boodlefoof Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Aren't tight spaces fun?! I guess I should say be glad you aren't working on a Z32. Man is that engine bay cramped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted September 14, 2006 Author Share Posted September 14, 2006 Don't worry, every time I open the hood I thank myself for not owning a Z32. I love those cars, but not enough to go through all that. I just wish I was a little more interior savvy, that's the biggest eyesore on my car. Aside from the gallon of bondo that isn't looking too good either, but that's neither here nor there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted March 13, 2007 Author Share Posted March 13, 2007 I finally got around to tackling my spindle pins the other day. I built my own puller, and it pulled the threads right off the pin...sigh...I had to resort to the cut the ends off and try to get the rest out method, and that method involved several minutes of heating with a propane torch followed by using an air hammer to press the rest out (it fought all the way, and actually shot out the bottom when it finally came free). This of course left me missing a pin. So I shopped around local bolt supply places for the super long bolt solution. Here are the dimensions of my bolt: 5/8" X 10". It fit with 0 slop, and had about a nut and a half worth of threads even with a washer on either side. I used grade 8 all the way around, even the nut and washers, and it still only cost me $7(as opposed to the $32.95 www.blackdragonauto.com is getting). I'm pretty happy with it. Also, I had to kill a black widow spider that was living in my LCA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLave Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 You know a little trick to installing urethane bushings is to put them in the freezer the day before. They seem to shrink up a bit making it worlds easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritech-z Posted March 15, 2007 Author Share Posted March 15, 2007 Huh, I suppose that would work pretty well...But of course, getting them in isn't nearly as bad as getting them out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLave Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 yeah... Recipe for getting them out: -Assorted tools of destruction -6 pack of favorite beer -much cussing and frustration -one huge mess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 yeah... Recipe for getting them out: -Assorted tools of destruction -6 pack of favorite beer -much cussing and frustration -one huge mess don't forget the blood and tears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HizAndHerz Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I just put an Energy Suspension kit on our third car and found that a hole saw worked great for getting the control arm bushings out. Then a wire wheel to get the remains. The suckers that were the worst trouble to get in were the bushings that go in the sway bar brackets. It took an hour to get the first one in. In the end I found that the tab on the clamp that goes across the bottom of the bracket has to go in first. The bushing won't squeeze in unless it is slathered with grease. To keep from using too much of their "special" grease, I used some silicone di-electric grease I had laying around. The kit I got had the wrong mustache bar bushings - way too big. I wrestled with those for a while before I finally read the packing list and found they had the wrong number on them. The CS rep from Energy Suspension was great about sending me new ones but they're coming UPS ground. I didn't want me car to sit for a week, so I used a hole saw to cut the diameter down to the correct size. About 2 hours of extra work, but at least the car is going down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUSSJZ-ZED Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 wrong Energy suspension Moustache bushes , I posted a warning about these a few weeks back,The kits are factory pre packaged so there are probably a lot more out there with the wrong moustache bar bushes. (The ones that were in my kit were Chev Corvette.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HizAndHerz Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 wrong Energy suspension Moustache bushes , I posted a warning about these a few weeks back. Actually, when I ran into trouble, searching the forum led me to your post - thanks. I told the customer service guy that there was at least one other person that got a kit with the wrong mustache bar bushings. He said that he hadn't heard of such a thing and that my kit must have been tampered with. I told him that everything was sealed with the correct parts list but the wrong parts. The replacements came in today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Huh, I suppose that would work pretty well...But of course, getting them in isn't nearly as bad as getting them out... Did you see the thread on classiczcars.com where they talk about spreading the outer end of the rear control arm? That's a handy tip and will save you a lot of time and hassle trying to get the outer poly bushings to fit over the strut when you're reassembling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I had to revive this. Very useful info. Only problem is that the pictures decayed and no longer appear on the thread. I've been looking for a good photo of the grease fittings you installed (Zerk? Zerg? Lol). Everyone seems to have a different name for them (they were called zert fittings on the boeing helicopters I worked on). Seems like a great idea for replenishing lubricating grease with minimal effort, and I'd honestly like to do it before assembling the suspension rather than waiting until it starts going bad down the road. Any chance someone still has the photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddmanout84 Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Man its strange looking at the chassis from that angle... Most appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burntread Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 I know this is an older post, but I have a question for Veritech-Z. With the 5/8" X 10" bolts you used to replace your spindle pins, did you not reinstall the small lock pin that goes in the middle of the housing or did you just notch the new bolt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batou Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 I believe the lock pin is no longer necessary due to using a bolt that has a head, whereas the spindle pin has a nut on either side that must be removed, ie remove one, and without the locking pin the spindle pin is apt to just spin and not allow you to remove the nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h4nsm0l3m4n Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I used the 5/8"X10" long bolt and a nylock nut. For better or for worse I didnt use the lock pin to lock it in place. I havent noticed any loosening of the bolt so I dont think theres any problems with the setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slown280z Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Spindle pins are still available from Nissan, and they're not that expensive. I hope you all got a strong enough bolt, otherwise I hope a bump won't shear them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 About that: the spindle pins are not particularly hard steel, nor are they even hardened or tempered to start with. Would I personally risk anything less than a grade 8 bolt? No. But the grade 8 is much stronger than that pin, of this, i am certain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONGO510 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 IMO, the chances of ever shearing off a 5/8" bolt used in that application are slim. The load required is extremely high! A grade 5 bolt in this application might be better than a grade 8 as the higher grade is more likely to snap from a shock load. FWIW Mongo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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