help, quick questions

[Kavik]

the time has come, I can't put off the install any longer, I just about wrecked my car today on lunch hitting a bump on a 90 degree turn at reasonably low speeds, my rear struts are completely shot, i bounced and skidded and almost hit the side of the road 

anyway, I want to try to swap my suspension out tonight after work.  My concern is, shitty conditions of working in the driveway with jackstands and no air tools or anything like that....if I run out of time and only get the rears done, will I be okay running around with stock front suspension and in the rear having KYB AGX struts with Prodrive lowering spring?  What should I expect that to handle like, so I know what to be careful of?

[phong]

Yes, you will be fine.  If I were you, I would be more concerned about getting the rears done w/o breaking something important.  Do you have alternative transportation if something doesn't go right?   If things haven't been taken apart in a while you can count on at least one bolt breaking on you.

[Kavik]

   of course I don't have alternate transportation...that would just make things too easy 

yeah, I've had the car about a year, no idea if/when this stuff was ever replaced before I got the car.....so I'll be using a ton of PB Blaster, a gentle hand, and saying the occasional prayer.  FWIW, I actually made it through the same kind of suspension swap on my '02 without a single broken bolt/stripped nut....hopefully I didn't use up all my luck that time around LOL

[Photofixer]

And where are you doing this?

[Kavik]

in my driveway.....hopefully there won't be a puddle 

[Photofixer]

Get some cardboard to sit on..  You got all the tools ya need?

Wonders if those bolts are gonna break free..  

Best bet would be to get one of those Propane hand held jobbers at Home depot and heat up the nut with the torch for a bit and then let it cool and heat it up again .. and it should break free.. Expanding and contracting should break some of that frozen material down and allow you to remove the nut...Quite handy..It's got a little red trigger on it..

I usually use a small set up that they also sell their. its got alittle oxygen tank on it .. but the regulator on if fucking sucks donkey dick.. So i just hit it with heat...

[phong]

I may have some spare camber/strut bolts laying around if you get in a pinch.  You will need a breaker bar for sure.  Did you PB Blast ahead of time?

[Photofixer]

good thing is he is right across the river..  

what exactly are you doing. you got replacement springs.. too.. and top hats. or you using the existing ones .

you need spring compressors..

[Kavik]

   I have cardboard for when I'm way under a car and can't spare two inches....I think a creeper will work for sitting on  

I should be okay with hand tools, I think.  I'm just wishing I had a full day so I could be sure to get all 4 struts done, and get my rear sway done at the same time.  I hate doing this stuff all piece-meal

[Kavik]

sorry for the double post, didn't feel like redoing the post after other replies came in lol

okay, I have a full set of struts springs and tophats already together waiting to go in.  KYB AGX Struts, Prodrive springs, WRX rear tophats, Sti front tophats.  I've been planning for a while to do this, have just been lazy lately and putting it off.  Come to think of it....it doesn't matter so much if anything breaks coming off.....as long as nothing strips and refuses to come off.  I've got new bolts for everything front and rear.  Only thing I didn't buy is new nuts for the 3 little top bolts that connect the tophat to the cars frame.  

Unfortunately I didn't PB Blast it ahead of time.  I wasn't planning on doing this just yet, until it got 10 times worse just today.  But picking up a little torch really isn't a bad idea...I might have to do that  


Maybe I'm over-thinking things and it won't really be so bad after all

[BlackParis]

If you dont mind the drive I can help you..  I have air tools, and ALL the replacement bolts you could possibly need.

I'm in Greenwich NY

[Kavik]

thanks Paris, but I've given up for tonight 


big assed yellow bitch: 1
me: 0


got the bolts all broken free in the rear, but couldn't get the damn brake lines unclipped from the little bracket, it was too caked up with a combination of oil and sand and who knows what.  anyway....at that point I figured without having one even off yet, it was time to put the shit back together

even with a breaker bar and a 4 foot cheater bar on that, my back and neck are killing me from getting those 4 bolts loose