SpeedDemon02SS

Ok, I am going to attempt the spring/shock install myself. I have rented the strut compressor from autozone, and have all the sockes, electric impact wrench, and jack. I can get the wheels about 5 inches off the ground.

I am very competent when it comes to mechanical stuff. But i have never done springs before. Can anyone give me some advise? pointers? any help at all. any extra tools i will need?

tool list:

Jack
jack stands
6 pack of miller lt.
hammers
impact wrench with sockets
torque wrench
another 6 pack of miller
penetrating oil
spring compressor
12 pack miller
bandaids
neosporen
bottle of vodka

does this about cover it for tools needed? Can i find the step by step in my hayes book?

OBE1 95Z28

Here's a good write-up: http://www.houston-f-body.org/tech/shocks/index.htm

nfa

You will also need some liquid paper or something else to mark the orientation of the shock/spring to the upper strut mount before disassembly.

michigan2500hd

That article would have been nice to have last week,lol. I just did front and rear on my 98 Z and it really isnt all that bad to do. I didnt have the best jack so the biggest problem was getting the car high enough. I also did the lower right control arm and outer tierod ends and wow does it ever need an alignment now,lol. I dont even want to drive it its so bad. I used the edelbrock adjustable coilovers with eibach springs. I know they arnt the best but i couldnt afford any of the other adjustables that i found. Good luck and be carefull with the springs and compressors.

SpeedDemon02SS

Thanks. I am not too worried. I rented the strut compressor from autozone, and i have all the other tools necessary. I am very good mechanically..so that wont be a problem. I am putting in alot of parts at once:

Eibach Pro-Kit
Bilstein II shocks/struts
Hotchkis LCA's
Hotckis Panhard
BMR relocation bracket

this should be a fun 2 day project with alot of beer and bandaids...i am just waiting for the relocation brackets to come it. so it should all be in either this weekend, or next.

wish me luck!

p.s. any pics?

DrivingZiggy

Okay, I'm not even close to mechanically gifted. So I had some pro's do the compressing for me. But I did the rest.

The one thing I found that I did wrong on the right front was to tighten up the top first. I then had a helluva time getting the new Bilstein's bottom mount to twist into position. But I was stubborn and got it done.

So on the left side, I started the nuts on the bottom before even beginning on the top. Went in like a breeze! I didn't think it would, that's why I did it the opposite way on the other side.

Anyhoo, that's all I can offer.

94CamaroZ28

You'll be sorry to have selected the Bilstiens. They are NOT suitable for use with any lowering spring, let alone one with greater than stock stiffness. You'll likely handle poorly, hate the ride, and end up doing it all over again with Konis, which is pretty much the only shock/strut that can handle the stiffer lowering springs.

If you want much better than stock handling, send back the lowering springs, just do the Bilsteins. If you want killer handling, send back the Bilsteins AND the lowering springs, get the koni DAs, and put a 35 mm sway bar up front.

If you want drag, there's other approaches... but what you have will give you none of the best of anything.

DrivingZiggy

There are THOUSANDS of SSes out there that came with lowering springs and Bilsteins. There are thousands more F-bodies whose owners have switched to Bilsteins. In 12 years of 4th Gen F-bodies, this is the first time I've ever heard anything bad about Bilsteins--and not even from personal experience.

With so many thousands of successful applications out there on the road, I'm not going to put a lot of stock into one guy's claims which are based on... Well, I don't know what they're based on.

SpeedDemon02SS

this is the first i have heard of this 'bad combination'. everywere else, and everone else said this was a good set up. not to mention SLP where i got them. Let me pull this directly from the SLP site...

sorry...but i dont agree with you. I think the car will handle superbly.

SpeedDemon02SS

first hurdle...

one of the torxe bolts stripped on its way out...any suggestions? should i drill it out?

SpeedDemon02SS

all done...and...with all my headaches, and being the first time i have done this, took me a full day to complete. not as much bandaids as expected, and no beer yet but let me be the first to say...damn that biatch is LOW!!! i will get some pics up tomorrow...

its 5 am now...im off to bed.

and yes, i know this is a double post, but its just for the people who were already on this thread...

SpeedDemon02SS

how long does it take for all the springs/shocks to settle? it seems like there not all even yet...and it seems like one of the rears is riding pretty low. is it possible that i dont have the springs seated right on the rear? there was no stopper, they just sit on the metal.

OBE1 95Z28

Double check the the upper spring isolators are properly positioned. Also make sure the ends of the coils on the bottom of the springs are pointing the same direction on both sides of the car.

SpeedDemon02SS

ill check em all out tonight. thanks..its just the one wheel...the others are within a 1/16 of each other, and that will settle out.

SpeedDemon02SS

how long does the settleing take? should i wait to get the alignment till after that? Is there a reason why i hear a clanking sound every now and then when i hit a bump? ( I just took all the wheels off and dbl checked all the nuts & Bolts...everything is good, and properlly torqued down?.

but it handles sooooo much better. no regrets there...