OK, I think I just need to start again...
Struts are OUT of the car, isn't it possible to just disconnect the knuckle from the CV joint and replace the outer boot? How?
To make matters worse now...
part 1: could someone post a pic of their car sitting on the ground from the back? I replaced the shocks, but I just don't like the look of how my spring is sitting on the cup of the axle. I want to make sure it's in there as it should be.
part 2: when replacing the right strut, the knuckle seemed to be way too far away for the holes to meet up with the bottom of the strut assembly. So I turned the wheel all the way to the left and that got us where we needed to be to put the lower knuckle bolt in. Now we couldn't get the upper knuckle bolt to meet the strut, so I turned the wheel to the right. Well at this point the wheel didn't seem to want to turn as easy as before, but I figured it was still ready to move so I gave it an extra push. I heard a really bad popping sound at this point. What I found was a boot on the left side of my steering rack had now snapped! I don't know if there's even a way to replace that without replacing the entire rack
I think I really broke my car this time
What could've possibly caused this??? I have no idea what the rack/boot would've been caught on as the left strut is still out of the car
part 3: pressing forward with replacing the right strut, we got the knuckle bolts in, and I'm now trying to get the tie-rod end bolt attached. It just keeps spinning the upright part of the tie rod end (you know, inside the grease fitting). It's a weird looking bolt below that fitting, I think it was 18mm, is that a one time use bolt and that's why it keeps spinning; or how do I keep the upright from turning while I try and tighten the bolt?
There has been a good bit of discussion regarding the cups you are wondering about. The part the cup sits on tends to rust away. Someone on here simply used a bolt/nut and some washers to simulate the fillting for the cup - he has the sizes on here on one of the threads.
The Rack Boots aren't as critical as the CV Joint Boot, in fact they can split open on you and if the wheels are straight you'd never be aware of it. Not something to loose sleep over at this time. Not sure of procedure to replace.
My first thoughts are the fresh strut is probably making things harder for you to bolt up the Knuckle. Might have been easier if you had the spring compressed a bit while you installed the knuckle. I remember pushing down on the lower control arm when I reinstalled those bolts way back when I replaced the Axle. Lawd that must be 10 years ago now!!
Regarding the tie rod - I remember a similar problem back in my younger days too with that. You've got a burr on the stud or the castle nut. If you have a C-Clamp you may be able to use it just enough to get the tie rod stud squeesed down on the knuckle to keep it tight enough to get the nut on. You'll have to use the C-Clamp off center due to the grease fitting and the stud - all that matters is if you can get the taper together tight enough to overcome the torque you need to run up the Castle Nut.
Keep along your journey!! Every experience is usually a learning one!!
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ok wayne take a deep breath and relax.we"ll get you through this. i think i can help on a couple of things and im sure the other guys will chime in with their thoughts. you should be able to line up one hole on the strut. put one bolt through but dont tighten. take a large tapered punch or awl and line up the second hole. a little pushing or prying might be needed. once you have the punch in the second hole tighten the first bolt then take out the punch and put in the second bolt
on the tie rod end orlen is right you have too much friction between the nut and threads. take it out of the strut and try scewing the nut on by hand. if you cant turn the nut on all the way by hand it will just spin and spin on you when you try connecting it to the strut.clean up the threads so the nut turns on easily. you can also score the tapered part of the bolt and the hole in the strut to create a little friction where you do need it. you have to get the tapered bolt down in the hole as far as you can before you try to tighten it. try some kind of clamp or zip tie to hold it.
now for the rear springs. look on page 4 i have a post called "rear spring concern." you will find my solution and some others that should help.
doing your own auto repair seldom goes smoothly so dont get so down on yourself. i usually break two other things while trying to fix one. i feel your pain and im sure every one on here would be right in youy garage giving you a hand if we could.
Jack the control arm up under the ball joint and your strut hole should line up on the knuckle. Also the car will sit higher in the front with new struts untill the springs seat again. Also use and impact or air ratchet to put the tie rod bolt on. Since you removed a used tie rod end. The bolts usually spin. Same happens with ball joints.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
I can tell you just last week on the Honda accord.Same deal with tie rod spinning and castle nut would go on but tie rod joint would spin.So easy correction placed my hydraulic jack under the tie rod to apply pressure and used my rachet to run the nut on tight SIMPLE.Then new cotter pin and done.If I have to touch those again I am going new being these are original and boots are ok on the joint.I have yet to tackle my front suspension but,when I do I will do pics and explain my process.The rear is a cake walk and new parts like shocks,springs will lift it a touch more and if the perches are not good the spring will wander around until compressed and may be kicked or arched if not seated round on the perch.I had to fix both of mine and good perch rubber seals help with the spring sitting correct.Kinda of tired doing the detail work on the accord for the nephew and winding down.All these items can be corrected with some patience and time.
John--thank you for the words, I really needed that.
I keep telling myself I bought this car to learn things, but now that I'm going through the learning process, some things are hard to take. I thought I would have to somehow replace the rear axle, the steering rack, and still have that outer CV boot to deal with. I just saw my paint job I've waited over 20 years for saying sayonara sucker.
Fail ten times, try eleven times.
OK, so steering rack should be fine without the rubber boot, I can see the shiny metal of the rack now, but it's not like there was any grease there, and I can't see something that high off the ground and that far back in the car being subject to too much dirt to be a problem.
The rear axle should be good enough to become my project next spring. If I'm only slightly off, I guess the springs sitting in there for now will find their way to seat how they need to seat when I drive it. With the shocks also connected, the springs really shouldn't be able to go anywhere to cause a problem.
