The Complete SPL Front Suspension

Rusty · 10-30-2013, 11:29 AM

This is what the control arms look like. Compared to each other.

Before I installed the SPL arms. I put anti-seize on all threaded parts. You never know whhen parts will seize up.

I adjusted the heim joints to about the same distance as the stock arms.

Rusty · 10-30-2013, 11:34 AM

Now reassemble.

1st pic. I had a bolt sticking out of the fender on the right side that was hitting the control arm. I ground that bolt down so that the control arm could move freely.

2nd pic. You will find out now that you can freely put the ball joint out in place.

3rd pic. This is what it looks like finished. Before you tighten anything up. Make sure that the heim joints ARE positioned correctly

Rusty · 10-30-2013, 11:38 AM

Ok, the upper control arms are taken care of. Now for the bearings in the lower control arms.

Rusty · 10-30-2013, 11:52 AM

Ok,

1st pic. Remove the sway bar end link from the sway bar.

2nd pic. Remove the nut from the lower ball joint and pop free. You can let the spindle hang free.

3rd pic. Remove the nut from the outer tie rod end. Most people would remove this before the ball joint nut. But doing this after. The spindle will not turn on you when trying to remove the ball joint nut.

I had only had to lightly tap on the tie rod end to get it to pop free.

4th pic. Remove the sway bar through bolt that holds the bottom of the coilover. This was the hardest nut I had to remove. It took some muscle to get it to break free.

5th pic. Remove the nut and bolt on the front of the lower control arm.

6th pic. Remove the 2 nuts and bolts on the rear on the lower control arm. now wiggle free the lower control arm. If you wiggle towards the front. It will come out.

Rusty · 10-30-2013, 11:58 AM

Now you have both lower control arms off. Take them to a shop that has a press. You ain't getting these off without help.

The shop told me that they had to torch the rubber out of the big bushings and used a die grinder too. Cost me $80.00 to let them have fun with them. LOL

Rusty · 10-30-2013, 12:08 PM

Now that I have them back from the shop. I can reassemble. One thing to note. In the instructions. It tells you that you may have to move the BIG bearing on the control arm to get the bolts to line up. The instructions have a distance to set the bearing to. I had to move the bearing in about 1/8"~3/16" in for the bolts to line up. This took 3 tries installing the arm. To move the bearing on the arms is simple. Use a big enough socket that goes over the arm shaft and touches the bearing race. You can tap the bearing in with a hammer. Take a measurement before you start to tap. This way, you can see how much you are moving it. Only do light taps. Move it about 1/6" at a time. reinstall to check. You don't want to move it too far inward.

Rusty · 10-30-2013, 12:09 PM

With everything installed. This is want it looks like.

Total time- 4hours. The lower control arms spent the night at the shop. LOL Now for an alignment.

Rangerz · 02-01-2014, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty

Now reassemble.

1st pic. I had a bolt sticking out of the fender on the right side that was hitting the control arm. I ground that bolt down so that the control arm could move freely.

2nd pic. You will find out now that you can freely put the ball joint out in place.

3rd pic. This is what it looks like finished. Before you tighten anything up. Make sure that the heim joints ARE positioned correctly

Good instructions. Just got mine on this afternoon. Only difference was if you don't lift both front tires off the gound like I did. You will find it much easier to drop the front sway bar in order to get the strut to rlease from the tower. They sure look good

Rusty · 02-01-2014, 09:44 PM

Thanks for the words.

I had both front wheels removed when I did this, and removed the both end links from the sway bar first. It's the stock rubber bushings on the lower control arm not wanting to move that won't allow the coilover to drop out.

Rangerz · 02-01-2014, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rangerz

Good instructions. Just got mine on this afternoon. Only difference was if you don't lift both front tires off the gound like I did. You will find it much easier to drop the front sway bar in order to get the strut to release from the tower. They sure look good

Also the instructions say to align the hiem joints. The pics with mine were very dark. So just adding a pic to Rusty's showing the aligned joints.

[IMG]

[/IMG]

Rangerz · 02-24-2014, 09:53 PM

Anybody else having the hiem joint rotate out of how they are supposed to be aligned? Seems to only hapen on the driver side. The rear most one. I torqued it down pretty good but! It still moves out of whack a little.

Super Werty · 06-11-2014, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rangerz

Anybody else having the hiem joint rotate out of how they are supposed to be aligned? Seems to only hapen on the driver side. The rear most one. I torqued it down pretty good but! It still moves out of whack a little.

Did you ever figure this out?

