working on lowering my car

got the new springs on

while working on the front struts got every thing back on i cannot get the nut tightened/torqued down to 25lbs when i try the shaft is rotating with the nut how do i get the shaft not to rotate??? this is the only thing that is holding me up!!!

 

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20769 Might help you out some. Its on a xB, but same difference pretty much.

 

they say around 3 hours but it took me 8 hours to do it all had to visit the shop at work then i forgot the nylon lock nut at home so i had to go get that

gonna get pics very soon

its going in tuesday 090605 to get a 4 wheel alignment done for 69.95 at the dealership + tax

i just want to thank chucksu and randode for all there help

 

No need to thank me. I just found a topic that could have had info that helped you out. Cant wait to see the pics My main question in this case. What is the torque raiting is for the 3 bolts that hold the front strut in place? My dang strut bar came with no instructions, so I have no clue what to torque them to when I install it.

 

29 foot lbs according to the manual.

Walt

 

29 ft lbs

haha jinx

to make things easier on your self remove the cowl doing so makes the job so much easier to torque down

 

Ahhh, yes the challenge of the front struts. They were rather tricky when I put them in as they didn't want to go back together. Nice to see that you got them back in. :D

 

i had to remove the swaybar end links to get 'em back in

i had some real fun doing the rears with one of my jacks flying all over the place it didn't like the what i was using it as

i was planning on doing it after work glad i didn't!!!

it was the best 8 hours ever spent wasn't even bored

 

If I were you I wouldn't get it aligned for a few weeks so the springs have a chance to settle to their final position...

 

Yea i would wait too, although, i waited for a few weeks, never got alignment, changed springs, never got an alignment since, and yesterday put stock springs on so i'm glad i didn't get an alignment....but i'm trading it in so thats why (echo for xB, hopefully)

 

I'm curious, got any pics of the NF210's yet? I have the DF210's but I'm curious to see the "other" Tanabe's on an xA.

 

Use an air or electric impact wrench. Learn its characteristics and ADJUST it so it does not apply too much torque to the nut. This is easy to manage. An impact wrench is a near-must when working on a modern car. Used intellgently it is no risk, despite the dire warnings from our parts manufactureres, who WORRY about the idiot factor

sidebar: torque, as applied to very short "bolts" like the threaded end of a strut damper, is a misunderstood value. Make the nut tight. Make it tight enough that it won't work loose. For -real security- simply apply a second nut on top of the first. And with the impact wrench, settle that down firm -but not killer- onto the main nut.

We simply want to keep the parts firmly together. You all get the concept? Tight is together. MORE tight than that is merely inviting problems.

Mark what I'm saying: this particular advice is truly applicable to short bolts, or threaded-in full depth bolts. LONG bolts, nutted opposite the clamped assembly DO benefit by relatively precise torque specs. Why? Well, this gets into elastic deformation of the longer bolts' lengths. This s-t-r-e-t-c-h works to maintain clamping tension.

In short studs, however, there is very little elastic action. Ergo, no need to super-torque. Torque wrench specs in such cases are, IMO, a cause of much worry. Make the parts hand-wrench tight in most cases. Most but not all...

Some native intuition is needed to be a good mechanic. There is no substitute for hands-on experience.

hope this helped,
Reid

PS: Hornet, the way an impact wrench works is by abrupt, small shocks. This -hammers- the fastener without spinning the damper rod. It all works by inertia vs. frequency and force. In the olden days a master mechanic would've solved your problem with a hammer applied to the end of a six point socket wrench's non-ratcheting handle. Same principle.

sidebar further: My first lesson from a master mechanic came when I was 19, in 1973. My mentor was an old man who loved mechanics ever since he began working as a pro in the year 1920. He was a volunteer helper at the Charleston Navy Base auto hobby shop for enlisted men.

I could not get a rounded-off wheel lug nut to budge from my old 190SL. He stepped up. Sick old guy then with dropsy and fading eyes behind coke bottle glasses. I see him again:

He picks out a cold chisel from the work bench. He kneels down on rheumatic knees, with a big hammer and this chisel... and with two strikes he's bitten a grip for the chisel, into the flanged edge of the lug nut.
Two more strikes, heavier, and the nut spins free.
He looks up at me and smiles. And he knows by the astonished look in my young eyes.... that his life had not been played out on mere cars to end for nothing.

He knew I'd never forget him for this favor and lesson in -learning your tools and materials-.

He was dead soon afterwards. But not really gone. You see?

 

thats why i went to the shop at work he has a air impact wrench that is capable of doing a 1000 ft lbs

i tried using the electric impact it just isn't as powerful at a air impact

i did manage to get the nut torqued to spec

 

added a 2 day pole. vote vote vote right away !!!

 

you can't hurt to wait, but you might have to get it aligned again in the near future IF you get it aligned right away.

 

Those springs are on my short list. I can't wait for the pictures!

 

sorry no before pics, just after pics

if they don't load right click and click view image

god i hope they load!!!

if not here ya go http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2121230275











too it out for a short drive hit all the dang road imperfections i could find didn't make one creak and i couldn't even feel the bump with the rear tires (you know you can hear the bump bump, its just the bump now i need a back seat passenger too tell me now lol)

i like it well worth the all the money and all that 8 hours well spent on the install very pleased!!!

it handles just fine

 

Thanks for the pics. Your xA is looking sweet! Please comment more on how the ride has changed. I would hope with the softer rates in the rear the car would ride a lot better. Also does the rear of the car sit lower than the front? It looks fine from the pictures, but just wondering what it looks like in person. Thanks again...

 

i took a ruler too it tonight and the rears have a "gap" around 2 inches and the front "gap" is about 2.5 inches

like i said i took it over all the roads. smooth roads. country roads (with a bunch of road imperfections). and on the highway

i like my set up very well

 

Wle some of the images didn't load here on SL I took a look at imagestation. The results are quite impressive for a medium size drop. Now you just need some wheels and you'll be golden.