Thread 2948294

Replacing Struts With Shit Tools Edition

>>2948294 (OP)
The sun set on me as I was trying to change the front struts on my car.

The sway bar link wouldn't come off, then the strut-knucle bolts wouldn't either and I broke some socket adapters.

There's barely any room to work with my big torque wrench/break bar.

Hopefully I can get this shit all cleaned up tomorrow, and no one fucks with my car overnight. It's mostly put together, with the wheel on, but still. I don't have a driveway, so I did this at the community center.

move somewhere not run by the salt cartel.

>>2948306
Then I need to worry about other, literal cartels. The salt fags are only around for 6 months. Not bad.

Been there OP in my younger, poorer days. Someday you won't be wrenching in an apartment complex parking lot and you'll have tools that aren't made of absolute chinesium, and better yet you'll have the godsend that is an impact wrench. In the meantime good luck and keep on keeping your dollars by not paying someone else to do this shit. Also a basic ass propane torch is your friend to heat up nuts so they come off easier when letting them soak overnight with penetrating lubricant doesn't work.

>>2948342
cheers diy bro

an impact wrench would be a blessing. I have a drill, but then there are the drill bits and shit and idk if there's enough room to get a drill in here.

I just finished side 1

>>2948370
oh, and I was quoted $1700 to $2500 plus tax plus tips for this job.

parts were $450
some tools were $50
then there is just time

huge savings for diy on this job

it's weird cus it's easy as fuck.

just gotta pay $130 for a wheel alignment after this... does anyone know if that's mandatory??

>>2948294 (OP)
Is that a Mazda CX-7?

>>2948372

You can do it yourself with Jack Stands, Cardboard Boxes under the tires, and String.

Lots of examples on Youtube. Just make sure that when you do it, before cranking down on the adjustment Nut to get it to loosen, check if it's lefty loosey or righty loosey.

I got some gay ass swaybar links with no wrench snap. It's just a circle that'll spin when I tighten the bolt... jfc

>>2948383
people who make those videos say it's just temporary, so they can drive it to the shop for a professional alignment

>>2948435
just like egr blockoff plates for offroad testing purposes only

>>2948297
do yourself a favor and get an impact wrench. trust me, I've been there.

>>2948444

you are correct to not trust the person andvocating diy alignments

you live in the first world, if you think the car is gonna go 20 to 30k more miles, get a real alignment.

hes right, you dont have to... but the cheap way to do this involves changing a lot of tires and consrantly obtaining tires with ~15 to 30% life left for free and just eating a set of tires every 10k miles.
Judging you by your tools, get an alignment. It sucks, but otherwise you will eat the price of a set of tires and install costs. And still will need an alignment.

sorry.
ignments suck. it and windshield replacement are the the only things I pay anyone to do on a car.

>>2948452
Do you have any recommendations?

>>2948444
I don't understand your comments (nice trips)

>>2948455
>it and windshield replacement are the the only things I pay anyone to do on a car.
Really? Nothing else?

>>2948379
Elantra gt

>>2948457

really really. im old tho. 36, and I've... done a lotta shit.

always buy the tools, you are doin good work. keep goin, you got it

if the sway bar link is a bitch to undo on the other side, just cut it in the middle, a hand hacksaw will do, or any more expensive method. If you are replacing the whole thing, seized nuts be damned, cut it apart


you're doing good work

>>2948459
>>2948461
thanks for the encouragement, diy bros

I got a refund for these chinesium sway bar links. I couldn't tighten them due to them spinning, even WITH an allen key crammed in it. And there was no wrench snap on the spinning part.

I ordered genuine Hyundai ones instead.

The Car Jews fear the Diy Chads

>>2948297
>no one fucks with my car overnight
it's a Nissan Juke, you are safe

Could have rented a spring compression tool to save even more money on just struts.

Hit everything with PB blaster before working a week before the job!

