My Spec Suspension Install Adventure

#1

So I decided this was the weekend to install my spec suspension. I looked at the guides on e30-tech and saw that the rear appeared much easier so I started there. The install went fine. The only thing I found strange was the need to lower the differential to get enough movement from the axles. Once I did that I could press down enough to get the springs out. The rest of the install went fine. I went with the billet rear shock mounts with the firm bushing. I also noticed that my driver side OEM sway bar link had come off the end of the bar again. Not sure what is causing that, but I haven’t purchased the new sways yet, so I just put it back on.

Today I tackled the front and it was harder than I had ever imagined. I have messed with difficult tie rod ends and lower control arm ball joints, but the 4 on this car all gave me a rough time of it and many a hammer swing. I of course destroyed both tie rod ends, but they needed replacing anyways so yet another Pelican Parts order is about to be placed. I also noticed that my driver side ball joint was not smooth at all, so now I am contemplating if I have time to order replacements and get them installed and down the slippery slope I slide again. Might as well do the lollipops too right. So I got the struts out and used my spring compressors no problem to remove both springs. I didn’t have any tool that could get the damn ring off that holds the insert in though, so I am going to get a pipe wrench tomorrow I guess. All in all a decent amount of work for 2.5 hours today.

Any recommendations or tips you guys have for reassembly of the front? I’m assuming putting the insert in is easy. I wish I had the Bilstein approved tool for the lock ring. I got all the parts from Factory 3 so I went with the UUC camber plates as well. I hope they are easy to figure out as all I got was one page of printed instructions. Do you think it is worth it to replace the lower control arms while I have everything apart? Is now a good time to get new bushings and lollipops? Thoughts on centered versus offset? Should I just get tie rod ends or the whole assembly?

#2

It will be well worth it to go ahead and replace both control arms and bushings. I would replace the whole tie rod as the inner ball joint is probably pretty worn too, don’t forget to order two new lock plates and two new rack boots.

#3

Yeah I think I have decided I will just replace everything. Here is the list I put together:

Lower Control Arms
Lollipops
Tie Rod Assemblies
Tie Rod Lock Plates
Tie Rod Boots
Tie Rod Boot Straps
Tie Rod End Nut
Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Nut
AKG 75D Control Arm Bushings (Should I do offset or not?)

I think I should be able to get the AKG bushings pressed in easily enough locally or with a couple c clamps. Is it hard to remove the old bushing from a lollipop or should I just spend the money and buy new ones? Any other bolts or nuts worth replacing?

#4

Get the offset bushing. I bought mine already pressed into lollypops, that way I didn’t have to press them in.

#5

You can get the CAB pre-installed into new lollipops or just take your old control arms and your new control arms and bushing to any shop and have them press the new bushing into the lollipop and install onto your new control arms.

Or go down to harbor freight and buy a press and do it yourself. Trust me you’ll use it more than you think and it will pay for itself pretty quick. I picked mine up for $99

Protip: an air chisel makes getting the old bushing off the old control arm a piece of cake, and the same air chisel will make quick work of getting the old bushing out of the lollipop. It will also make quick work of getting those stuck gland nuts loose when replacing front struts.

Greg

#6

Thanks for the advice on the air chisel. So it sounds like most people recommend a set screw for the offset bushings. How far do I drill into the bushing? Any recommended size for the set screw? I have a drill and metric tap/die set so that is no problem.

#7

You shouldn’t need to tap anything for the set screw. Just drill a hole as large as the screw through the lollipop then in the same hole drill down just far enough that the head of the screw will be flush with a proper size bit. when you get the new bushing pressed in just drill a small pilot hole through the hole you drilled in the lollipop into the bushing and install the self tapping screw.

#8

I Have delrin offset control arm bushings and I didnt have to press them in to the lolipops.

I put the bushings in the freezer for a day and left the lolipops outside in the sun. The bushings popped right in and when everything was the same temp nothing moved around. I do have screw in there now just in case.

Now getting the derin bushing on to the control arm required a press. it didnt seem right, but I called Bimmerworld to ask them and they said it was ok to use a press to get them on.

#9

+1 on the press. Dunno about the others, but the 20 ton model comes with plates that made the CAB job easy. Horrible Freight also sells a seal/bushing driver tool kit thing (#95853) that contains just the right size for pressing the bushings in to/out of the lollipops. It was worth $30 to not have to the kids hear me cussing in the basement. Again.

