Swift Spring Install Issues
 

I seem to have the worst luck anytime I want to do anything to one of my cars. A simple job that shouldn't take more than a couple of hours drags out for days - like my recent exhaust install.

Today I started installing my Swift springs. I jacked the car up on four stands, nothing to that except the HKS exhaust is in the way when I place the jack under the differential. Luckily the pipes have enough play with the rubber mounts to prevent damage. Went to retrieve the locking lug key from the glove box but it wasn't there. Searched the console, rear storage, my toolbox, workbench, no luck. Decided to check the glovebox one more time and found it in a white plastic bag. Removed the wheels without incident.

Spent some (more) time reviewing the workshop manual instructions for removing the front suspension. (I didn't have anything to do at work last week so I read the the entire procedure and all the references.)

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Pulled the front wheel sensor cable from the shock clip. When I loosened the bolt on the shock that holds the brake line the bracket bent.

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No way to prevent that since there was nothing to counter hold. I'll just bend it back after I reinstall. Removed the sway bar link completely after determining the bolt would never come out of the bottom of the shock without doing so. The procedure then calls for removing the upper link from the steering knuckle. I loosened the bolt but the pin would not come out without a puller of some kind or perhaps a big punch and hammer, so I abandoned that and simply (ha!) removed the bracket holding the bottom of the shock. I say ha! because my 14mm socket broke while removing the third bolt.

Attachment 97682

Finished with a box end wrench and removed the shock/spring assembly. Here's where it gets really fun.

I took out my spring compressors, the kind from Sears which is essentially a long bolt with two hooks, and started compressing. Had to go to my 1/2" drive impact to tighten. I kept tightening more and more until finally it wouldn't tighten any more. Luckily it was compressed enough I could try to remove the end nut that holds the hat but it wouldn't budge which is not surprising since it is torqued to 44 ft lbs. After wrestling with it for a while I decided I didn't have the right tool - an offset box end wrench, so I headed off to Northern Tool which is five minutes from my house. But they don't carry offset wrenches, so it's back in the truck and off to Sears, another 20 minutes away. By the time I return home I've wasted an hour and a half but I have the proper wrench and a replacement 14mm and I'm ready to get back to it.

But that nut is never coming off with me trying to hold the shock with my foot, one hand with the box end and the other trying to counter hold the shaft with an adjustable wrench. Sure wish I had one of these handy-dandy tools:
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But I didn't. I know I'm not suppose to let the shaft turn while removing the nut. A Google search fails to reveal the reason it shouldn't turn but I figure it not coming off any other way, so I grab the impact gun and it zips off in half a second. Did the shaft turn? Who knows. If the shock fails at some point I'll just buy coilovers.

So now I have to remove the spring compressors but guess what - they're jammed. They had to be tightened enough to compress the springs so the hat could be removed but they're so tight the hooks are acting as a lever arm and bending the bolt to the point it's jammed the threads. Even the impact won't budge the bolts. I figure if I buy or rent another set of compressors I can take enough pressure off to allow the bolt to turn so I'm back in the truck and off to Northern Tools again. I'm hoping to find a tool with a little different configuration that will not bind as mine had. NT has three different brands but they all fit inside the springs which is silly since I could never get the shock in with the compressor inside the spring.

So I go to three different auto parts stores - none have any, but they could order me one or in one case rent me one just like the one I have. They also all suggest Harbor Freight which I loathe because 99% of their stuff is junk that lasts until you use it, then it falls apart. But having no other option I hope for the best all the way there and find a compressor dissimilar to the one I have and buy it for $65 with the clerk's assurance I can return it if it doesn't work.

Attachment 97684

It did compress the springs enough for me to cut the jammed bolts with a hack saw - they still wouldn't budge - and remove them.

Attachment 97685

Then the piece-of-junk Harbor Freight compressor fell apart.

So that's where I'm at right now. I figure I'll call around and find a shop that has a real compressor and can remove and install the new springs for me, then I'll install them back on the car. In the meantime I'll do the rear springs tomorrow and I can return the piece-of-junk Harbor Freight compressor.

I hope this helps if you haven't already gone thru it!

I've done mine a couple of times already and the front can be pia

http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...g-install.html

Thanks, I read your thread (and several others) last week and again today when I ran into trouble. The Tein springs are similar to the stock while the Swifts have one end tightly coiled which makes it difficult to fit the compressor I have (and the one I had). I did take your advice regarding removing the top nut (air ratchet is my friend). :tiphat:

This is what I need
 

Wouldn't mind having use of that spring compressor either...

