Any experiences out there on replacing a bad front coilover?

I had a set of Pfadt Feather Light Generation Coilovers installed about 500 highway miles ago on my 02 Vert. The right front blew a seal (lots of oil on the shock body and lower control arm). As the vendor who installed them is 250 miles away, I elected to have them send me the replacement and install myself. Just wondering how difficult this task will be...

 

As far as removing & replacing the complete coil over assembly, should be quite easy & straight forward.

That is if they sent you the complete replacement.
By this I mean the shock with the coil in place.

If the coil is not in place & you have to assemble the coil to the
shock replacement... you may have a problem.
I'm almost certain you would need a special tool & a specific type
lube/ liquid lock ??? (provided by Pfadt)
to properly install the coil to the shock.

If Pfadt sent you the complete assembly of the coil over
(shock/coil , assembled)
then all you would have to do is retrieve the instructions off of their site in regards to removal & installation.


Sent you a private message

 

I apologize for the inconvienence this shock has caused. This is an extremely rare occurance and we are working with the Vendor of your particular set to get the entire coilover body replaced with a brand new unit. You will not need to replace any seals or coilover internals at all, just a simple coilover swap. If you're mechanically inclined or have worked on your car before this will be a breeze. Here is a copy of our install instructions which will help you visualize what needs to get done. Keep in mind that you will not have to remove the leaf spring since that's already been done by your original installer. Pfadt Racing FeatherLight Singles Install Guide

If it's the passenger side front simply jack the car up at the right front and remove the wheel. Unbolt the top nut securing the coilover to the chassis inside the engine bay. Unbolt the lower coilover T Bar mount to the control arm. Unbolt the 2 bolts from the rear pick up point for the front upper control arm, making sure to collect any shims that may be installed behind the control arm to ensure proper alignment. Once the coilover is unbolted from the car and the control arm is free to swing and open at one pick up point, pull the coilover out from the vehicle. Match the spring perch position from the old coilover to the new coilover, and match the damper adjustment as well... this will make sure that your ride height doesn't change and that your adjustable dampers will perform the same. Swing open the control arm and position the new coilover body inside the control arm. Bolt the control arm back to the chassis to 48 ft/lbs, remembering to install any shims that may have been between the control arm and chassis. Bolt up the lower coilover T bar mount to 21lbs. Bolt the upper mount to the chassis inside the engine bay to 62 ft/lbs. You're done and ready for a test drive!

If you matched the ride height from the old coilover to the new unit, and reinstalled any shims behind the control arms your alignment will not have changed and you're ready to start driving again!