QA1 Front shocks with NO A-arm modification!

Well, I drove it around all day yesterday. Still smiling! I may have to soften the shocks a little....the CD player skipped too much!

Nah.


Birdman

 

Guys, I can't let this thread go on without a mention that poor Paris is going to the slammer.

WHAT ever will we do without her for 45 days?

Birdman
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Some updates. After the car has been on the ground for a week and settled, I decided to measure it again. The front end clearly had settled. As it turns out, the front end settled about 3/4". SO I put it on the lift and did three turns of the adjuster (about 1/4" rise of car per turn) and put it back on the ground. Perfect. Hopefully it doesn't keep settling!

The rears, interestingly enough, didn't really settle at all. Maybe 1/8". I adjusted them down a little. In the back, because the shocks are much more upright and the geometry of the suspension is much different, one turn (360 degrees) of the adjuster only causes 1/8" change in car height.

Birdman

 

Oh yeah, I thought I would post this for those of you who might be interested in installing shock eyes (of any type) on your shocks....

QA1 EYE INSTALLATION TIPS

In conversations with QA1 tech support, they made it clear that the following steps are necessary for safe reinstallation of eyes on QA1 shocks:

You will need:
•Small tube of RED (maximum strength) Loctite thread lock
•Lacquer thinner or spray brake cleaner

1) Remove the lock nut from the end of the shock shaft.

2) Thoroughly clean the eye, jam nut, & shaft threads, then degrease the threads, nut, & bottom of the eye with aerosol brake cleaner or other solvent & let it evaporate for a few minuites to ensure there's no cleaner left on the parts.

3) Screw the jam nut down on the shaft as far as it will go (just finger tight).

4) Apply red loctite to the shaft threads from the jam nut to the shaft's end, also apply it to the bottom of the eye where the jam nut will press against it.

5) Quickly screw the eye down onto the shaft until the shaft bottoms out inside the eye, or the eye bottoms out on the jam nut. If available, clamp the shaft between blocks of wood, or aluminum & tighten the eye down firmly onto the shaft.

6)Use something round like a steel rod, piece of round pipe, pry bar, big-ass screwdriver, etc. inside the eye to hold it while you tighten the jam nut up firmly against the bottom of the eye.

 

I took a drive over to a friend's house and I had my camera, so I took another shot of the car's stance. Looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

Birdman
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You mean the fronts. The rears have enough thread to put the springs on without compressors. The fronts need compressors. Bring the stuff over to my place after work some night and we'll press in the bushings and put the springs on. It'll take an hour.

Birdman

 

WOW, more pics of her like that!!

Birdman

P.S. Thanks for the kind words. It looks ever better in person!

 

Put the compressor in the middle of the spring someplace and just grab about 50% of the coils. There is a pic of how I did it someplace in this thread.

Birdman

Edit:
Here it is:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=136458883&postcount=95

 

They will probably fit, but you may have to take the big bolt out of the clamps entirely to get the clamps into the springs. Then put the bolt back in, torque it down, compress the spring, put the shock together, loosen the bolt, remove the bolt, pull the clamps out of the spring.

Birdman

 

I actually used my bench grinder to make the claws on mine a little thinner so they would be sure to come out. They worked fine, but I had to disassemble the spring compressor to remove/install the claws into the coils of the spring. no biggie.

Seriously Chris, I have this all worked out. You work 15 minutes from here. bring them over.

Birdman

 

*slapping forehead*

D'oh!

 

Hey All,
A six month later update. Springs have not settled any more. Car still looks the balls. No issues at all except one of the shock bushings seems to be squeeking. I can't be sure it's a shock bushing, but I had no suspension squeeks before the new shocks and I have one after, so it seems logical. It sounds like it's a rear shock. I will try lubing them this winter and see if that gets it.

Birdman