And question for Rusty. Did the shop that pressed out the old bushing also have to press in the new ones? Or do they just slide right into the arm?

Rangerz · 06-11-2014, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Werty

Did you ever figure this out?

And question for Rusty. Did the shop that pressed out the old bushing also have to press in the new ones? Or do they just slide right into the arm?

Nope still happens but, not nearly as much. As part of a pre track weekend I reset the hiem joints takes about 10 min per side and retighten everything. I should probably call SPL and ask but, I haven't. I probably think it is a bigger deal than it really is....you would think the joints would align themselves to their natural location after the suspension moves through it's range of motion a couple of times.

still everyone that has looked at them for my HPDE inspection has commented on how well they are made and how "TRICK" those bad mo fo's are.

Rusty · 06-13-2014, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Werty

Did you ever figure this out?

And question for Rusty. Did the shop that pressed out the old bushing also have to press in the new ones? Or do they just slide right into the arm?

You asking someone who has brain farts. LOL What I can remember, they slid on with little muscle.

Rangerz · 06-22-2014, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Werty

Did you ever figure this out?

And question for Rusty. Did the shop that pressed out the old bushing also have to press in the new ones? Or do they just slide right into the arm?

Just got done checking the suspension and breaks for next weekend track day. Again the hiem joints were out a bit. I re-torqued them down and in fairness the split ring clamp the one nearest the joint could have been tighter. I tightened everything back up about as tight as I dared and marked the arm and the adjustment nut to see if the adjustment nut side or the hiem joint side was the one moving. Here are some pics of how they were before I realigned them.

Driver side Front:

Driver side Rear:

Passenger side:

10-30-2013, 11:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
Rusty A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 70 Posts: 35,571 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684440	Ok, the upper control arms are taken care of. Now for the bearings in the lower control arms. __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

10-30-2013, 12:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
Rusty A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 70 Posts: 35,571 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684440	Now that I have them back from the shop. I can reassemble. One thing to note. In the instructions. It tells you that you may have to move the BIG bearing on the control arm to get the bolts to line up. The instructions have a distance to set the bearing to. I had to move the bearing in about 1/8"~3/16" in for the bolts to line up. This took 3 tries installing the arm. To move the bearing on the arms is simple. Use a big enough socket that goes over the arm shaft and touches the bearing race. You can tap the bearing in with a hammer. Take a measurement before you start to tap. This way, you can see how much you are moving it. Only do light taps. Move it about 1/6" at a time. reinstall to check. You don't want to move it too far inward. jchammond and SeeThruHead like this. __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

02-01-2014, 09:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
Rusty A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Fayettenam,Pennsyltucky Age: 70 Posts: 35,571 Drives: 2011 Nismo GM 6M Rep Power: 2684440	Thanks for the words. I had both front wheels removed when I did this, and removed the both end links from the sway bar first. It's the stock rubber bushings on the lower control arm not wanting to move that won't allow the coilover to drop out. __________________ 浪人 - 殺し屋 "The Difficult Anytime, The Impossible By Appointment Only" http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...o-journal.html

02-24-2014, 09:53 PM	#11 (permalink)
Rangerz Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Northern Utah Age: 60 Posts: 476 Drives: 2012 370 Nismo Rep Power: 13	Anybody else having the hiem joint rotate out of how they are supposed to be aligned? Seems to only hapen on the driver side. The rear most one. I torqued it down pretty good but! It still moves out of whack a little. Rusty likes this. __________________ Stillen Gen III/ NST/ Fast Intentions Non-Res HFC & 12" Resonated CF TDX/ Setreb series 9 OC/ SPL upper control arms/ Whiteline front & rear swaybars/ Uprev tuned by Seb@specialtyZ/ 319HP 262TQ/ Z1 PS Cooler/ Z1 SS Premium break lines/ CJM Road Race pump/Carbotech F:XP10 R:XP8 Nismo OC DIY

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Complete Suspension Setup	Mitco39	Z1 Motorsports	0	01-19-2013 06:34 PM
WTB front suspension top hats.	Daishi9000	Wanted	1	11-05-2012 04:45 PM
[FOR SALE] Kinetix Complete camber/toe kit (front and Rear)	Kandy OrangeZ	Parts for sale (Private Classifieds)	16	09-28-2011 09:53 AM
2010 Nismo Complete Suspension	tu_clean	Parts for sale (Private Classifieds)	14	03-30-2011 03:36 PM
squek from front suspension	Zsteve	Nissan 370Z General Discussions	5	01-03-2010 10:56 AM