Message text written by INTERNET:Greg_Hutmacher@i2.com
>I have purchased the parts to completely renew the front end and front
brakes (including a new steering rack, shocks, springs, brakes, bushings,
ball joints, etc). I've never done front suspension work before and am a
little leery of digging into it given how long it took me to do the rear.
Would you say the front end is more difficult/challenging than the rear?
Easier? I am debating either tackling it myself or throwing in the towel
and paying someone to do it. I would prefer to do it myself but am
concerned about getting in over my head and then being stuck with an
immovable car in my garage!
<
Greg, the two gotcha's are getting the spring out and getting the trunion
bolt out. To get the spring off you really need a spring compressor but
you can make one out of some all-thread nuts and washers and a plate for
the spring pan. Remove the shock and use the compressor to take up the
spring load and uindo the six nuts that hold the spring pan on. Then
unscrew the allthread and relaease the spring tension and remove the
spring.
The other gotcha is if the steel sleeve is rusted to the bolt that runs
through the trunion. If that occurs the best tool to have is an angle
grinder. You can grind along the length of the sleeve until you reach bolt
which will loosen up the sleeve or you can just cut right through the bolt
and remove the other half (since new bolts are included with the rebuild
kits).
Other than that and knocking loose the ball joints and tie-rod ends the
rest is pretty straight forward.
Dave
71 TR6
|