Shocks

[5ktq]

Started doing my shocks/struts today. The back went OK. Just to double check, the eye on the back shock is longer on one side. The longer side is the face that goes towards the boss/ear on the knuckle, right? Let's hope so, cause that's how I did it.


Thought I'd take off the wheel liners to wash in there really good while I was at it, because the car was from the rust belt. Figured better de-salt it up there. Some of the brackets, brake lines, etc behind the liner are horrendous. ughhh. Why would I ever buy a car from rust country.


Found this too:




The other side was full of sunflower seeds.



I started working on the fronts... soaked the pinch bolt in kroil hours ahead of time, hit it with an impact and air hammer.. it's hopeless. I gave up for tonight. Try a torch tomorrow, I guess. Need to build some kind of tinfoil heatshield for the ball joints..

[Arnie91]

What the hell could that be. Looks like animal hair on it too. Whatever it was, it was sure comfy as f**k

[Spike00513]

I think the longer side does go that way, but I don't remember.

Wonder how you're gonna wash the soiled liners.
I did my hood pad with Armor-All Tire Foam. You spray, it soaks and foams, then rinse off with hose water. The dirt should leave with it. Eventually it stops. And there's a lot in a can. Mine looks better now.

But IDK if that will work for this. And I think some are plastic while some are more like cloth, idk why.

As for the ball joint, MAP(P?) gas torch is hotter than propane. I've heat-shielded with reflective aluminum foil insulation tape before, but haven't tried it on a sensitive rubber part.
Also I never tried CRC Freeze-Off.

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Which shocks did you get?

[5ktq]

I think it's a mouse nest? Some rodent anyway. It's mostly pink fiberglass (house) insulation, and string. Whatever they could find I guess.

I was just going to take the liners (out of car) to the car wash and put them in the floor mat holders, blast em good. But more important I think is washing the car inside the wells, where the liners were. All that salt sitting up there forever...

There's an oxy torch at parents (where the car is) so I'll try that tomorrow. What a stubborn pos bolt.


I washed my hood pad with water (just a few blasts with the hose when i was washing the engine) and it shrunk bigtime. Now I can't get it to fit on again (I noticed as it was drying it was pulling in on the clips, so i figured I'd take it off to dry before it wrecked itself/the clips)

[f0reignfeatures]

Don't throw that stuff away, it's not a mouse nest. Mine has it too and it looks exactly the same.

I took my liners off and cleaned them with the hose real well when I replaced my brake lines with SS ones. I only used compressed air in the area of the car that it covers to prevent rust from actually happening, as the liners did their job and I didn't see any salt.

Oh yeah and only the driver's side had that insulation. I'm sure it's there to prevent vibration. Good luck!


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[old guy]

Don't throw that stuff away, it's not a mouse nest. Mine has it too and it looks exactly the same.

I took my liners off and cleaned them with the hose real well when I replaced my brake lines with SS ones. I only used compressed air in the area of the car that it covers to prevent rust from actually happening, as the liners did their job and I didn't see any salt.

Oh yeah and only the driver's side had that insulation. I'm sure it's there to prevent vibration. Good luck!

Nope. Not insulation. That is your standard issue mouse nest.

[LT1FirebirdSLP]

What prompted you to do your shocks/struts? Just curious. I'm debating on doing mine. My ride is kind of rough even with new tires and fresh balance. Just doesn't feel as good as a fresh car would be.

[5ktq]

my car had 100k miles, 15 years old, and the shocks were original. Not to mention one of the back ones rusted through.

If you go over a bump and it bounces a couple times because the damping sucks, it's time :)

[Spike00513]

my car had 100k miles, 15 years old, and the shocks were original. Not to mention one of the back ones rusted through.

If you go over a bump and it bounces a couple times because the damping sucks, it's time :)

What prompted you to do your shocks/struts? Just curious. I'm debating on doing mine. My ride is kind of rough even with new tires and fresh balance. Just doesn't feel as good as a fresh car would be.

Have I come to the conclusion I need shocks and maybe springs? Yes.

Do I have any idea which ones? No.

[5ktq]

I used the black bilsteins as they were fairly affordable and should be similar to stock performance. They have the sportier yellow ones as well, but they're almost double the price.

I wanted stock performance cause the roads here are baaaad. So I kept stock springs as well.

[LT1FirebirdSLP]

Ha ha! Just PMd you. Thanks for the response!

[Spike00513]

I used the black bilsteins as they were fairly affordable and should be similar to stock performance. They have the sportier yellow ones as well, but they're almost double the price.

I wanted stock performance cause the roads here are baaaad. So I kept stock springs as well.

oh yeah don't you have non-sport springs? Shock absorption and good ground clearance? I have sport (stock red shocks), lower & stiffer