Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

Megan Coilover Install Tutorial?

mschmidt

By mschmidt
in Suspension/Brakes

Recommended Posts

mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
Posted

Install complete but I have a problem... Please go to post 18 on page two and let me know if you can help!

 

All,

 

I have a set of used Megan Coilovers I purchased awhile back that I would like to install this weekend. I usually plan these things out better and fully research and gather everything I will need prior. I have a rare window of free time this weekend with my in-laws coming into town at the last minute. Basically I NEED to find something to do outside the house, so PLEASE help me out here. I’m fairly mechanically inclined and have worked on various cars before. Did an UP/DP install on the LGT last year. I have one good floor jack and should have all the tools, cheater bar, tq wrenches, etc.

 

I did a search and found info here and there but not a good tutorial on the install. Maybe I just searched wrong. Either way, please don’t bash just help me out if you can. I did PM Boostjunkie last week trying to get ready for the install later this spring but never heard back. The coilovers I bought were ones that he personally installed.

 

Thanks in advance guys.

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Things I know so far that you guys can hopefully help me expand on:

 

Tools Needed:

 

12mm +ratchet +torque wrench

19mm +breaker bar+ rachet+torque wrench

19mm wrench

jack stands

Tq wrenches

 

I think I'm good on tools.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Here we go so far... Any other tips, suggestions?

 

1) Reset current used coilovers to best guess settings:

 

PRELOAD - Do not spend too much time worrying about this. Preload is how much pressure you have on the spring when the wheel suspension is fully extended. You just do not want the spring loose - that's all. I see a lot of threads talking about 50lbs vs. 100lbs of preload. Who cares! Most of the time the spring is holding up 1/4th of a 3300lb car, so preload is irrelevant. HOW TO DO IT: Take the supplied wrench and turn the spring perch collar (the very top collar that the spring sits on - #1) counterclockwise until you cannot rattle the spring around with your hand. Now use the wrench to turn the perch securing collar (the second collar on the shock - #2) counterclockwise until it is tight with the perch collar. At the end, you will need to use both wrenches to grab both collars and twist them in opposite directions until they are very tight. There done - now leave it alone!

 

HEIGHT - Ok, now you need to loosen the bottom collar (#3). Then you need to turn the entire threaded body: counterclockwise to raise the car; clockwise to lower the car. I spent hours trying to find out the best way to do this! The instructions, like I said, are toilet paper. Here is HOW TO DO IT: After you loosen collar #3, turn collar #1 with the wrench clockwise to lower the car and turn collar #2 counterclockwise to raise the car. Since collar #1 and #2 are jammed tight together, they will turn the entire threaded body when you try to turn them! If they do not, it is because they are not tight enough against each other. [Also, you do not have to loosen the bottom shock bolt on the front coilovers even though the instructions say you must.]

 

DAMPENING: HOW TO DO IT: Easy - turn the knob all the way towards "H" (for High, or Hard), then back off as many "clicks" as you want to. 32 clicks is the softest setting. I have mine on 20 clicks. If you want to readjust them, you must first turn the knob all the way back to H and start over again. Maybe 22F and 24R?

 

CAMBER: Do this at alignment. It is pretty self-explanatory. Loosen and move the shock top nuts in for more negative camber.

 

2) PB Blast

 

3) Raise the car and take all four wheels off. Disconnect the lower bolts for the rear suspension (PITA) - I have my two TQ wrenches and a 5ft breaker bar. Wish me luck.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h110/scottyatkingpin/DSCF0192.jpg

4) Then move up to the front. You can unbolt the brake line and ABS sensor cable. Before you unbolt the hub from the strut, mark the camber on the bolt as i have done here.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h110/scottyatkingpin/DSCF0190.jpg

This will allow you to match the camber you had before the springs. Then you can disconnect the hub and let it hang free.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h110/scottyatkingpin/DSCF0191.jpg

5) After all the lower bolts are out, move to the upper bolts. Remove the three nuts in the front. I recommend having someone hold the strut so that it doesn't fall as you unbolt it. The upper nuts are located under the hood, as seen here.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h110/scottyatkingpin/DSCF0193.jpg

Unbolt all three nuts and the strut will lower out of the car. Then set both fronts aside and move to the rears.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h110/scottyatkingpin/DSCF0195.jpg

6) Remove these two nuts while someone holds the struts.

 

Now simply install the coilovers. Line the marks back up on the front camber bolts, and tighten everything down. Toss the wheels back on and torque to spec.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Alright, all my research and planning is almost complete, I still have a couple questions:

 

1) The coilovers I bought did not come with any nuts for the upper bolts! Can I just re-use the stock ones?