Compressing stock springs
 

I've decided when the time comes for me I'm going to have my local Nissan dealer swap the stockers for the Swifts. Not going to mess with them.
..as for the Gorilla nut, I'm going to have a 1/2" drive breaker bar with a 3 foot cheater from work.

Best of luck with the rest of the job.

104

I think that's a good choice. As for the nut, the kicker is having to hold the shaft - that excludes using a socket. I came up with a workable solution for using a torque wrench in combination with the box end to actually torque the nut, but I still haven't figured out how one would hold the shaft without some type of specially designed tool (besides vice-grips of course). Also, without the special tool that holds the shock in a vice it'd be difficult to torque to spec without the shock turning, and I don't want to clamp the shock tube itself for fear of damaging it.

I'm going out this morning looking for a decent shop to install the springs on the shock, then I'll install the rear springs and SPL replacement arms.

Rear Springs and Arms
 

Finished the first side this morning with no issues. Yahoo! The service manual says to torque the front lower shock absorber bolts with the tires on the ground in the uladen position. As low as this car is I'm not sure that's realistic without an appropriate lift.

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Also removed the other front shock/spring. Took ten minutes. Go figure. I decided to take them to the local Nissan dealer five minutes from my house. If anyone is set up to do it properly I have to assume they are.

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And found a screw in my tire
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What I used to loosen the nut was a boxed wrench and a pair of vise-grips.

Jammed a long screwdriver between the vise-grips to hold the shaft while I loosen the nut with the offset boxed wrench.

I don't know wtf was Nissan thinking when they re-designed the top hat without a slot to ensure when it gets installed or removed?

You can just remove the nut without the shaft spinning.

Thats how they were on my 70 240, 74 260, 90 300ZX.

I was really shocked to see they removed it.

Glad to hear at least its done. :)

Tip for SPL Arms
 

I adjusted the SPL arms as close to factory length as possible understanding that my negative camber will increase due to the lowered stance. I used bolts on both ends for the front lower link and for the radius rod I used a deep socket of appropriate diameter for the link end and a bolt on the other end.

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Luckily the screw I removed from the tire was short and embedded sideways so it didn't penetrate.

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Ruminations
 

I've always been a DIY kinda' guy. I hate paying someone to do something I can do. I always figured I could buy the parts and the tools to do a job for less than a third party would charge me for parts and labor, plus I'd probably do a better job since I was working on my own property. I've spent my life in construction and engineering. I'm very meticulous and conscientious. I also have a bazillion tools from years of doing things myself.

I think I've reached a balance point. I don't want any more tools cause if I buy them then I have to store them and I'm out of room. I have tools I rarely use anymore but it's hard to get rid of them because I might need them one day and I wouldn't have them. I gave up yard work years ago. I'm tired of remodeling my house. I don't mind working on the car occasionally, maintenance and upgrades, but I have no interest in keeping an old car running with countless repairs - I'd rather pay someone to do it or just replace it with a new one. That's how I came to own the Nismo, I sold a 2002 911 (never buy a German car out of warranty).

There's certain things I'm not going to DIY on my car, alignments for example. I know some guys do it with strings and levels but I just assume pay someone with an efficient and accurate setup and be done with it, no hassle. I'm adding installing coil springs to that list of things I'd rather pay someone else to do.

In all my years of building things I've learned to buy the best tools one can afford: they do a better job, they do it faster, and they do it safer. If I can't afford the proper tool, pay someone who has it. It's certainly cheaper in regards to time and frustration, but more importantly I end up with a better finished product.

I hear you. I have a ton of tools, but they're all at work. It sucks having to lug them back and forth so I find myself accumulating duplicates at home, and nowhere to store them.
I'd rather do everything myself 'cause at least if I mess the job up it's on me. I don't want to second guess the job anyone else does, but frankly, but I don't trust anyone to do it right. I'd end up pulling the wheels off again afterwards and checking the job they did so I might as well just do it myself in the first time around. The bummer is, I really don't want the hassle of dealing with things that go wrong if, and when, they do. (don't they always?)

So, back to the install...I was under the impression that the 'Gorilla' nut everybody gripes about is the lower shock mount bolt, hence requiring the cheater bar. Reading your thread it now sounds like getting the top nut on the shock column undone is the tough part. Is that right?
I guess taking the shocks to my Nissan dealer after I get 'em out lets them deal with this problem, huh?
Anybody else able to weigh in on this?

