NEED HELP - front shocks won't fit...?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,581
Likes: 2
From: The Motor City
NEED HELP - front shocks won't fit...?
Hi everyone,
I pulled the original front FX3 shocks out of my '89 Corvette about three years ago with the intention of sending them off to Bilstein to have them re-valved. I never got around to having them re-valved or rebuilt but I am in the process of reassembling the car and the front shocks are now one of the last things I need to fit to get everything back together.
For some reason however, I can't get them to go back in. I've put a jack under the front A-arm and jacked it up until the car was just off the jack stand, but when I put the shock into place it's too short, and I don't have enough threads at the top of the shock to start the nut to hold everything in place. I suspect the front spring has sagged from sitting for so long without any weight on it, but is this normal?!? If I leave the car on it's wheels for a while, will that make the spring to move enough to allow me to reinstall the front shocks?
I should mention, I never took the front spring out of the car (all my efforts were focused around the front brakes and bearings) So I didn't really mess around with the front suspension at all other than the shocks.
Any help at all would be highly appreciated. Cheers!
I pulled the original front FX3 shocks out of my '89 Corvette about three years ago with the intention of sending them off to Bilstein to have them re-valved. I never got around to having them re-valved or rebuilt but I am in the process of reassembling the car and the front shocks are now one of the last things I need to fit to get everything back together.
For some reason however, I can't get them to go back in. I've put a jack under the front A-arm and jacked it up until the car was just off the jack stand, but when I put the shock into place it's too short, and I don't have enough threads at the top of the shock to start the nut to hold everything in place. I suspect the front spring has sagged from sitting for so long without any weight on it, but is this normal?!? If I leave the car on it's wheels for a while, will that make the spring to move enough to allow me to reinstall the front shocks?
I should mention, I never took the front spring out of the car (all my efforts were focused around the front brakes and bearings) So I didn't really mess around with the front suspension at all other than the shocks.
Any help at all would be highly appreciated. Cheers!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,581
Likes: 2
From: The Motor City
UPDATE: I figured it out!
Turns out, I did indeed need to get the full weight of the car on it's wheels. The front shocks are now back in place. One step closer to getting that car back on the road!
Merry Christmas everyone. Cheers!
Turns out, I did indeed need to get the full weight of the car on it's wheels. The front shocks are now back in place. One step closer to getting that car back on the road!
Merry Christmas everyone. Cheers!
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4,430
Likes: 608
From: Minneapolis Mn
Springs
Here's a 'word to the wise' on springs. The car may not track correctly till the springs settle down to the normal ride height. Had that in my T-Bird (coil springs) a few years back. Had all the springs replaced with oem replacements and after that even with a front end alignment it would throw you from lane to lane if there was any defects in the road surface. I put some sandbags on the shocktowers over winter and left it sit that way. Once spring came around, everything was good.
Don't know if it will happen to a Vette, but be cautious just-in-case.
Don't know if it will happen to a Vette, but be cautious just-in-case.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,581
Likes: 2
From: The Motor City
Thanks for the heads up - I'll definitely keep it in mind.
In fact, now that the car is on the ground, I've noticed that the front end sits considerably higher than it did before I started doing all the work to the car. My understanding, however, is that it's normal and that the entire suspension system (both front and rear) will 'settle' once I drive the car around a bit. No doubt the alignment will be off as well. But I don't plan to do the alignment until the suspension has settled down first.
Thanks again. Cheers!
In fact, now that the car is on the ground, I've noticed that the front end sits considerably higher than it did before I started doing all the work to the car. My understanding, however, is that it's normal and that the entire suspension system (both front and rear) will 'settle' once I drive the car around a bit. No doubt the alignment will be off as well. But I don't plan to do the alignment until the suspension has settled down first.
Thanks again. Cheers!
