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Quick help? Putting new springs on new struts....

W

Westwildcat

CEG'er
Joined
Nov 9, 2011
Messages
240
So I bought new koni struts and new H&R springs for my 99 svt. I am doing the rears first... So I am putting the new springs on the struts. When putting the nut on the top of the strut, where it holds the top spring holder in place, that nut do I just tighten it until I run out of threads or how much do I spin it on?

Any help appreciated!
Thanks
 
springstrut.jpeg
Ok now I have the new strut/spring in.... but it doesnt sit on the support like the old stock one did. Here is a pic:

Is it ok if it sits away from the support like that? Or should I put some kind of a spacer in there or???

Thanks
 
They generally only sit on that perch if the wheels are both completely hanging ("full droop"). It's only there to catch it when you're airborne over those abandoned railroad crossings...

Completely normal.
 
OK thanks... I have the rears done. Now to do the fronts is going to take a whole lot longer Im thinking... Weird thing is the car doesnt seem to sit any lower than it did stock? These are suppose to be 1.4" or 1.6" lower but it doesnt look it :(
 
Yes it is all new parts from shox.com. With the struts being adjustable.... by turning the tops of them, do I just leave them how they came when they were sent to me? Or how do I know if they are set where they should be?

Thanks
 
Koni adjustables aren't SUPER adjustable. Usually it's best to leave them in the middle of the adjustment sweep unless you already know what to expect (although you can easily get accustomed to any setting). Take the adjustment knob and turn them all the way to firm, then all the way to soft, so you know how much adjustability is there. Then move it to halfway in between the two and you're done.
 
which way is all the way firm and all the soft? which is clockwise and which is couterclockwise? just so I know....

Thanks
 
Is there a step by step somewhere for the front struts? I have front wheel off and its more complicated than the rear.... any help appreciated......
 
 
Hey guys what size of wrench is needed to hold the back side of this?frontstrut..JPG

A 19mm is to small but a 20mm is to big?

Am i doing something wrong?
 
I think the stud itself has 8mm hex flats, you can grab the stud with an 8mm socket and small ratchet, hold it and turn the nut with an open end or box wrench.

Looks like the rubber boot for the end link is torn, probably time to replace the links.

Looking at pics like that makes me so happy I'm not living in the Rust Belt.
My CSVT at 120K miles:
DSC03194_zps31268853.jpg
 
ya i should have washed the car before working on it... stupid mistake.... you think those parts need changing?

there is no 8mm... you think wrong i think?
 
Westwildcat said:
ya i should have washed the car before working on it... stupid mistake.... you think those parts need changing?

there is no 8mm... you think wrong i think?
Click to expand...

You're right, the 8mm hex end was my old Taurus front end links. I looked at the Contour end links and there isn't anything on the stud to grab it. I'd jam on whatever wrench fits the flats on the back side and wrench off the nut, it's damaged anyway, you're going to replace it, doesn't matter if it gets more buggered up. The boot on the end link is toast.

I will sometimes take a Dremel with a small cutoff wheel and make a slot for a screw driver.

I have some new Raybestos Contour front end links that have an internal hex for a 5mm Allen wrench in the stud ends, I might have been thinking of those.
 
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