Request For Help with front suspension and local mechanic problem

[liquidmpls]

Hi

I am redoing the front suspension on my 90MTX , nothing fancy just getting it back in shape. So i got new struts and new springs (kYB GR-2 and MOOG CC858)

not wanting to get hurt i called around to see if any of the mom and pop places would assemble them with there compresor. Lucky me the one two blocks away said they would do both for $20. I dropped all the stuff off on monday and when I came back in the evening i noticed right away that they didnt put the lower spring coil seat on between the strut and the spring. At first they tried to tellme that it was no big deal and that i didnt need it. I insisted that i DID need it and eventaully they agreed to redo it (i wasnt sure but i pretendd i was)

So I came back today and it wasnt done yet (becuase they said that they threw away the old ones and needed to find them in the dumpster)

also while i was looking at the wrongly assembled ones i noticed that at the bottom of the spring they striped that pastic protection off in a section about an inch long and the guy told me that they always have to do it to put it in the compresor.

AND (this i am not sure about, but i think it might be wrong) the washer at the very top is put on so that it is curved up. So that the nut on the strut sits down inside the upturned washer and not ontop of a downward turned washer. I dont remeber the original way the struts were assymbled but that washer looks upside down?

Can anyone tell me if the protective coating being striped is a big deal or just cosmetic?? and what about that top washer.

I am just wondering how much of a mess they have cause, and what i'll need to fix. OH! and in my paranoia i am wondering if there is any thing they might now do (on prurpose or not) that could really be bad for my assembly. I am afraid they might do something i wont notice and then when I put it on my car i will be in trouble.

Thanks for any advice you can muster.

 

[twr]

The protective plastic stuff isn't a big deal, paint it if you like. The washer is installed correctly (curved up) I'm assumung the part they forgot to install is the rubber dampener that sits between the spring and the perch - that I would say is required for vibration and noise reducing purposes.

Just make sure that when you get it all back to look it over close, if there is something that looks wrong, take a picture and post it here with your concern.

<small>[ February 18, 2004, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: twr ]</small>

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

the Lower sping isolators are not NEEDED, but they do help eliminate vibes and road noise. And I would never run without them. My originals looked fine, so I reused them.

Sping compressors do normally damage the coating on the coils. Even with a brand new set of quality compressors, and being as careful as I could, I managed to tear the coating on my coils.

hope it helps thumb

 

[liquidmpls]

ok, thanks, maybe it doesn't seem as bad as i thought.

Well the new news is that the mechanic cant find the spring seats that he threw away.

Any one know where to order some from? I called napa and autozone and neither have them or can order them.

 

[sdpatt]

The washer should be turned down, but it doesn't hurt anything to have it curved up. I guess you got what you paid for since $20 is very cheap to replace springs and struts.

 

[Vince7]

Just thought i'd mention that when i did my rear struts and springs autozone and pepboys bot rent their tools for free ie: spring tools, pullers etc. and no purchase needed. i thought it was great, nothin better than self work. Vince7

 

[liquidmpls]

thank vince, I knew about autozone free rental but I had been told that the compresor could be a bit dangerous and for $20 it seemed like a deal to have the local gusy do it. I took them off the car and brought the old ones plus new parts to the shop, and I will put the new assembly back in the SHO, thats why it was only $20, they were just swaping the struts and springs.

Again can anyone tell me where to find the lower speing seats, the mechanic threw mine away and i cant find a place to buy replacements. Napa and autozone dont have them and rockauto.com doesnt list them that i can see.

Thanks

 

[liquidmpls]

Just posting again to see if anyone knows where I can get the lower spring seats, I tried napa and auto zone and they didnt have them or know where to get them. Rockauto.com doesnt stock them either

 

[Mr Anonymous]

liquidmpls:
Just posting again to see if anyone knows where I can get the lower spring seats, I tried napa and auto zone and they didnt have them or know where to get them. Rockauto.com doesnt stock them either

They are not necessary. So much so that Ford discontinued them long ago and nobody ever bothered to make them aftermarket. There may be a handful left over at a couple of dealers around the country, but again, they are completely unnecessary. Go to Midas or NTB and ask them about buying complete replacement springs and struts and there will be no mention of them.

If you're really worried, you could always cut something out of an inner tube patch or squirt a wad of RTV on the perch; either would be about the equivalent of the stock isolator.

 

[billyshoe]

I'm curious what outfit did the work in MPLS.

 

[liquidmpls]

The place that did tem in minneapolis is:

Amar's Auto Service
2101 Como Av Se
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55414 - 2528
(612) 379-1311

They are located over near U of MN. This is the first time I have used them, and depending on who you read I eaither made a fool of myself (possibly *** of my self) or these guys did a 1/2 assed job and it may or may nt be BS that they cant find any replacemet, even when i said i would pay for them. I guess nex time I will rent my own compressor or go to some place like Midas even though that seems like blasphamy.

They are closed for the weekend so on Moday I will go and pick them up and give up on the spring seats.

Thanks again for everyone's pacients and advice.