mercury3545 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Im currently putting on new front an rear sway bars and a few other parts. Ive read you have to jack the engine up a bit to get the front sway bar out. But couldnt I just remove that brace underneath it? I dont want to start unbolting things and bend something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leke Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Just put the car on ramps and slide underneath. It's easier to install while the suspension is under load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyscoodle Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 The front bar comes out just by removing the brace directly underneath it. Jack the motor up? Nonsense. Also it would be wise to get rear swaybar bracket reinforcements if you weren't planning on it already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 I have kartboy solid endlinks, rear sway bar brackets, RCE Tarmacs, and some rotors and brake pads to install. Im just going to knock it all out while the car is apart. Thanks for the input, I didnt want to flex anything by taking a brace off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk222 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Take the brace off! No jacking of motor required. I just did this last month. There are 10 screws to remove to take the plate off. After that the FSB is an easy install! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Awesome. Got the rear sway bar completely off last night. Hope the rest of the install goes that smoothly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 The next part I'm not 100% on is the steel braided brake lines. Does anyone have any tips or tricks? Or maybe a warning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk222 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Patience..............and a good brake bleeder or a friend to help you manually bleed the brakes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyscoodle Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 +1 for motive power bleeder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 So after hours I banging around I finally got the brake calipers off... Only on one side. I didn't know so much rust and grim could build up after only 4 years. I have ran into the problem of the front brake rotors not sliding off as easily as they should. I read somewhere to use an M8 bolt to slowly press it out. I've been spraying it with brake cleaner but it still won't budge. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spun Muffler Bearings Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 So after hours I banging around I finally got the brake calipers off... Only on one side. I didn't know so much rust and grim could build up after only 4 years. I have ran into the problem of the front brake rotors not sliding off as easily as they should. I read somewhere to use an M8 bolt to slowly press it out. I've been spraying it with brake cleaner but it still won't budge. Any ideas? Put the lug nuts back on, just a couple of turns. Get a Proper Hammer and start beating the rotor. The idea is to use shock to break the rust bond holding it on the hub. The lug nuts are to protect the threads on the studs in case your aim isn't all that. Usually just a few whacks, alternating from side to side will knock them free. You can try the bolt-push trick too. I can't confirm what size or thread is needed. Never needed to do it that way, myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 Oh I beat on it for a good long time last night. No movement at all. On my way out now to get a big ass rubber mallet. I wasn't planning on buying new bolts for these pieces but I might now. They are all kinds of nasty looking. Well for those of you wondering, I found a thread about swapping brake rotors in the DIY section... It said there are two M8 bolts holding the top radiator brackets on... DO NOT USE THESE to try ad press the rotor off! I'm not sure if they used different sized bolts in later model years, but all I managed to do is smash the threads all to hell and strip out one of the holes on the rotor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spun Muffler Bearings Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 A metal hammer, with or without a wooden block works best. Sometimes you really need to whale on it. If you think you don't need hearing protection, you're not hitting it hard enough. Rubber mallet will usually just bounce off and make you mad. Brake cleaner won't do much to break the bond, maybe try liquid wrench or p-blaster. Be sure to wash that penetrating oil off with brake cleaner later, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spun Muffler Bearings Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 The next part I'm not 100% on is the steel braided brake lines. Does anyone have any tips or tricks? Or maybe a warning? If you're finding rusty bits elsewhere on the brakes, it might be wise to use a real flare wrench to disconnect the old hoses from the steel lines. Again, liquid wrench or other penetrating oil in advance will help. When you do the eventual bleed- remember to put a block of wood under the brake pedal to keep it from completely bottoming out. Does not apply if you use a vacuum tool to bleed. Check the reservoir between every other step and add new fluid in small amounts. I usually buy a brand new turkey baster at the 99c store and trash it at the end of the job to guarantee clean fluid going in. A couple of feet of thin, clear vinyl hose and a clear plastic jar can really help the bleed- put one end of the hose over the bleeder and the other into the jar. Keep the jar end submerged in fluid. As you bleed, you'll be collecting fluid in the jar. Having the hose on there prevents the bleeder from snarfing air back into the caliper- at worst, it will just draw back a small amount of fluid from the hose. You can avoid all of that with fancy bleeders that have check valves, but I've not bothered. And finally a reminder- brake fluid is bad for skin, tires and car paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 For you guys who can do a coilover install in '45 minutes', my hat is off to you. I've been working on mine for two days, applying generous amounts of liquid wrench penetrating formula and all I've managed to do it get one bolt off and round off another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyscoodle Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 Some penetrant and two bolts to press the rotors off is how I've done it every time. You just need to thread the screws in slowly and alternate between the two, don't try to press it all the way with just one. Using some nice G8 bolts should help too. If you're resorting to the hammer use a dead blow or lead hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 I got the rotors off pretty easily after I got some liquid wrench. The struts are giving me problems now. I thought throwing my coilovers on was going to be the easiest part... I was so very wrong. Pretty sure the nut on my camber bolt on the passenger side is worthless now. Until I can find a way to get the but off, the coilovers aren't going on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk222 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Please tell me you are using some kind of breaker bar?! That helps immensely!! I've always had great success with PB Blaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyscoodle Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 And make sure you're using metric sockets not standard. With large bolts like those spindle bolts it's usually torch, penetrant, and breaker bar that does it. If you already rounded the nut grind two flats on it and use a crescent wrench with a cheater bar on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury3545 Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 I tried using a breaker bar, cheater bar, and any other bar I could get my hands on. For some reason every nut and bolt on this car was near impossible to get off, even after spraying them numerous times with PB Blaster. I got the sway bars, end links, steel braided brake lines, and new rotors on. I'm admitting defeat on the coilovers and taking it somewhere with power tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk222 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Sorry to hear you were foiled by a stingy car:spin: Keep us posted when you get it all done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chameleon Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Goodness i hate the coilovers are being a pain. Fortunately i was one of those that had it done in about 40mins. After applying the PB Blaster have you tried tapping on the bolts with a hammer? the vibration normally helps loosen them up some. Place a piece of wood between the bolt and hammer as not to damage the bolt. Also you can always pick up a 1/2in Drive Electric Impact from Harbor Freight. Those normally off a good bit of juice. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaNu1142 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I tried using a breaker bar, cheater bar, and any other bar I could get my hands on. For some reason every nut and bolt on this car was near impossible to get off, even after spraying them numerous times with PB Blaster. I got the sway bars, end links, steel braided brake lines, and new rotors on. I'm admitting defeat on the coilovers and taking it somewhere with power tools. I know this may sound basic, but I've succeeded using this technique where I've failed using mallets... apply your elbow grease to the breaker bar with one hand, and with the flat of your other hand, whack your lever hand or the bar itself. The force + the jarring helped me break free my subframe bolts last weekend so I could install my RSB supports. I have a bruised right palm to prove it. Tits mcgee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobyscoodle Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 ^You could also do the same thing, but instead grip a few inches from the end of the bar and hit with a dead blow hammer. Saves your hands and applies more force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.