>>2948572
>spring compression tool to save even more money
i just did struts on mawmaws subbie. it was only like $25 more to buy complete assemblies vs components. im not going to fiddle around like a monkey trying to fuck a coconut with a big spring to save the price of a mcchocken sandwich
the real rape was the price difference the local parts stores wanted. rockauto was like $83 ea and all the stores were $190-325ea. so we waited a week because thats a ridiculous difference. im fine paying +30% locally but not 3x

>>2948573
>mawmaws subbie
your mom's Subaru?

>i just did struts
did you car sit at a weird height after? My frontend is noticably higher now

>>2948294 (OP)
Idk if yours is the same but I used long needle nose pliers to hold sway bar link in place.

>>2948294 (OP)
Replaced a leaky power steering cooler with a universal one. Might eventually add an oil cooler. You can see where the line is currently looped.

>>2948615
Sitting higher is normal for a bit after doing struts, they will settle out when you drive or after a while sitting. If it's still higher after a drive then either you bought the wrong spring height, or your rears are fucked.

>>2948331
you live in canada or mexico?

>>2948710
Some aftermarket strut kits are sprung a bit heavier than stock but that's also harmless.

I finally started working on my own car 4 years ago when a shop quoted me $400 for a control arm, and I bought the pet and all the tools I needed for $400 instead. Never looked back and now I have a nice set of tools and have only been back to a real shop once.

>>2948750
i spent a ton over the years on shit because nowhere to work on cars but i finally bought a house. gonna try to do my own brakes soon

>>2948294 (OP)
I was replacing disc brakes when I realize I don't want to struggle with cars anymore.
>video: few gentle taps with rubber mallet to loosen the old disc
>me: ended up turning steering wheel all the way left, hitting the disc with huge sledgehammer from the back, turning steering wheel all the way right, again hitting with sledgehammer, repeated 3 times until the corroded disc finally fell off
no thanks, next time I paying few bucks to some dirty janny to do this shit

>>2949078
how is that even frustrating or difficult?

>>2949078
Put a smaller bolt through the caliper mount bracket hole and use a drill/impact to push the rotor off with it.
t. rust belt brake wrencher

>>2949078
Have you tried compressing the piston with a pry bar?

>>2949197
do you wear a mask to avoid sniffing rust dust?

I was worried about that when doing my struts.

I could smell it and wd40 for hours afterwards

>294921oh
holy fuck zoomiezooms are soft

>>2949210
Gayyyyyy!

>>2949280
I know you are but I'm not

>>2949096
the term I'd use is "annoying". sure, I managed to replace all parts needed, including messing with stuck bolts that had to be drilled off. but in the end I was like "well, this was totally not worth the effort and my time."
>>2949197
brake calipers were easy to remove.

>>2949210
>wd40
newb

Hearing a grinding(metal on metal) noise in driver's side front, when taking a sharp left and a clunk.

Is it a tie rod?

>>2950149
Could be a CV axle, do you hear it when you're stationary as well or while it's moving?

>>2949347
I just run with some used ATF and gasoline mixed up about 50/50 in a sureshot... I'm not paying the Kroil jew.

>>2950149
>>2950210
Or you have a totally cooked wheel bearing

>>2949347
I have to agree with >>2950215

I'll never be smug about buying something another person has not bought. Especially something so unnecessary

Can someone give me the retards guide to fixing this fault? I've driven a desk my entire career but I managed to fit my own starter motor last weekend so I've got new found confidence.

Jaguar Xtype 2004 petrol

EML came on last night, no performance issues other than a singular choke pulling away hard uphill out of a busy junction (definitely not a clutch slip).

Car gets a mild thumping vibration starting around 30mph and it remains at highway speed. Trying to figure out how to tell which component is even responsible

I've done plenty of water pump and alternator swaps on old shitbox pickups, always do my own oil and brakes, but never fucked with suspension components before, so this should be fun. Luckily I live in southern half of US so rust isn't a big deal

Does it about match with wheel speed? If so possibly just an out of balance wheel or bent rim.

If rear wheel or all wheel drive and a bit slower then wheel speed, drive shaft u joints.

>>2950210
>>2950670
Not when I'm stationary just turning sharply
Hopefully not. Awheel bearing sounds like a bigger job than a tie rod. What do I look for when I take the wheel off?