 

They did not come with any height adjustment wrenches either? Guess I will just leave the pre-load and height as they were on the last vehicle and adjust later... Anyone know where to get some wrenches quickly?

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted
All bolts blasted! Someone has got to know the answer to the nut question... I'm assuming this should not be an issue as long as nothing is stripped and they will still lock? Perhaps they are "one time lock only" nuts?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

thanks... I will re-use the bolts unless something is wrong with one of them. If they were lock nuts I will likely add a lock washer as well. Too bad I pulled a muscle in my back playing with the kids last night... might be a slow start today.

 

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Rear bolts really are a PITA! Took me more than an hour by myself to get them off. I actually shattered a 19mm 6pt socket! Good thing I had a backup. I used the jack method since the largest breaker bar I could get under there was 24". I'm taking a break and will move on later since this has got to be the hardest part.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
boostsr20 Experienced

boostsr20

Posted
Posted

The rears were the easiest for me. Just takes a few seconds to get the floor jack properly positioned under the breaker bar.

 

When your doing the fronts, remember that the top bolt is eccentric and you need to loosen the NUT first. If you're trying to loosen it from the bolt side you have teh extra force of trying to rotate the oblong bolt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for the tip on the upper camber bolts... I took them off at the nut. The 4th one was really tight and getting the last bolt out took some maneuvering of the hub for a few minutes. Taking a break right now, should be smooth sailing from here.

 

When I dropped the back, I noticed one side was noticeably higher than the other. I coilovers where the same height before they went in though... I will wait until they are all done and make an assessment. I knew I would need to buy the wrenches anyway and make adjustments. Would an Auto Zone, Murray’s, or Advance Auto Parts have these?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

All done, though there is a problem! Drove around the block slowly and every sharp bump results in a thud in the front left only. If I go over a bump with the right front tire there is no clunk. It sounds like it is coming from the top by the strut tower. HELP! All 5 nuts (3 top, 2 bottom) plus brake line and abs bolts are tight and torqued to spec. Pics below, let me know if you see anything. I have two theories right now:

 

1) Something may be wrong with the sway bar? I took off the left tire again and it just doesn't look right. Though I'm almost sure the sound is from up top. (Picture 1 and 2)

 

2) Since I did not adjust anything on the coilovers (I have no wrenches!), perhaps something on the coilover body is loose? (Picture 3) I could rotate the spring fairly easy when the wheel was off and the corner was jacked up. As well, I could rotate the bottom large nut (the coilover nut the wrenches I don't have would go on) slightly when I tried really hard. As well the top nut on the coilover just keeps spinning! On the right front I tightened it down no problem, but the left keeps going round and round. Let me know what to do, I'm going to take the wheel off a third time now and look below.

 

Thoughts?http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/1DSC04160.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/2DSC04161.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/3DSC04153.jpg

 

 

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/DSC04151-1.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/DSC04156.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/DSC04157.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/DSC04158.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/mschmidt/DSC04163.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I was able to hold the shaft with a 5mm allen wrench to get it tight enough to not clunk under normal driving. Though, I can get just about every corner to clunk when I go over a sharp edge. As well, I can spin the shaft on all four top nuts still... so they really aren’t tight enough, correct? I twisted two allen wrenches doing this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ehsnils Grand Master

ehsnils

Posted
Posted

Maybe you should go for an allen bit socket instead of a wrench. But be careful so you don't twist the shaft instead.

 

1. Did you lubricate the nut and thread before mounting?

2. Did you check that the underside of the plate was clean and nice before inserting the coilover?

 

Some clunking may actually occur if the dampers aren't prepared properly. At least some dampers requires that you shall hold them in the position they are going to be mounted (top end up, bottom end down) and then compress and release them slowly a few times to make sure that you don't have any gas pockets in the wrong place inside the damper. I suggest that you check the manual for the coilovers so that you haven't missed any critical operation.

 

Also check the documentation to see if it's possible that the clunking is normal. It may be that they have some kind of two-stage dampening built in so that the clunking actually is when they adjust for rougher dampening. But I could be wrong here.

453747.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mschmidt Community Regular

mschmidt

Posted
  • Author
Posted

thanks, maybe I will buy an allen bit set...

 

1) No, they were already together being used. I never checked the top nuts because I did not no I had to do this.

 

2) Yes, everything was clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use

  I accept