slippery/airy OEM tires and suspension?

[aspro]

Originally Posted by sheekeebut

TRD bar complemented my coilovers nicely. It's got poise.

What kind of coilovers do you have, sheek?

[sheekeebut]

Tein Street Basis. I overpaid, but it was well worth it!

[aspro]

Originally Posted by sheekeebut

Tein Street Basis. I overpaid, but it was well worth it!

That's OK. When you over pay you tend to make sure you take care of the parts haha.

[scoobopdan]

Originally Posted by WeeYari

^ your thinking of the wrong bar. The rear sway bar is under the car, attached to the lower shock mounts. It is the only bar that really does any good for the daily driver.

You're totally right, I think my brain fart was thinking of a roll bar or something of the like. Thanks for taking a picture my man. I think I might do rims - sway - suspension and just see how it goes. The specs on the OEM wheels are 5.5" wide, if I went to a 7" (thinking about 6" but just for arguments sake) that's essentially adding a 5th tire... just fun food for thought I had today haha. Thanks for all the input guys

[scoobopdan]

Ok so here's a question sheek, I like to do my work at home. I've done a lot to cars but never a full suspension swap, is it something you can do with the right tools and time or better to take to a shop?

[WeeYari]

^ most everybody on here who is lowered has done the job themselves. It is not hard with the right basic tools and the help of a few DIY threads on here.


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[aspro]

Yeah its a very easy car to work on. The hardest part will be working in tight spaces and getting parts to cooperate with you on the way out if they have been abused over the years from weather damage, rust etc. I did my coilover kit with a friend of mine with sprig compressors, an air impact gun and some wrenches. Thankfully my ocd with oil spraying the car paid off as my parts came out without hassle. The actual steps of removal and install of suspension components is very easy.

[sheekeebut]

Another valuable resource: a friend who can help you with the work. Sometimes simply that extra pair of hands is all it takes.

[sheekeebut]

Essentials are garage space, spring compressor, bunch of metric wrenches and sockets, usual screwdrivers, and floor jack. Air or impact tools would greatly reduce dismounting time, but of course not essential, and if you're wondering about doing it right, better to learn your first suspension install with hand tools first. It gives you a good feel of what every part needs to do.

Really the only thing I wish I'd had was that offset wrench for the strut towers. Not absolutely needed, but that would make you look so pro during install. For like $20, I might get it just to make my future suspension installs that much more fulfilling.

[sheekeebut]

My coilovers thread summarises my lowering adventures, with manuals and measurements and pictures and other good stuff.

[WeeYari]

Depending on age and location of vehicle, a good liberal spray down of all nuts involved with Liquid Wrench the night before can't hurt.

[sheekeebut]

^ what wee said. Some preventive lubing of parts is nice, too. I used anti-seize compound on basically every thread that prescribes a torque figure, with exception of (of course) lugs, and height adjustment threads (and it wouldn't hurt there).
This upon advice from brother and fellow modder Telly.

Oh, about torquing. That's why hand tools are great. If you don't have torque wrenches, you're still okay, as long as you use hand tools, because your own sense of paranoia (for lack of other words) and the tightening itself will probably give you an idea how tight it should be.

[WeeYari]

Anti-seize on reassembly FTW!

[why?]

For gas mileage the weight of the wheels is extraordinarily important. The lighter the better, and the amount of money you want to spend is important too.

Also don't forget aftermarket pulleys and a lightweight flywheel. Not only do they free up some power, they make the car feel a ton better.

Coilovers really are extreme unless you are going to use the adjustments and maybe take it to an autocross or track. I love my Megans but I have not needed to adjust them at all.