Tried getting help in the 3rd gen specific forum, but didn't get any hits. Maybe someone here can help me...

I'm trying to install some stock shocks/springs on a car that used to have Tein coilovers. The rears were a piece of cake, but the fronts don't fit into the lower arm. I think the sliding metal bushing in the arm got pushed in when the Tein's were installed, and now I cannot push them back out for the life of me. I've tried hammering them back, and I've tried using a bolt+washer+nut to no avail.

I have both sides of the car on jackstands, and the sway disconnected on both sides.

I don't really want to have to resort to grinding down the shocks, but I'm not sure where to go from here.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Actually I PMed you with info, but here it is again...

I had the same problem when I removed my RSR coilovers and replaced with stock type shocks. Coilovers are a little thinner than standard shocks such as stock, Koni, Bilstein etc. When you bolt them on, you have to tighten it up pretty good and that causes the a-arm to narrow out. With the a-arm on the car it will be all but impossible to pry outward to widen that up. Although this alternative sucks, I suggest you take a sander to the shocks and grind down that portion very slightly decreasing the overall width so you can slide it in better. Good luck.

 

Only one of the steel sleeves slides; on the lower front shock mount I think it's the rear one IIRC. The sleeve will tap back with a hammer. What I do is insert the bolt through the front sleeve only and then spin the nut on just far enough for the bolt to stick out the end. I then slip the end of the bolt into the bushing I want to tap back. When you hammer the bolt head the nut will push the sleeve back. Piece of cake.

If you're hammering fairly hard and it's not moving try hammering on the other one. No grinding necessary.

 

I had the same problem getting the Koni shocks in.

I just wedged as much as the mounting part in as I could and shifted it side-to-side until it slipped in. Come to think of it, I did have to struggle with some tapping on the sleeves, but I didn't want to hit it too hard so I wedged the shocks in.

 

I have just done some saturday gone, swapped coilovers from a mates car to mine with standard shocks. I had to grind about 1mm off the sleeve. .5mm each side.

There was no way I could of hammered it in, the hub was in the way for a start and the gap was too small.