car moves about 5 inches to the right, the wood falls over, and I hear a big *CRACK*:eek: And see for yourselves what happened.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/DGGMNinetySSix/IMG_0376.jpg
That's what happens when a jack stand meets a plastic side skirt with 3000lbs of metal on top of it. Yea wait and see, it gets better.
Upon loosening the left front suspension components, the axle decides its time to come out, and slips right on out of the differential, like so...
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b269/DGGMNinetySSix/IMG_0377.jpg
So now, unless Dale can find a 36mm socket to get the hub off so we can try to get the axle back in today, it looks like my lovely Shamika is gonna have to
sit in the garage for a few days. I'm about to just call Todd at LaPlata Tire, and have them put the ****s on and I'll just pay for it. I'm feeling so discouraged right now. Okay, I'm done...I'll update as I go.

I and my dear have certainly seen better days. Btw, anyone have a left side OEM side skirt they wanna get rid of?

[Si Speed]

Damn dude.
Sorry bout that.
Youcouldn't find a concrete block instead of wood? Come on.

[Prelude13]

just dedicate one full afternoon and it'll be done.
Get a breaker bar and do it in 3 hours, 2 people + 12 pack of (insert brew beverage).




that crack in your side skirt is your, "battle damage" :lie:

[Pooponurhead]

UPDATE #1. I, Jesse Adam Posey, born May 2nd, 1987, am a FUKKING moron.
Just went browsing through PP and found a nifty little DIY or How To and whatnot...and found a MUCH easier way to do this.

Three Cheers for the Chitty Mechanic! Hip Hip...BOO Hip Hip...BOOO HIP HIP BOO!!!
I suck.

[twokexlv6coupe]

a block of wood??? c'mon jesseeeee :smashfreakB:

but it looks like you started disconnecting alotta thigns that you didnt need to. like you didnt need to take the caliper off, and you REALLY didnt need to unbolt the knuckle from the steering arm. thats what made your axle pop out!


the only bolts you NEED to undue are: shock fork to the LCA, shock fork to shock, brake lines off the shock, then the 3 on the top of the shock tower holding the shock hat/assembly up.
and you dont NEED to do this, but it will greatly aid in getting the entire spring/shock assembly out by unbolting the UCA from the shock tower.

[Pooponurhead]

Yea, I realize that now...I made sure I printed EVERYTHING out, and when i get off work tomorrow, I'm going right up there to knock this **** out. The only reason we couldn't finish today was because he couldn't find a 36mm socket to take the hub off to get the axle back in...Is getting the axle back in potential detrimental? Could we break something getting it back in there?

[jerseytypesh]

Damn sucks my friend, but damn jesse you know better than that, it happens to the best of us

[twokexlv6coupe]

as long as the axle simply popped out of the tranny and the CV joints didn't get pulled apart inside the boots, then yes you can just reinstall the axles in the tranny with no problems.


i should really do a spring/shock install write up.......

[Pooponurhead]

http://www.preludepower.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270244&highlight=upper+control+arm

Voila! This is the one I found.

[twokexlv6coupe]

yea but PP is gay. we dont wanna be referring people over to PP if we had our own write-up :biggrin:

i'll make one in a coupla days when i'm done w/ school :cool:

[Pooponurhead]

Well, excuuuuuuse me, Mr. Pissy Pants. Hah I understand. Gotta keep it local. Let's just make sure nobody makes the same mistake(s) that I made. Yuck. Boo to me.

[twokexlv6coupe]

jesse gets the :smashfreakB:-award of the week :tongue:

[Pooponurhead]

UPDATE #2...Day 3: No progress has been made thus far. I went to Dales house last night, and he has the whole axle out...but hey...the shock assembly came out finally...so i guess we did make SOME progress. I go to put the spring compressor on the spring and BEHOLD...ITS THE WRONG ****ING ONE! I drive ALL the way back up to auto-****, and forgot my wallet. Homeboy gives me the right one, but basically says, since i dont have the receipt for the other one, hes not gonna be able to give me the new one, unless I give him 50bucks cash. I say **** it, and kinda half way go off on him...he gives me the new one, finally, and i get back to dales house...Hes got the left front completely undone, and hes inside asleep!!!