Thanks

104

Well the nut on top of the shock was the only one I had trouble with. I do agree that one of the lower arm nuts is difficult and requires a 24" breaker bar and short socket due to limited access but I don't think it was the lower shock nut. I use impact guns for disassembly everywhere I can and it took the nuts off lickety-split.

But without the impact gun a breaker bar is required unless one likes things to be more difficult than they need to be. Sixty ft lbs is tough to break with a 3/8" ratchet or even a 1/2".

Swift Customer Service
 

BTW I have to relay the conversation I had with a representative at Swift Springs. There are no instructions included with the springs, just stickers and a warranty disclosure. The stock Nissan spring coils are evenly spaced top to bottom whereas the Swift springs have one end tightly coiled and the other 2/3 evenly spaced.

I had no way of knowing which end went up so I called Swift. The guy told me which end went up and I mentioned that information might be good to include with the springs so one knows the proper orientation. His very condescending response was

"That's why we don't like to sell to end users, only to professional installers. They know which direction to install them."

I had the information I needed and I didn't see any point in challenging him but I wondered how "professional installers" magically know which end is up, as opposed to us ignorant DIYers, so I did a little search and found many instances of "professional installers" installing the springs upside down.

All it would take is a sticker that says "TOP" or an arrow pointing up to prevent confusion. But what do I know, I'm not a "professional installer".

If anyone has any documentation from a manufacturer as to why the shock shaft cannot turn without damaging the shock please post a link. I've searched and cannot find anything definitive other than the admonition not to let it turn. Google gave a link to KYB's faq answering this exact question but when I clicked it it gave a 404 error. I manually went to the KYB website but the faq has changed from Google's search results.

I'm wondering if the shaft not turning requirement is simply to allow the nut to be torqued properly and not to prevent damage to the shock. Visualizing the working of the piston in the cylinder I don't see how the shaft turning could possibly damage anything.

I totally envy your DIY nature, but I read threads like this and thank myself for spending the 100 bucks on the install and 200 on the alignment and saves me the headache! Good luck moving forward.

While any job is easy if one has the proper tools, I'd say that was money well spent.

All things considered the Z is great. The Porsche I owned previously required a special tool to do just about anything one wanted to do to the engine. So I can live with this.

So what end goes up, the tightly coiled section or the evenly spaced? I am getting swift springs installed soon and it would be good to know :tiphat:

Also, what SPL parts are necessary in the rear suspension to be able to get full toe and camber adj? Just camber arms or do you need more stuff?

Alignment and Bump Steer
 

Your "professional installer" will magically know.

I installed both the camber link and traction link. Note that these are SPL's names for the parts. Nissan calls them a front lower link and radius rod, respectively. The lower link (camber link) is to adjust camber and the radius rod (traction link) is for toe adjustment (bump steer?).

And the tightly coiled section goes up.

EDIT: Above I said the radius rod (traction link) is for toe adjustment but after further educating myself I've learned there is an eccentric bolt on the spring perch inboard connection that is used for toe adjustment in the same manner as the camber adjustment is done (stock components). From what I've read the radius rod is used to adjust bump steer but I haven't found a description of how adjusting it actually affects the action of the suspension through its travel. Not yet anyway, but I will.

EDIT: Here it is!

Yeah I had issue with the spinning shaft. But realized an impact gun solves it and once it gets tight you can hand tighten it properly.

I plan on asking the dealer how they do, special tools or whatnot, when I drop off the coils. I do know every manufacturer says specifically not to use an impact wrench to install the nut so I want to avoid that although I'm glad it worked for you.

I work in engineering so I'm interested in how they do it just to satisfy my own curiosity.

Interesting Development...
 

I called my local dealer Sterling McCall Nissan in Stafford and they refused to do any "performance related" work.

So they will not be getting ANY of my business. Ever.

They do it with an impact wrench.....LOL Never ever had an issue doing it that way.

Good for you
 

Sad, but probably true. Of course everyone is free to do what they want however they please, but those recommendations are there for a reason and I try to follow them, especially when applying torque values. I've seen what happens when the limits of materials are exceeded, and I'd rather avoid the consequences. I'm glad it's always worked out for you. :tiphat:

I did get the springs installed on the shocks. I took them to a local 4-wheel drive shop and they were more than happy to swap them out, even offered to do it while I waited and charged me $25 a strut. Took all of ten minutes.

