The Complete SPL Front Suspension
 

Hi Guys :D

As some of you know. I have bought ALOT of stuff from SPL lately, through corner3garage. Well, here is the install. :D

The parts.

The upper control arms.

The Parts.

The lower control arm bearings and sway bar end links.

Install of the upper arms.

1st pic. What it looks like.

2nd pic. Remove the bolt that holds the ball joint in. It will pop up by it's self. Use a zip tie to hold the spindle from falling. I tied it to the spring.

3rd pic. Remove the bolts that hold the control arm in place. This is where I found out, that they WILL NOT come out.

4th pic. Remove the 3 bolts that hold the coilover in place at the top. Pry down on the coilover and move towards you so that you can finish removing the control arm bolts.

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.

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 :D

Looking Great Rusty!!! Rep for the pics and Review!!!

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

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. :icon14:

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. :D

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. :icon14: 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

Looks nice!!!!! While my intentions were good, spreading this out over a period of time. Next up is wheels and tires, need to order brake lines and pads too, then I can start tearing apart and putting back together. Will be following ya though to see how the car feels after the upgrades. Thanks for the pics!!!!

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.;)

With everything installed. This is want it looks like. :D Total time- 4hours. The lower control arms spent the night at the shop. LOL Now for an alignment.

Also, I installed the Hotchkis sway bars, and billet sway bar brackets from them. :D

Awesome man thanks for the knowledge money well spent.

make sure you install lateral locks on the sway bars specially in the rear! I have all the SPL items lol! car feels like a racecar!

The Hotchkis bars have retainers on them already. Rings spot welded in place. Don't remember if you have the Hotchkis bars or not.

nice! I need a front hotchkis bar....

Blow up picture. You can see the ring. Just inboard of the bushing.

Great pics. I really need to go ahead and get the front lower control bushings.

When I did my rear subframe bushings I had to torch and cut the sleeves to remove. Hugh PITA

yeah why I am glad Corner3 Garage did the work, they install all sphericals and solids!!

OK Rusty it's your fault. I just ordered them.

Ok, blame me for everything. :rofl2:

Very cool! What else do you plan to buy from SPL?

The parts for the rear in the spring maybe.

Got the Nismo aligned today. Spec are camber -2, caster 6, toe zero for the front. The rear is camber -1.7, toe is zero. Raining today, so I can't push it some. :shakes head:

The front suspension does feel freer in it's movement over bumps. Hard to describe, you know it's different, more inline with what you would expect. The road noise isn't any different. Sounds the same. The proof will be when I go back to the track again. :driving: :tup:

nice! :tup:

This is all I'm missing. Pricey, that's why I've holding till tax season.
https://www.splparts.com/store/produ...hp?pid290.html

I planned on boost for tax return, but I think Im leaking towards doing complete spl parts on the suspension front to back, let me know how this drives, I always felt the front is a little unresponsive in this car, but mine is not a nismo, just wish they were not so darn expensive!

So awesome that we could help you get these on your car!!!

How does the car feel!

Have you tracked it yet?

Thanks for the parts. :tup: Just got the Nismo aligned today. Sorry, no track time until next spring. :( From the driving today. I could tell the difference in it. :tup: And no driving for the next 4 to 6 weeks. Foot surgery tomorrow. :icon14:

Ill be over, Ill be your personal driver ;) in 4-6 weeks it will provbably be snowing! :(

Just installed Mine this weekend. Not to bad of a job. For side notes the OEM bushings are liquid filled also. A lot more than the diff bushing.

make sure you guys post up how long the spherical bearings hold up to rain and dirt, I may be looking at some spl upper arms myself.

Will do.:tiphat:

good luck on the surgery!

NEEEEEEEEEEXT SPRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING??????????????????

I would die if it would be that long since i tracked...

-Mike

Thanks! :tiphat: The surgery is done and I'm healing good. Going on a cruise this Friday. :happydance:

Can't wait for spring to come.

So glad to hear that you are safe and well.

We can't wait for your spring racing season either!

I wish everyone had your enthusiasm about these awesome SPL parts like you!

Thanks,
Mike

Since the doctor let me drive again. I've been putting some miles on the Nismo when the weather will let me. No probems so far. IF THERE IS, I WILL LET YOU KNOW and everybody else. The handling has been a couple of steps above stock. The stock Nismo coilovers now perfrom like they should, because there is no bushing binding going on. For road noise in the car. I can't tell if there is an increase or not because of my exhaust and tires. In all, sounds about the same. Have to wait to spring before I can dial in my rear sway bar. :(

Love this install! How crucial are the lower bushings (for the novice who is trying to save up for the front and rear control arms). Eg: is it advisable to only get the front arms if u can afford the bushings as well?


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Depends on how much you want to spend. And how much flex you want to get rid of.