Well, I'm getting ready to put AGXs on my classic in a few weeks, and in looking at the FSM it looks like the rear strut removal/installation is a lot more involved than the front.

For those of you that have done suspension work on the classic, do you really have to take the brake caliper/rotor off and all the control arms apart to get the rear struts out, or can it be done more simply?

TIA

Haven't done that yet, but you may only have to move them out of the way, or it will make it easier. I really have no clue though

BTW what are the part numbers for the struts you ordered?

I thought they would be a big, involved affair when I first looked at the FSM.

Really, they're not a lot harder than the fronts. You have to take out the rear seatback to get to the top of the struts, and remove a pair of upright links on the rear swaybar. It will be no big deal once you actually dig in and do the install.

Those piston lock nuts, though. Bleh.

The rears do suck, but they can't be that bad with the stock rear sway bar. I have the ST bar on the '91, and with stock struts, the end link bolt sits directly on the bottom of the strut..

You do not have to remove the brake caliper/rotor or the control arms. Just remove brake line clips, remove the rear seat (ask us if you need help with that), unbolt the 3 bolts from the top of each strut (inside the car), unbolt the sway bar at the bottom of the strut, unbolt the swaybar-to-chassis mounts, and unbolt the 17mm main bolts at the bottom of each strut. You'll be able to pull the brake/rotor assembly outward far enough to slip the strut out.

One tip on reassembly, the passenger side sway bar mount mounts on the rear of its bracket (which is obvious because the holes are threaded), but the driver side sway bar mount mounts on the *front* of its bracket. It's not obvious, and with enough pushing and pulling you can mount the drivers side incorrectly, take it from a monkey who knows. :eek:

Have you bought any new strut hardware? I just replaced my 100k mile suspension and got a deal on all new hardware from someone (thanks Mark Chiles :) ) who was having a garage sale. The rear boots that came off my car were trashed, and the rubber seats were in pretty bad shape also. The hardware can be very expensive if you replace it all. Will you be able to take it apart and leave it for a day or two to order any necessary replacement parts?

What springs are you getting? If you're lowering the car, you may want to get the Koni bumpstops. I have part numbers and a source if you need it.

Chris

Chris said..

What springs are you getting? If you're lowering the car, you may want to get the Koni bumpstops. I have part numbers and a source if you need it.

Well, Im doing the GC/AGX combo, you think I need the koni bumpstops? If so, a part # and price would be very helpful!

and check this out for a nice write up for the suspension install, ist not on a classic, but im sure some of its the same...

http://www.sentra.net/solm/september01/suspension.shtml

Originally posted by Rob

Well, Im doing the GC/AGX combo, you think I need the koni bumpstops? If so, a part # and price would be very helpful!
http://www.sentra.net/solm/september01/suspension.shtml

You will still need the bumpstops.

http://www.truechoice.com/ Has what you need, but the little bastards aren't cheap, and you need 4 of each. The plastic packers will protect the bumpstops from being damaged when the top of the strut body impacts them. You will need to ream out the center of the plastic packer, a Dremel with a sanding drum will make quick work of it. By the way, Truechoice was awesome, I had the parts in 2 or 3 days.

70.34.54.000.0 BUMPRUBBER 40 MM $16.26
15.34.62.000.0 PLASTIC PACKER $1.50

Chris

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70.34.54.000.0 BUMPRUBBER 40 MM $16.26
15.34.62.000.0 PLASTIC PACKER $1.50

Chris you are the man! Thanks buddy! I just ordered them and I will hopefully have them soon!

YOu gonna give me a hand with the install....I'll bring BEER!!!!

Once your suspension is done, we'll be able to do a nice comparison. Bill has the original Hyperco's, Stef has Eibach's, you'll have the GC's, and I'll hopefully have the new Hyperco's by then.

What are you running for sway bars, and have you done bushings?

Chris

[QUOTE]Originally posted by chriscar
[B]Once your suspension is done, we'll be able to do a nice comparison. Bill has the original Hyperco's, Stef has Eibach's, you'll have the GC's, and I'll hopefully have the new Hyperco's by then.

