So i ordered re-speeds front street coil over kit. Products look great, awesome customer service etc.

In the instructions it says to slide the plastic sleeve over spring perch thingy(may need flathead screwdriver to spread). Then to slide the threaded collar over that.

My problem is the plastic sleeve only fits in the collar when not spread and has to be spread ~4mm to fit over the perch. This makes it IMPOSSIBLE to slide the collar over. Got it stuck half on in the process.

What do i need to do????


Also am i able to use the dust boot, because it sure looks like it doesnt fit within the re-speed spring....?


Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Can't use the dust boot or any of that stuff, it won't fit inside the spring. As for that plastic sleeve, yea that thing is a total bitch to get on there. I had a second pair of hands spread the plastic sleeve while I hit it on there with a hammer. It was a real pain in the ***.... Spraying some kind of lube on there helps too... Word of warning, the blue metal sleeve isn't much easier to get on..... Just keep at it and have someone help you, you'll get it!

 

hmm k, like i got the plastic sleeve on but the collar does NOT want to go over it. Like at all. I got it stuck half on then had to hit it off with some wood.

I will attempt again in the am, any more words of advice are welcome

 

pics of the plastic sleeve?

 

That is a pain in the ***. Mine went on though.

Maybe take some sandpaper to the plastic sleeve. Just take off enough to get the collar over it.

 

Umm, ill try and grab one off of the re-speed website?

it is from them and looks to be good, but too think

 

i have yet to put mine on but i hope its not too hard.

take some pics when your done

 

u guys try using a rubber mallet? cuz isnt the plastic sleeve the only thing holding the collar from moving up and down, and also spinning around. i think it needs to be a tight fit.

 

iono if u can see it. its the white thing in the left sleeve.

 

Yeap, I see it

 

Tried the rubber mallet, thats how i got it half on before getting stuck. Like seriously stuck.

Might try the sandpaper tomorrow. Like I am ~4mm too large because of having to spread the collar to fit over the strut tower thing.

 

my struts were powder coated which made this a really problem, i got the plastic collor machined down by a family friend who has a milling machine, not easy though as you have to stop the plastic from opening up, we put a metal tube inside (half way) clamped it and the did 1 half at a time

good luck!
mark

 

I used plenty of lube (PB Blaster if I recall correctly), then put a piece of wood over the top and hit it onto the tube with one or two good wacks. Then, add more lube to the outside of the plastic sleeve, and slid the threaded collar on. You might need to champher (sp?) the edge of the collar a bit so that it won't drag too much on the plastic.

The tolerances are very tight, but for a very good reason. Just take your time, and you'll get it done. Trust me, you will love the results once you've driven it, had a few cold ones, and the skin on your knuckles has healed over.

 

They are a tight fit.

Did you make sure to order 79-80 or 81-85 to match the year of your struts? They are sizes differently.

The plastic sleeve is one of the things we do differently than others. It is supposed to remove the slop in the threaded collar. This will make them less noisy from clanking around.

The dust boot is not re-used.

-billy

 

To be honest Billy, I don't know.

I ordered through RPM and dont recall actually specifying. I would assume since it wasnt specified I got the 81-85 since it would seem a more common model but I dont think I actually told Dan the year of my car.

But if I can get it halfway on it should be the right ones?

What are the measurment differences between the 2?

 

That seems logical.

Halfway on would be the correct ones if you have 81-85 housings. If you have 79-80 housings with 81-85 kit there would be no way.

You may just need to sand the OD a bit on the sleeve. Just don't go to far down or you will defeat the purpose of the sleeves.

-billy

 

Well i got the one 2/3 of the way on (sanded the sleeve down a bit but didnt want to do too much) was going well, tapped it down with a peice of wood like suggested.

Got it stuck. Even more stuck than before. Cant seem to get it off. Not sure what to do at this point.

I know this product will be awesome once i get this side one, but I have literally run out of ideas of how to get this unstuck or on more. Tried heat, cold and tons of lubricant to no avail. Cant hit it with anything harder than wood or it will demolish the threaded collar.

 

Can you post a pic of the stuck parts? Might help me have more ideas (or know what to avoid in the future.)

Can you get a 3-arm puller onto it and lay wooden scrap blocks between the arms and the threaded coller, then drop the rod on the puller onto some part of the perch and push?

 

This might sound stupid or barbaric but are you giving it a good solid hit? I had to really pound on mine to get them on, I seriously thought I was going to break/bend/strip something in the process... Might be time for a bigger hammer?

 

Agreed. I recall I ended up splitting the piece of wood that I was hammering with.

 

Can't you ditch the sleeve and use some silicone? I have a kit by another company, and that's how I mounted mine. Seems to work great.

 

K so, sanded down one sleeve a little bit, broke out the precision measuring devices and everything.

Got one fully mounted, now my problem is how to tighten that shock nut on top.

Started on the other one with the sandpaper and said measuring devices got everything good, got it 90% on and now its stuck as ****. Might need a bigger hammer cuz i know that ones not gonna come off.

 

Pushing, prolly not gonna work.

Someone posted a decent pic, ive got a shitty one on my phone. Plastic sleeve slides over perch. Threaded collar "slides" over the sleeve.

On the one i was successfull with I was being held up by .4 of a mm, which shows how tight these are supposed to fit...

 

also what is the tool you are supposed to use to adjust these? I am guessing the 3-arm puller dealy?

 

Well, by push I meant pull.

The rod pushes up on the joint of the arms so that the arms pull on the contraption.