2104 replies to this topic

[Robert]

Wouldn't trust the battery indicators

[Samwise]

I can get century through work.

 

Probably have one on the shelf to fit your car too.

[Liberty]

Sweet as man. I'll get the check done soon and will let you know whether I need one or not.

 

Wouldn't trust the battery indicators

 

Fair enough. Just an observation though.

 

I'm gonna give Top Tech Auto in Newtown a go to get a quote on replacing my struts/springs. They might be able to quickly check it for me to see if in actual fact it is the alternator.

[Shaz]

Why don't you just replace them yourself gaz.

 

Struts / springs are like a 20min job per corner.

[Liberty]

I don't know how to man... I'd love to take it on but if anything fucks up I've got no one close by to help me out. It's literally just replacing my struts/springs with another set of struts/springs.

[Shaz]

Its like 2 x 14mm bolts on the bottom of the strut, and 3 x 12mm bolts on the top. Undo all them (compress the springs, you can use a coathanger if you don't have tools) and slide the whole strut / spring assembly out, then put it back the same way, in reverse.

 

Then take it to the nearest shop for aligning.

[Zac]

Yeah I'm planning to do the suspension swap on the outback with a friend in his garage.

 

Sydney Suspension quotes me $425 to do it with an alignment after

[Liberty]

I don't have spring compressors. How would you go about it with a coathanger safely? Can I not use spring compressors if I am pulling the entire strut out complete with the spring?

[Shaz]

Its kinda dodgy to do the coathanger trick, but you cut the coathanger, weave it up through the spring, then twist the 2 ends together with a pair of pliers until the spring is compressed enough for you to remove.

 

I think the moment you unbolt the top, the spring will uncompress which is dodgy, but hey, I'm not a mechanic, I'm just a bank manager.

 

[Liberty]

Ha ha, fair enough. I'm watching a few tutorials on YouTube now so hopefully I can get my head around it. If you can do it without having to compress the springs then I will give it a go. I'm home from work and have hours to spare.

[Shaz]

If you're fitting lowered springs after, you will prob not need to compress them. I've found that 99% of the time after I've just put the grinder down after cutting them hahahaha.

[Liberty]

I've got lowered springs in now, they're coming out to be replaced with slightly less lowered STi springs, but I am taking off my entire strut/spring combination to be replaced with the new strut/STi spring combination. I just thought that as long as you are keeping it as a whole unit no compression of the springs is necessary.

[Shaz]

I guess if you don't take the top hat off, it should be sweet. It should just slide in as one unit then.

 

I keep getting confused with my older cars, that had the spring / strut separate.

[mark300]

for those who want to know more about the Greek Crisis currently, but dont really know whats going on, this is a pretty informative article

 

http://www.businessi...t-crisis-2015-6

[Liberty]

I guess if you don't take the top hat off, it should be sweet. It should just slide in as one unit then.

 

I keep getting confused with my older cars, that had the spring / strut separate.

 

The video I'm watching says you'll only need spring compressors when swapping springs into your strut, but as long as they are complete units, they aren't necessary.

 

Hoping someone can confirm that before I get a spring launched through my body.

 

I just remembered I need to get some bushes as mine are screwed. I could give them a go myself at the same time which would save on labour and having to do another wheel alignment, otherwise I could do the struts myself, get the bushes in by a mechanic and get the one wheel alignment.

[Shaz]

You won't regret doing it yourself Gaz. The satisfaction knowing you've done it yourself, learnt something new, and saved money is the beginning of a long, arduous and obscenity filled journey that will test your patience, vocabulary and wallet moving forward.

[Liberty]

No doubt.

 

I've just heard way too many stories of bushes being a massive pain in your arse. I've done bushes before on my old VS with my dad and we spent a good hour each just getting the old ones out.

 

I am getting adjustable rear outer camber bushes off Mark and also need to replace the grease-filled bushes on the c-lateral link.

[Zac]

Logically the tophat is holding the spring onto the strut, so if not removing the tophat or the spring, shouldn't need spring compressors.

 

You'd only have to remove the tophat if modifying it to fit your car, I believe, which I don't think is your situation Gaz.

 

Should just be a straight swap, bolt off, bolt on.

 

From what I've heard, hardest part is getting the bolts off due to angle and tightness.

 

If you wanted spring compressors, I believe places like SCA have the manual claw type ones, which do the job as well, but once again, don't think they'll be needed by you, Gaz

[Liberty]

Various videos have stated you don't need them if replacing the entire unit so I guess that's confirmed. It all just comes down to the bushes then. If I can tackle them myself, I can do the entire job myself. If not, then I'll have to get the bushes replaced, then come home, replace the struts/springs and then get a wheel alignment once.

[Start]

Lol cause we are really quiet at work atm..  I got given a 5 minute preso on Justin Bieber to give on Friday.