Lowering Car Problem

[Haolerot]

:mad: Im lowering my car and have read the how to's and haynes manual.....but i cant seem to get the strut off.....i took out the damper fork pinchbolt, then it says that the next step is to seperate the fork and damper. I also tried loosening the bolt on the lower control arms, but to no success....maybe im doing something wrong...please any help would be good....:(

[Blue Impact]

Jeez, only if I knew those terms, maybe I'd be able to help you out a bit.

What do you mean you can't get the strut off? You mean you can't get it to come apart from the body of the car or you can't separate the strut and spring?

[Haolerot]

off the body

[Blue Impact]

There are only 3 nuts which holds each strut to the body for the front and only 1 nut holding each strut for the rear. Are you having problems with the front or the rear?

[Haolerot]

I only started the front...im not having a problem uninstalling it...just actually removeing it. Its loose...i can move the strut up and down, and side to sidel, but there is no way i can actually pull the whole strut out...is there any specail techniques to pull it out???

[anchovies]

Reattach the 3 bolts that holds the strut to the body near the fender. Remove the nut on the fork where the strut sits in. Use a screwdriver and work in between the opening to loosen the fork from the strut and hit it with a mallet or hammer. When the fork is off the strut, you can take off the strut/spring assembly without any problems.
Or another way is to remove the upper arm so that the knuckle/lower arm/axle assembly comes down so that you'll have room to remove the strut/spring assembly.
hth

[Haolerot]

thanks, i will try that this friday or saturday when i get one spring compressor.....i was just going to take off all the struts and bring um into auto-tech and use my teacher spring compressor.....the problem i was having was that i thought i had so loosen another bolt on the lower arm....it wouldnt budge...but now i happy thanks......any other help would be greatly appreciated

[guaynabo89]

I'm assuming that you can't get the strut off the fork.


Reattach the three top bolts of the strut. Reattach the lower bolt for the fork,. Take the bolt out that holds the strut to the fork. Put your foot on the rotor/hub and step on it. Your body weight should get the two pieces to come apart.

You might also be able to take out the complete strut with fork by pushing the hub down.

[Haolerot]

k thanks.....

[Haolerot]

Will i incounter any other problems with lowering my car 2.25" with dropzone springs??? And i am not planning on buying anything else...like struts...or camber kit...or prelude uppercontrol arms....\

[AZmike]

You should get stronger struts to control the stiffer springs that you're installing. Stock strength struts will not be able to dampen your stffer springs so your car will bouce a few times every time it hits a bump.

You can try going without any camber correction. I've read that it's necessary below 1.5", but not everyone seems to agree.

[anchovies]

These are the problems you'll encouter without the above:
1) bust up struts
2) inner edge tire wear

the time it takes for the above to happen depends on how much you drive your car, but tires and struts ain't cheap to be changing a couple times a year

On top of that, you'll have suspension control problems like 89LXi4dr mentioned
If you just wanted the lowered look and don't care how it rides, you can just cut the stock springs and save your $$. But you'll have the same problems above except more $$ in your pocket

[88accord]

/ \

[Haolerot]

But i already have the dropzone springs....they only cost me $95..but shipping over here is a bitch...so shipping was $50...

[Blue Impact]

A camber kit will cost more than Prelude arms and so you might wanna think about getting the Prelude arms if you're going lower than 2 inches.

[Haolerot]

Well i did it....lowered my car....taking off the struts was a fuckin bitch...even putting um back on....well the back looks lowered....the tires almost touch the fendors....but the front looks stock...i dont know why...but it just does....it still looks about 2 inches from touchin fender....but Hey...handles really good.. and it doesnt even bounce :flip:

[goldyaccord]

Originally posted by Haolerot
Well i did it....lowered my car....taking off the struts was a fuckin bitch...even putting um back on....well the back looks lowered....the tires almost touch the fendors....but the front looks stock...i dont know why...but it just does....it still looks about 2 inches from touchin fender....but Hey...handles really good.. and it doesnt even bounce :flip:

:huh: I do not understand your postie. It handles real good? no bounce? the back is almost touching the fender but the front is stock? man... to me you got a fucked up car..