I get back to my work of trying to get the spring off the shock...and the blocks or whatever they are, that actually go between the coils are TOO ****ING BIG!!! **** **** ****!
Basically, at this point, im starting to throw things around. Dales son matt comes out and tries to help me...and he offers to grind down the sides of the blocks so it'll fit on the springs. But, Im not willing to have to buy this ****ty too...So basically, we made NO progress...
Oh wait...So im sitting at work today, still fuming from last night. And Dale calls me asking what size engine is in the lude. I tell him 2.2....and he says...so 2.1? I'm like...no, 2.2...and then he informs me that he wasnt able to get the axle back in, and hes gonna have to get a NEW AXLE WHAT THE ****! He said there was no way to do it without getting a new one. So technically, I shouldnt have to pay for the **** since it wasnt my decision...and plus, its not in writing. Man I feel like I'm being screwed.

So basically, my entire plan has turned into a ****ing nightmare and I'm tired of dealing with this ****. And Don't worry, I'm not gonna say "I wish I hadn't done any of this." I'll just go on to say that I wish that we hadn't done it the way we did.
Somebody, help me out here.

[sfields]

damn jesse thats rough man.. good luck... wish I could help

[Pooponurhead]

I just don't ****ing understand how shocks and springs become NEW AXLE and side skirt. ****

[94ludeguy]

damn dude that sucks, i wish i could help u out b.c ur putting on the same setup i want to get. i dont see why u need a new axle tho, good luck tho

[twokexlv6coupe]

does the spring compressor that you have look EXACTLY like the one pictured in the PP writeup?? cuz thats the one that you need.

the compressor should go on the easiest on the stock springs cuz their not progressive rate springs (i think thats what they're called, where the coils get much closer together at the bottom.) even if you can only get the compressor between 2 or 3 coils, that SHOULD be enough to compress the spring enough to take the shock hat and stuff off.

getting the spring compressor on the new (lowering) springs is gonna be a bit harder cuz the coils will most likely be much closer together. but as long as you have the compressor pictured in that write-up, it should work perfectly.

[Pooponurhead]

No no no. its the exact one pictured, but the things that actually hook onto the spring, theyre WAY to big to go between the coils. I mean, I can get it in between the two coils at the bottom, but anywhere else, It just won't go in there, I banged it with a hammer and it did nothing. I even loosened the nut at the end of the shock almost to the edge of the threads and it didn't depress the spring at all. I dont know what the hell I'm gonna do. Do you think they have compressors with smaller hook things?

[Brash22]

Oh by the way, I'm sigging your comment Jesse. Absolute classic. Hope things turn out a little better tomorrow. Enjoy tonight mate. :biggrin:

[BadMofo]

Hey man, sorry about all the trouble you're having. I don't mean to thread jack, but is there a big difference between doing the front suspension on the SH and the Base... if so, you should definitely do your own write up when you're done because i have never found an SH specific suspension write-up

[Pooponurhead]

Okay...UPDATE #3: Got in touch with Dale last night after taking that ****ty spring compressor back and telling the big black dude at the counter that their tools suck.

Dale says that he got the new axle in (it only cost 40 bucks with the trade-in of the old one) and they got the car back together. I just told him to leave it in the driveway and I'm picking it up tonight.

I hate to say it, but I guess I'm just gonna take it somewhere to get it done. I'll make my cams and valvetrain work my DIY in the Spring time.

Thanks for tuning in yall.

[vabapesta]

damn man that really sucks..honestly i dont know about your friend doing this for u..i thought about dropping mine myself but decided against it .. i got my friend to do it for me..took two hours everything went smooth...didnt take off nearly as much stuff...

[ogsmakdade]

a block of wood??? c'mon jesseeeee :smashfreakB:

but it looks like you started disconnecting alotta thigns that you didnt need to. like you didnt need to take the caliper off, and you REALLY didnt need to unbolt the knuckle from the steering arm. thats what made your axle pop out!


the only bolts you NEED to undue are: shock fork to the LCA, shock fork to shock, brake lines off the shock, then the 3 on the top of the shock tower holding the shock hat/assembly up.
and you dont NEED to do this, but it will greatly aid in getting the entire spring/shock assembly out by unbolting the UCA from the shock tower.

at least he had the parts ready to be installed. :smashfreakB:

[HondaNeedsBoost]

yea...and he didnt trust a tire changing jack...i did....almost lost my face and life...now i have a set of bright orange jack stands...never will i get under a car supported only by a jack

[twokexlv6coupe]

at least he had the parts ready to be installed. :smashfreakB:




not



my



fault


:frown:

[joke]

look up fellow luder.

[HondaNeedsBoost]

yea nick...we like ur car...turboed or not :biggrin1:
































yea...we do

[ogsmakdade]

nick is a pushover, kinda like jesse's car on wooden blocks............LMAO

[starbai]

i dont undrestand how it just "falls out" of the differential though.