#10

I just replaced my CABs with AKG offsets. I had to use a gear puller to pull the lollipops off the control arms. No problem. I cut the stock bushings out with a hacksaw. Just need to be careful not to cut the lollipop. Cut the steel ring around the bushing in a couple of places and you can then deform the ring with a cold chisel and pop it out.

The AKGs pressed into the lollipops using just a vice. Very easy. I couldn’t believe how easy the AKGs pressed onto the control arms. I was able to press them on with my hands.

I found this link after I ordered the new AKG CABs. http://www.torque-bound.com/Board/index.php?tid=18

I can vouch that the comments about the AKG CABs are accurate. Otherwise, it is probably worth as much as anything else on the web, but you might consider it helpful.

#11

So I now have the passenger side strut reassembled. That damn lock ring kicked my butt today. After struggling for over an hour trying to stand on the strut and use my newly aquired pipe wrench to get it off I sat for awhile and thought about it. The answer was going to Sears and buying a vice to mount on top of my work bench. I then put the strut assembly in it and was able to use the pipe wrench to get the lock nut off. Reassembly went well, and the UUC camber plates seem nice. They seem to have excessively long upper strut mount studs which I guess are nice if you want to mount a really thick strut tower bar. So far I am really happy with the way everything has worked out. Of course in the process of trying to get the lock ring off I really bent up the dust shield. I am definitely going to cut away the majority of it since you can’t remove them without pulling the hub apart. I hope that tin snips will be strong enough or out comes the cut off wheel which I really hate using. I hope my new AKG bushings will go in with the vice as well. I was happy to see they refunded me $5 today as they overestimated shipping charges, and I just placed the order late last night.

#12

I don’t know if I can go back to sears after the last 20 times I was asked if I had a sears charge card.

#13

Used my newly acquired tin snips to remove one of the front backing plates. It wasn’t as easy as I had hoped, and I wish I had gotten one with longer blades, but I got it done.

#14

King Tut wrote:

I used a small bench vice and two short 2x4’s, took me 10 minutes, just make sure you get the offset holes lined up right before you squeeze.

#15

King Tut wrote:

For the threaded shock collar, if they are a bitch to get out, I frequently cut them off. Whenever I bought new shocks, they usually came with new collars. You just have to be careful when cutting them off. A steady hand and a cutoff wheel works great. That “special tool” that Bilstein sends is special alright.

It feels like yesterday when I first tried using one. Bent the crap out of it and never used one again.

Typically when you get a slot cut in it, the collar will “pop” and then thread off nicely.

#16

Last one I did, I used pentrating oil, let it sit for 30 minutes (with some tapping with a hammer) then put the torch on it. Came right off with a pipe wrench. Of course, the strut was in the big bench vise.
Ed

#17

So I have the driver side completely together after replacing pretty much everything:

Spec Springs
Spec Shocks
UUC Camber Plates
Lower Control Arms
Lollipops
Tie Rod Assemblies
AKG 75D Control Arm Bushings

The driver side wasn’t that bad. The AKG bushings pressed in almost all the way by hand and then some simple hammer work pushed it in the rest. It was a little of a struggle to get the lollipop mounted, but I didn’t have to modify anything. I still need to do the set screws tomorrow. There is decent access to the driver side subframe/control arm nut. Not so lucky on the passenger side where the nut is blocked from access by the motor mount heat shield, the exhaust, the firewall, the transmission, the steering rack, and the sway bar. I ended up only able to move my wrench a 1/4 turn each time as I couldn’t get a socket on it from the top thanks to the exhaust. It took me well over an hour to get that one damn nut off. I almost finished the passenger side before running out of daylight. I should be able to finish everything up tomorrow and hopefully get it aligned on Monday. I was just gonna have them do the front alignment by setting the camber the same side to side and setting the toe.

#18

Everything is back together and torqued down. Only thing left now is drilling out the lollipops for the set screw. I plan to do that tomorrow along with installing the spec exhaust. I got a tailpipe expander from Harbor Freight yesterday, so the install should be easy.

#19

King Tut wrote:

Don’t bet on it. :laugh:

#20

never say

“should be easy”

that is a jinx for sure