Can anyone help

How can I tell when a "LOW Rider" has been on the road before me?

On the speed bumps in the parking lot or streets there is a large scraping in the Middle of the Bump, and a large oil deposit after the scrap in the direction of travel.  

When i got my cabrio it had standard shocks with lowering springs. I purchased a coilover kit off ebay and set about fitting it with new top mounts in hand.
I had not previously done this before but after jacking the car up and removing the wheels it seemed fairly straight forward to remove the two bolts from the bottom of the strut where it bolts to the hub carrier and then the two bolts on the suspension turret.
Shock absorber, top mount and spring all off in one.
No spring compressors needed to take off or put back on. The trickiest bit was keeping the centre stud of the shock absorber from spinning when tightening the lock nut onto the top mount.
You may need to go get the wheels aligned as well after doing the job as the camber may be out.

marcsa3 said

When i got my cabrio it had standard shocks with lowering springs. I purchased a coilover kit off ebay and set about fitting it with new top mounts in hand.
I had not previously done this before but after jacking the car up and removing the wheels it seemed fairly straight forward to remove the two bolts from the bottom of the strut where it bolts to the hub carrier and then the two bolts on the suspension turret.
Shock absorber, top mount and spring all off in one.
No spring compressors needed to take off or put back on. The trickiest bit was keeping the centre stud of the shock absorber from spinning when tightening the lock nut onto the top mount.
You may need to go get the wheels aligned as well after doing the job as the camber may be out.

If you Break the Strut to Spindle bolts loose Prior to getting the angle mark with a floating Angle finder.





I write the degree down on the Rotor in "Sharpie". You can then reset the camber accurately and not warrant an alignment.

Otherwise then yes you would need a re-alignment to reset the camber.

If you break the Strut off with the lower ball joint separation then you aren't breaking the camber adjustment and no alignment is needed.  Being the cost effective SOB that I am, Read Cheap Bastichs….I save the coin.

The rear shock springs won't kill you if they get loose.
The Fronts will, that is why I use the compressors on the front springs Coil overs or not.

I will tell you of a life lesson.  1978, I had to replace the struts on a Toyota I had, I was on Holiday at my dads.
I borrowed a spring compressor from a friend, and took off the strut.
I left the spring in this compressor  while I was changing out the Cartridge in a vice…. The compressor failed and the spring got loose.  The spring shot through my Fathers Garage wall.

I had to repair not only the car, but Drywall, and outer casement of the garage.  Lesson learned… Strut compressors can fail, Front springs when compressed can kill.



 

Thanks for all your input gents much appreciated I will be careful I'm my work

Hi guys went with the febi bilstein ones in the end garage put them on for me just dident have the time charged me £70 cash which I thought was good .feels miles better my others must have been awful no bangs going over stuff feels smoother ..where's the summer gone 😎😎

Interesting you say about smoother ride and less banging.
I've just changed my coilovers for shocks and have Meyle mounts.
They seem ok but not convinced they are going to last.

You only need spring compressors on standard shocks, very low spring set up or coilovers you wont need them and usually cant get them on the spring even if you wanted to

Love your cabbie 1985 I kept the coilovers it's just so much smoother I thought the banging was the coilovers but it must have been the strut mounts ..let's see about durability….only time will tell mate