[Haolerot]

:mad:Wat Guy....wat dont you understand.....The Front no look lowered, The Back is really low but the car still handles good...and it doesnt bounce....wats so hard to understand about that bitch :flip:

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by Haolerot
:mad:Wat Guy....wat dont you understand.....The Front no look lowered, The Back is really low but the car still handles good...and it doesnt bounce....wats so hard to understand about that bitch :flip:

Cool it, he doesn't understand why you seam happy with a situation that can't be right. Your front isn't lowered and your making a claim that isn't possible, dropzones+stock struts and no bounce. That's not possible, theirs no way your not bouncing after hitting a bump or anything that makes the suspension move. Smooth roads do not count, no such thing as smooth for very long.

[goldyaccord]

I was thinking the Stock struts werent gonna hold. no way there would be no bounce with those Dropzone's.

I had ground controls and Konis and the front still bounced a tad BUT, that was becuase I was slammed like in my sig. No matter what Height your at on your springs, if you have stock struts you will bounce. Maybe you dont understand our definition of bounce.

Try putting on some Koni's to tame it alittle or revavle them to get rid of the bounce all together. Please dont go off and say I dont know what I"m talking about becuase I have been through it and have ridden other cars that have had some bounce and what not.

[Haolerot]

Its dropzone springs now....not coilovers.....just to let you know....the front is soo solid...when i push down on um it doesnt even move...but the back...well thats a different story...the only time it bounces is when i go over speed bumps...but still yet....its not that bad...it bounced the same way before i lowered it, and how do you guys know that dropzones are so bad???You guys ever had a personal experience wit dem...???

[goldyaccord]

Originally posted by Haolerot
Its dropzone springs now....not coilovers.....just to let you know....the front is soo solid...when i push down on um it doesnt even move...but the back...well thats a different story...the only time it bounces is when i go over speed bumps...but still yet....its not that bad...it bounced the same way before i lowered it, and how do you guys know that dropzones are so bad???You guys ever had a personal experience wit dem...???


Oooh my bad. one of the reasons maybe your front is stiff is becuase it's at stock height or so you say thus keeps the struts in working area as in room to compress/rebound. IF it was as low as it is in the back, then you would have a more pronounce bounce effect DUE not becuase of the SPRINGS but becuase the struts are not adequate or shall I say strong enough to control the manners of the Spring. When it's lowered, you strut then is out of range it was spec'ed to do it's job in.

Think of it this way, When you deal with higher spring rates as in with those Dropzones, You then have to get the struts either rebuilt/revalved Plus the rod be shortened if you like to ride low in order to control the spring.

ALL the spring does is carry the weight of the car. The struts control how the spring moves.

Hope this helps with understanding what's going on with your suspension. I think those springs are just fine but You'll be surprised when you swap out the struts for stiffer ones. :)

The lower you go, the more it tends to bounce.

[goldyaccord]

Hmmm.. one more thing. Do you think that you might have accidently put the front springs in the back? I think one pair is longer than the other. I dunno. I may be wrong :)

[Haolerot]

:lol no i put the big ones in the back, small ones in the front. They look exactly like the stock springs...but thanks for tryin to help me understand about suspension:rolleyes:

[goldyaccord]

Okay Just makin' sure. Get a pic posted :) I'd like to see it. BTW, what's the Specs of the Dropzone springs? Do you know what the Spring Rate is for them?

Hey I just noticed in your Sig... 4.5" exhaust....... Um, Is that a typo? :huh:

[86AccordLxi]

That's probably just the tip.

alex

[goldyaccord]

Originally posted by 86AccordLxi
That's probably just the tip.

alex

Sure hope so!

[Haolerot]

O shyt..its just the tip :flip:

[Haolerot]

Hey i get some pictures if anyone can host um

[86AccordLxi]

Go to www.imagestation.com and sign up for an account and link them, or get a cardomain account like everyone else.

Alex