Basic PFADT questions inside
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 114
Likes: 2
From: Mansfield Texas
Basic PFADT questions inside
I have the PFADT coilovers for my 1998 C5 and have a couple questions:
1) I bought the car used and I didn't receive the spanner wrenches. I called Pfadt and they sold me a pair of them. I received two that were exactly alike. They seem to work fine for the spring perch but don't quite grip right on the locking rings, they slip off a lot and are taking chunks out of the corners of the carve outs. Is this normal or does it sound like I have the wrong wrench?
2) I just spent about an hour trying to turn the lower locking ring so I can raise the car a bit. I got one out of the 4 loose, the rest won't budge. I'm soaking them in freeze off now so hopefully that will do it (if I have the right wrench, see question 1). Do all the lower locking rings turn the same direction? Just want to be sure.
Thanks,
Mowpow
1) I bought the car used and I didn't receive the spanner wrenches. I called Pfadt and they sold me a pair of them. I received two that were exactly alike. They seem to work fine for the spring perch but don't quite grip right on the locking rings, they slip off a lot and are taking chunks out of the corners of the carve outs. Is this normal or does it sound like I have the wrong wrench?
2) I just spent about an hour trying to turn the lower locking ring so I can raise the car a bit. I got one out of the 4 loose, the rest won't budge. I'm soaking them in freeze off now so hopefully that will do it (if I have the right wrench, see question 1). Do all the lower locking rings turn the same direction? Just want to be sure.
Thanks,
Mowpow
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 580
Likes: 1
From: Ironton Ohio
Yes, the lower locking rings should all loosen the same way.
As far as the wrenches go I guess you called PFADT on the right day. I recently tried to buy a set of wrenches from them and they said that I should just buy some off ebay and that it should be a standard size coilover wrench..??..?? I called LG motorsports and they sold me wrenches for my PFADT parts, but my wrenches do they same thing your describing, they slip off on the smaller locking rings. I think a wrench for a 4-wheeler shock would work but I've misplaced the ones I had. Best of luck...
As far as the wrenches go I guess you called PFADT on the right day. I recently tried to buy a set of wrenches from them and they said that I should just buy some off ebay and that it should be a standard size coilover wrench..??..?? I called LG motorsports and they sold me wrenches for my PFADT parts, but my wrenches do they same thing your describing, they slip off on the smaller locking rings. I think a wrench for a 4-wheeler shock would work but I've misplaced the ones I had. Best of luck...
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,876
Likes: 8
From: Las Vegas NV
St. Jude Donor '06 & '12
The pfadt wrenches are NOT the same size. You have a large one for the spring preload, and a small one for the locking ring.
The lower locking ring unscrews counter clockwise The upper locking ring unscrews clockwise. Just like threading on a nut...
The lower locking ring unscrews counter clockwise The upper locking ring unscrews clockwise. Just like threading on a nut...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 114
Likes: 2
From: Mansfield Texas
OK that must be the issue as when I put the 2 I was sent side by side they are exactly the same size.
I finally got the lower locking ring loose. I used a large flathead screwdriver and hit it a couple times with a sledge and that worked the ring loose.
It dented the crap out of the area cut in the ring but that pales in comparison to what the spanner wrench did heh. The indentations from the screwdriver actually now make the wrench work a bit better so a bit of a bonus there.
Mowpow
I finally got the lower locking ring loose. I used a large flathead screwdriver and hit it a couple times with a sledge and that worked the ring loose.
It dented the crap out of the area cut in the ring but that pales in comparison to what the spanner wrench did heh. The indentations from the screwdriver actually now make the wrench work a bit better so a bit of a bonus there.Mowpow
