Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

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BammBamm
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Your car is a: 1982 Pininfarina Spider
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Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby BammBamm » Sat Feb 11, 2017 7:30 pm

A few things I need info about. The crossmember bolt to the lower control arm, is it pressed in? Mine is spinning. I'm thinking about welding it. How much camber and caster and toe in do I need? Is there an easy way to do it myself? It appears to change camber and caster is a pain. I don't want to pay a shop I do it.
Bill Woodbury
Design Engineer
Zero Shock Seating
1982 Spider 2000

bobplyler
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Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby bobplyler » Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:01 pm

Alignment isn't too hard. I used a quicktrick https://www.quicktrickalignment.com/shop/pro-series/.
I used cheap flooring tiles, with grease between them instead of turn plates. I used tape on the ground, laid out with a protractor to get the angles. I got the shims from Harbor Freight. It took about 4-5 tries per side to get the caster/camber correct. The toe was easy.
These are the specs I used. Note, these are UNLADEN.
Image
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).

bobplyler
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Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby bobplyler » Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:03 pm

Also, the crossmember bolt to the control arms is welded. Sounds like the weld broke.
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).

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njoconnor
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Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby njoconnor » Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:15 pm

One of my crossmember bolts was spinning as well. On inspection, it was clear that the PO had subbed in a regular bolt for a (probably) stripped or sheared off crossmember stud.

I sourced a hardened bolt of the same diameter (I'm thinking 12mm wide across the threads, but can't recall) and proper length, and we put the car up on my mechanic's lift. There was a slot on either side of the crossmember, and we were able to thread the new bolt up into the crossmember, then lever /jam the bolt's hex head with a large screwdriver; this kept the bolt from turning as we applied torque. We could then torque the lower control arm to spec. When I had the car aligned, the alignment shop had no problems with the fix, and the car aligned nicely.

It's a fiddly piece of work, but doable. My crossmember was intact, no cracks, no broken welds. Otherwise, I thin we would have replaced the entire crossmember.

Neil
Neil O'Connor
Madison, WI
72 FIAT 124 Spider
12 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
14 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Eco-Diesel
ex-71 FIAT 124 Coupe
and a host of Audi's, Saabs, VW's, MOPAR's, Fords, and a Bimmer....

BammBamm
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Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby BammBamm » Sun Feb 12, 2017 11:59 pm

Bob- Did you buy the jig that attaches to the rim or did you make one?
Bill Woodbury
Design Engineer
Zero Shock Seating
1982 Spider 2000

bobplyler
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Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby bobplyler » Mon Feb 13, 2017 4:02 am

BammBamm wrote:Bob- Did you buy the jig that attaches to the rim or did you make one?

The jig is part of the tool.
1979 Fiat Spider (since new)
2005 Lincoln LS (the wife's car)
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (daily driver)
1999 Honda Shadow VLX 600
1972 Grumman Traveller 5895L (long gone).

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engineerted
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Your car is a: 1974 124 spider
Location: Farmington Hills, MI

Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby engineerted » Wed Feb 15, 2017 8:27 am

If you are looking to spend that kind of money, i would get this one and use the string method.


http://www.longacreracing.com/products. ... A2+Adapter
Ted
1978 124 Spider, Complete Restoration
1974 Fiat 124 F Production Race car

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RRoller123
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Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby RRoller123 » Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:21 pm

You can also use an IPod with a free (or very inexpensive) carpenter's level app, very accurate. Place it on a straightedge placed across the rim. Not too fancy, but will do the trick.

Pete
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pwilliam
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Your car is a: 1972 124 Sport Spider

Re: Some tips on new suspension installation needed.

Postby pwilliam » Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:05 pm

When putting the new sway bar bushing on, and bolting the sway bar back to the a-arms do it with the car on the ground. It will make life much easier. The second trick I found to be very useful is place a hydraulic jack beneath the sway bar and jack it up. As the sway bar is moved up towards its final location, pry it away from the a-arm with a long wrench or the wood handle of a mallet. You just need something to give you enough leverage so you can push the sway bar out past the bolts on the a-arm and then into place.


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