I'll double check the torque on the nut and install, drive it around for a few days to let the springs settle in, then get an alignment. I'm anxious to see how the handling will change as well as enjoying the lowered look.

lol... especially your local dealer will not use any special tools. they'll just use their regular tools and tools doing the work and do it as fast as they can.

how tight? 3 sec zip's is the way to go :tup: <= dealer



:ugh:

Finally finished, well...
 

Apparently the hats were rotated 60 degrees off from their proper orientation. So when myself and the four guys in the shop all compared the diagram to the hats either we all misread it or the hats migrated as they sat in my garage awaiting installation. This is what it is suppose to look like:

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Oh well. I didn't want to go back to the shop to realign the hats so I renewed my search for a quality compressor and found one at Summit Racing. I had it overnighted with a Saturday delivery for a total cost of $206. It's made by Specialty Tools and is everything I was looking for - a high quality, functional, and safe tool.

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Next I had to figure out a way to secure the damper to work on it since doing it while it was on the floor is a struggle, especially when trying to torque the nut. Found a couple of pipe clamps used for welding at Northern Tools. They weren't cheap at $75 each but I figured I could use them for my welding projects also. They worked perfectly to hold down the assembly while I realigned the hat and torqued the nut to 44 ft lbs.

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But. There always seems to be a qualifier. The coils don't line up with the rubber cup designed to hold the top of the spring. It's about 60 degrees off. I compared the Swift spring to the Nismo spring and sure enough the end of the coils are different by 60 degrees. The rubber cup could probably be rotated but it's designed with indentations that fit around the bolts and it would have to be rotated 120 degrees to fit - 60 degrees would be in between and it wouldn't sit properly. Bummer. In the following pics you can see the 2" gap between the end of the spring and the end of the spring groove in the rubber grommet.

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I installed all back on the car and it drives great, no pops, creaks, or squeaks. It rides smoother than the stiff Nismo springs and turns really well, probably due to the increased camber. But I'm not really happy with the fit, so I purchased a set of BC ER type coilovers with the Swift spring option. Should be here in two to three weeks so I'll just wait on the alignment till then.

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I do have a really well made and safe spring compressor now though. I'd like to offer its use to any local forum member that needs to replace their springs - just PM me and I'll hook you up.

Man, this spring install really kicked your butt, not to mention how much extra money you had to spend in tools, lol. I've done spring installs several times, and I also screwed up by having the hat in the wrong orientation. That is really frustrating to say the least. I always rent a spring compressor set from O'Reileys.

Yeah, I did my Mini with the original compressor, the one I had to cut off, and it went without a hitch. I think the Z springs were much stiffer and the compressor didn't handle it as well. I did try several different kinds but the one I have now is a high quality product - fast, easy, and safe.

Hmm, that is not impressive. The springs should fit in the hats properly. Did you call Swift on it? Wonder if the hats were mixed up from left to right.

Good point and a valid question. I'll try reversing them when I remove for the coilover install and see if it makes any difference.

Hmmmm...
 

Should the hats be different? I just looked at my Swifts and both front springs are identical. I figure if the hats are left or right handed how would one spring fit any different than the other. Could the 'rubber cups' be left and right handed?

Boy, with all the hassles the OP went through I'm not sure I want to mess with doing the job myself.

104

The problem with that is you will not know if they were installed properly, if they had any problems but didn't tell you, or maybe they realize they don't fit but don't say anything, put it back together as best they can, and send you on your way.

The first time doing any job is a learning process. From my perspective the only real issues are having a quality spring compressor and the resolution of the questions regarding the fitment of the hats. If one is prepared with all the necessary tools the job should go smoothly.

Vehicle Risers
 

The service manual says all final tightening should be done with the wheels on the ground in a fully laden condition. That's not possible, at least at my house, so I need to lift the car on a set of risers. I found these but they're silly expensive for what I need them for:

Attachment 98262

I think I'll just buy two sets of ramps or perhaps cobble something together using 2X12s. The 2x12s would be cheaper but the tradeoff is they would be fairly heavy.

These would work at $40 a set:

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Since I've decided to upgrade to coilovers I purchased adjustable end links from SPL. I assume I'll need clearance to install and adjust those.

wow...this sucks. Sorry this happened. I did a full coil over replacement and camber arms in my garage with 2 jacks a cordless impact. Seriously easy, and took about 2-3 hours.

Alignment and Bump Steer
 

I found a great resource explaining alignment issues. It contains technical articles and diagrams as well as tools to DIY camber/caster, toe, and bumpsteer. Check it out!

Longacre Racing