Twenty-Three with a Z

ZX_man · 07-28-2020, 10:45 PM

Finally finished my suspension and brake weekend overhaul. Swift springs, CHECK. 10mm Z1 spacers with extended studs, CHECK. Drilled and slotted rotors with stoptech pads, CHECK. I even threw some caliper paint in there as a bonus.

Currently she's looking super dirty and needs an alignment bad. Taking care of both of those things this weekend after the springs are settled. Regardless, here are some pics! Camber is noticable in the back but I can tell the amount of spacer is perfect back there. Front is much better than before and maybe could use a 15mm spacer instead. No rubbing so far!

I would have finished the job Sunday as planned but ran into a couple complications. Finding something to set the wheel studs was a bit annoying. I ended up going to the hardware store and picking up an 0.5" ID inch-long bronze bushing which worked great for the job. Stoptech also sent me the wrong brake pad retaining clips for the rear so I had to make another run to town to get the right size clips. However, the real time killer was painting the calipers (shitty, non-Akebonos). I heavily underestimated how much extra time this would add which was dumb because I've painted plenty of car parts in the past (1 hour between coats for caliper paint also hurt).

Overall, super happy with the new look! I feel so much more confident driving the car around. It's crazy how much the new springs improve the aesthetic of the car. Not to mention how great the Swifts are comfort-wise. This was also the biggest mechanic job I've undertaken. Makes the final product that much more satisfying!

07-28-2020, 10:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
ZX_man Base Member Join Date: May 2019 Location: ME Posts: 49 Drives: 2013 Silver 370 MT Rep Power: 13428	Springs, spacers, and rotors! Finally finished my suspension and brake weekend overhaul. Swift springs, CHECK. 10mm Z1 spacers with extended studs, CHECK. Drilled and slotted rotors with stoptech pads, CHECK. I even threw some caliper paint in there as a bonus. Currently she's looking super dirty and needs an alignment bad. Taking care of both of those things this weekend after the springs are settled. Regardless, here are some pics! Camber is noticable in the back but I can tell the amount of spacer is perfect back there. Front is much better than before and maybe could use a 15mm spacer instead. No rubbing so far! I would have finished the job Sunday as planned but ran into a couple complications. Finding something to set the wheel studs was a bit annoying. I ended up going to the hardware store and picking up an 0.5" ID inch-long bronze bushing which worked great for the job. Stoptech also sent me the wrong brake pad retaining clips for the rear so I had to make another run to town to get the right size clips. However, the real time killer was painting the calipers (shitty, non-Akebonos). I heavily underestimated how much extra time this would add which was dumb because I've painted plenty of car parts in the past (1 hour between coats for caliper paint also hurt). Overall, super happy with the new look! I feel so much more confident driving the car around. It's crazy how much the new springs improve the aesthetic of the car. Not to mention how great the Swifts are comfort-wise. This was also the biggest mechanic job I've undertaken. Makes the final product that much more satisfying! danegrey and Asus_ like this.