>>2951533
>Awheel bearing sounds like a bigger job than a tie rod. What do I look for when I take the wheel off?
You don't need to take the wheel off to check bearings, just wiggle it. If there is any play your bearing is worn.

>>2948297
Not sure why you have your rotor resting on a piece of wood. I didn't do that when I changed my struts. I has the same box from Rockauto as you.

>>2950935
You probably got a dirty air filter and a dirty mass airflow sensor. Buy the CRC spray cleaner for it. Maybe also throttle body cleaner while you are at it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLyrinscxhM

>>2948294 (OP)
Got a 5lb sledge. I live in the rust belt and my rotors are thoroughly rusted to the hubs.

Assuming that banging on the rim of my rotors when I do my brakes doesn't free the fuckers, what are my options?

I want to get a bearing puller anyway and do my wheel bearings, do I just go with a bearing puller kit that can also pull 12" rotors?

>>2952147
>Assuming that banging on the rim of my rotors when I do my brakes doesn't free the fuckers, what are my options?
Most if not all will have a threaded hole in them
Usually one of the caliper line bolts are the right thread to screw in there and it will pop off
Just give it some good smacks, no need for a special tool

>>2952147
Put a smaller bolt and nut through the caliper mounting bracket hole and pop it off from behind with a drill/impact

>>2948457
>Do you have any recommendations?
NTA but I bought a $50 beat-to-shit Bauer impact wrench from a Pawn shop when I needed to do my clutch and I knew nothing about impact wrenches. I cleaned it up and it works great, even compared to my nicer Milwaukee one I have now. It's such an upgrade working on a car that if you don't have a couple hundred to splooge on a new kit you should try to buy used one locally for less than $100 since they'll functionally work the same and it'll make the disassembly much faster for the more annoying jobs

>>2948297
that is an unholy amount of brake lube. holy shit you need like a 10th of that.

>>2948465
dang that old spring was fucked, it completely collapsed a loop

>>2952603
Protip, brake pad grease is a meme. You only need to grease the caliper pins. Greasing the pads makes it quieter temporarily, until debris sticks to the grease and makes things worse than if you left it dry.

>>2952635
right, caliper pins are one thing. and you need to make sure not to get any grease on their tips.
you should use a very light coating of anti seize on the pad tabs and where the piston makes contact to avoid squeaking.
i also like putting some anti seize behind the rotor, around the hub, where the wheel makes contact, the studs, and those caliper centering bolts. but just a small bit. can barely tell its there, it will prevent it from sticking next time you remove the rotors and the wheel.
i did just realize that OP use ceramic caliper grease on the pads.

>>2952646
>you should use a very light coating of anti seize on the pad tabs and where the piston makes contact to avoid squeaking.
outdated advice. auto manufacturers told their mechanic students to stop doing that a few years ago. i dont care that youve been working on cars for 30 years, that just means you probably havent been to a brakes class in 29 years.

>>2952650
not according to Power Stop.
I only heard that modern brake shims prevent squeaking. but i live in the rest belt and a small application cant hurt anything

>>2948435
You do realize this is how like 95% of race cars get aligned right? I think they might be more concerned about tire wear.

>>2951627
I managed to fix it, it was blindingly obvious when I popped the hood that the pipe from the air filter to the throttle was loose. I could hear the hissing sounds. I pushed it back on, cleared the code and been fine since. No idea why it did that, maybe I knocked it changing my starter.

Swapped the rear differential in my Mazda last month. Only major repair I’ve had on the car in 90k miles. Now I’m paranoid about getting at least the life of the tires out of it. Ran some Techron into the fuel 2x, tomorrow I’m going to pull out a bit of the engine oil and replace with crankcase stabilizer for a few hundred miles before my next oil change. The diff I put in was used and now has about a thousand miles on it so I will also charge the fluid once more with Royal Purple 75/85. Front transfer case too. Finally the throttle body. Should I bother changing the ATF fluid + filter if it’s never been done before? Heard it can create problems where there were none