What are you running for sway bars, and have you done bushings?

It will be a nice comparo..i think mine will be the best though...MMMM coilovers!!! As for BArs I am running ST bars front and rear. My suspension is done..although i would like to do some control arm bushings, but i hear they are a PITA to install!

The control arm bushings aren't too bad, but you'll need to have a machine shop press them in for you. While you're at it, have them do the ball joints.

Chris

[QUOTE]Originally posted by chriscar
[B]The control arm bushings aren't too bad, but you'll need to have a machine shop press them in for you. While you're at it, have them do the ball joints.

I think im just going to be done with my setup after the GC/AGX combo. I want to do a BABK or the NX brakes and get some nice 16s and im done...well, then there is turbo and ect..ect..ect!!!

I will be running Eibach Pro-Kits with the AGXs. I am ordering new upper strut mounts all around to go with them. What more can you tell me about these Koni bumpstops? What exactly are they, where do they go in the suspension? Keep in mind, my car is a daily driver and needs to be livable.

chris the autocrosses start in april..you are going to go...right?
they are an absolute blast, just ask stef! Its a fun filled sat afternoon at nassau coliseum, and you should come! I will hopefully have the suspension done by then, and have some sweet 16s as well....

look foward to seeing you! ITs been a while.....WHen is the next geek out at your house??

As well, cut down your stock bump rubbers as much as possible, leaving the rest of the boot intact.

The rears, cut all but 1 small nodule off the stock bumps (built into the boot)

On the fronts, either reuse the stock foam bump rubbers, or put in new koni's, but once again trim them, I'm going to fix my front shortly, but originally, I didn't cut anything down, and replaced the stockers with koni soft foam bumpstops, and the front travel with Pro-kits is somewhere in the 1.5-2.5" range by my 'bounce it' and SOP tests.

Since I cut about 2" off the rear, travels around 4" or so there.

These numbers are all guestimated, YMMV

I found the job wicked easy too, oh yeah, the bump rubbers go on the shock shaft (the shiny part under the boot).

The ES bushings ARE a PITA to install. My car has been up on jackstands for 2 weeks and I'm missing the barbecue/cruise that I ORGANIZED!!! You will need lots of time, patience, and probably an impact gun. I am lucky enough to have a press at work but it is still a bitch just because those bolts do not want to come loose after 11 years

Yeah, I got lucky with the shock bolts on my '92 Classic, haven't even tried the bushings yet, oh boy, I can't wait.

I happened to take the rears out they are not really that hard..

You will still need the bumpstops.

http://www.truechoice.com/ Has what you need, but the little bastards aren't cheap, and you need 4 of each. The plastic packers will protect the bumpstops from being damaged when the top of the strut body impacts them. You will need to ream out the center of the plastic packer, a Dremel with a sanding drum will make quick work of it. By the way, Truechoice was awesome, I had the parts in 2 or 3 days.

70.34.54.000.0 BUMPRUBBER 40 MM $16.26
15.34.62.000.0 PLASTIC PACKER $1.50

Chris

Super bump!

I've searched around and can't find any info on the plastic packers (p/n 15.34.62.000.0). Does Koni still makes those? Are they really even needed? (i've got a gr-2/stech combo with the koni bumpstops).

I will be running Eibach Pro-Kits with the AGXs. I am ordering new upper strut mounts all around to go with them. What more can you tell me about these Koni bumpstops? What exactly are they, where do they go in the suspension? Keep in mind, my car is a daily driver and needs to be livable.

Koni provides a soft bump stop for when your suspension bottoms out. It slides over the damper piston. You can cut them to give a little more travel before bottoming out. With the springs you will be running, you WILL bottom out. So you need to be ready with a soft but firm bump stop.

I have run the Pro-Kits and, frankly, prefer the stock springs with AGX. The Pro-Kits lower the car, reducing travel, but are not stiff enough to prevent bottoming out. If you have not bought your Pro-kits let me know. I'll let you have mine for cheap.