I've been searching for a definitive answer but can't seem to find an answer for something that seems very noobish on my part.

I'm new to adjustable coilovers, I bought a set of used Ohlins from a member here and just installed them this weekend.

I have 2, what I hope are easy questions and hopefully they help people in the future.

1. As per this thread; https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-...ic-thread.html it seems that some manufacturers retain the top rubber mount that comes on our cars for the rear spring and some don't.

I'm assuming Ohlins keep this mount, because really, it only makes sense, without it, the aluminum adjustable mount doesn't fill that space at all.

This is what I've done with my install - is this correct?








2. How the EFF am I supposed to torque the top nut (1) on the front coilovers without spinning the damper (2).

When I say torque, I mean with my torque wrench to manual specs. Not just hit it with my impact.



Please educate me

Thanks.

 

appears your rear coilovers are to be with the rubber boot....hard to know with out being there, but if you say it didnt match up with out it, then it probably needs them..

as for the front............an allen key is usually how you hold the center shaft then tighten the nut portion while holding the allen to keep it from spinning......

they do sell torque wrenches with holes down the center to use the allen at the same time...........most of the time that doesnt matter though.....u simply need to keep both left and right hand sides wit the same number of shaft threads exposed per side..

-J

 

Hmm. I just set the impact whench to 150 lbs. and BRRAAAAAAAAPT. Always seems to work.

 

I ground down a screwdriver to fit and it was still very difficult but we did the tightening off the car. I could only get around 25nm before the other guy couldn't hold it down. I need to find the manual to the torque wrench to see if using a crows foot throws the reading off but they seem tight enough. I've driven about 400 miles and one autox with no problems.

Jason- the center allen is the adjuster, wouldn't holding that damage it?

 

Yes it would damage it. Needle nose vise grips with fuel hose slipped over the teeth and clamp the shock shaft. That torque setting is not that important.

 

I would look to see of the shaft has flat spots milled into it below the shock mount. That way you can hold it with a box wrench and tighten the nut.

That looks like the front shock, and stuff like that should be done off the car before installation.

 

yes, my bad...cerberus and terra are right........

I see now that that one has a flat milled in it to hold it with a flat head screw driver..

and ya, like cerberus mentioned, usually there is a milled section for using a box wrench, thinking of mine, it uses an 8mm iirc.....


-J

 

Yeah it just didn't make sense installing them without the boot.

Great input fellas, this particular damper does not have the milled flat spots, however you can see at the very top I can insert a large flat object to hold the damper, I just didn't understand how I was going to torque it.

BUT, someone mentioned a crows foot, which I do have, I'll give it a shot.

 

If the screwdriver or whatever you use doesn't fit EXACTLY in the groove the c-halves can bend. I had to file a little bit to fit the adjuster over. I wish I had just gone to a machine shop and had something precise made to hold it.

 

Yeah I was warned by the seller already to get something that fits perfectly otherwise I can damage them.

 

So I thought I had it figured out but you're right. You need some type of exact tool to do this properly. So before I broke the c-halves or did any real damage I stopped and hit the top nuts with my electric impact, nothing mental.

The crows foot and torque wrench was working though, I just couldn't stop them from spinning.

If I see play or hear clunking, I'll check those first.

 

If you use an impact , just a very quick zap, if you read around it is a fast way to kill the internals of your struts.

 

Yeah thats all I did.

Those milled flat spots would really be handy.

Ahwell.

 

I wonder what ohlins uses themselves? I forgot to ask them when i ordered a replacement adjuster(dont ask). We should ask the z1 guy, i think adam, has A set.

 

I've emailed them, I'll post up any responses.

 

Here we go, great communication and perfect documentation!

BAM!

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...ODA1YzE5&hl=en

 

I cant get that top nut off of the shaft of the front coilover for the life of me.

 

Needle nose vise grips with fuel hose over the jaws, clamp down on the shock shaft and hit the nut with an impact

 

I'll give it a shot next week and report back. Thanks.

 

I hit it with the impact gun and it was the only thing that I tried that worked.