I'll just work a little harder on that tie-rod end bolt, just wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing. Then I can finish putting the right side together--3 out of 4 wheels done!
All that's left then would be the left outer CV joint boot. There really has to be a way to get to it without removing the axle. Shouldn't I just be able to remove the center hub (spindle?) bolt and have full access to it?
Looking at some of the pics on the other postings of rear suspension, this should be interesting next year.
I have the rubber for above the spring, but I'll have to look and be sure, but I don't remember any rubber on the bottom of the spring; the rubber with the big lump sticking up into the spring.
The circular part of the axle the bottom of the spring rests on is wasting away, but will last a while longer; so yeah, next spring I guess that fun will begin.
Wayne , you should be able to locate another rear axle if need be, but you'll probobly be fine fixing up what you already have.
Just remember any old car is going to have issues, and sometimes it seems like all hell can break loose. Don't get too overwhelmed - just concentrate on one project at a time. When i took my old Ford Ranger to Penn. this past June to get a spare Brazil Engine, I wound up working on that truck from March till right before I left. In the end the old Truck ran beautifuly and was a wonderful reward for all the time and money I had poured into it.
Here is the thread I was thinking about. John Galt came up with a beauty of simplicity for holding the spring perches in place. There are some great original shots for reference in there too. It is the one John is referring to.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=28&i=16302&t=16302
It would seem that your J is thoroughly enjoying all the attention you are giving it!! I guess it wants to encourage you to keep working on it...LoL
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If you need help you can bring it to my shop and I can assist you. It's of 422 in birdsboro, pa.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
I also have a rear axle.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2592/4481/6479740013_large.jpg Here is a close up of mine and I sanded down my original perches and got ALL the rust out.I used a product called quick steel that you cut in lengths and kneed or rather mix in your hand to one color dark grey.Once mixed mold it,or blend into the item to be patched,rebuilt and or form the original item.I built mine back up then while the product was still soft put my rubber boot over to make it as the shape of the boot conical and removed.This stuff hardens in five minutes and cures in minutes to the point of ready to sand,primer and paint.I let mine sit a day then sand a touch then primer and paint.I have NEW trw springs see there shiny and this is a easy low cost fix and will not fail.IF you need some rubber boots I have extras both upper and lower in good condition.Kinda of late and hope this is a good explaining order and if more pics just hit my cardomain page I have four total showing my rear axle all done with different angles and so forth.
This has GOT to be the best board on the internet--you guys are really great.
Rob & Ron, thank you so much.
I stayed away from the car this weekend, had to take care of life outside the garage and get to a car show, but will get back this week to get something done if nothing on the suspension. I'll be sure to get some pics of what my springs look like on the rear axle. After reading the other thread, it looks like next spring I'll be able to just remove the shocks from the axle and let it drop again to sand and paint, plus I have a friend that should be able to make a circular plate for me to place my springs on if too much has rusted away.
Thinking harder, I kind of remember having those lower lumps to put on the plates.
I'm really hoping to get this thing rolling and at the shop for alignment by the 16th, it should be possible with where I'm at now.
My axle the humps broke off a few years ago and I never had a spring fall out. Since then I have also put a brand new axle in.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
No problem helping explain things and taking a break from working on it actually helps you refocus.Even if the cones are toast the shear weight of the body actually keeps the spring in place so no worry there really.I know when I have removed rear stuff in the junkyard the only way to get the rubber seals top/bottom is to have the axle drop all the way down to release the spring literally.Just be sure once you do the rear axle to strip it down to bare metal or really clean to make it worth the time and effort to prime and tape things off and paint in several coats in intervals for the lasting paint coat.I think I probably put two or three cans of primer on mine and at least two full cans of the satin black for the factory appearance I got.Just do light coats and let dry,and repeat.I would def use new undercoating in the wheel welds as I did went with 3m on that on recall or the brand avail at the time.I went thru a ton of masking tape covering the e brake lines and so forth.I spent like two weeks doing mine after work.Keep in mine I sandblasted mine and went with new rear springs and wow the difference is literally night and day going over speed bumps.My adventures are soon to start on my own car finally being I am done with 2 cars I fixed,restored and or detailed etc for my nephews.I may take break this week and just do a normal routine then begin say aug 15.Tired long day and just winding down after 552 miles and a 13hr day.
Powder coat the axle.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
I'm sure Wayne would Love to PC ....and probably a whole lot more, but I think he has a similar problem I have. Cash.... or lack of quantity of it....LoL.
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Those look like some real solid plates to rest your shocks on. did you put a boot over your shocks?
I don't know yet about PC, my current thought for next spring is just unbolting my shocks, letting the axle hang, sand it as best I can, paint with rustoleum, make some sort of plate to rest the springs on (bolted to the axle), put back together.
As long as the plates are made ahead of time, it should be a simple weekend job.
No it's air bags. 90zcar did the rear axle and I bought it from him. I just got a powder coater and an oven for my shop so I can do my own parts.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Rotors & Bags! Looks like dual Exhaust.......
Not your typical J at the back either!!
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Neither is the 255/45/17s lol with air adjust shocks lol. I just have two add my 2 rear sway bars yet. I also used that club Jeffie group by on the solid trailing arm bushings. They are amazing!
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
How amazing!! If anyone ever accuses you of NOT enjoying your J....well , I'd just have to slap them!!
Lots of time involved in this one.
I think you can expand the fighter jet thing a little beyond the dash area now
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I really haven't driven the car in two years other then back and forth to my shop. Things are always changing on it but it has a salvaged title from being rear ended 3 years ago at 60-70mph.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
OUCH!
Need some afterburners on there!
I never heard of airbags for springs until yesterday; then last night I was watching Car Warriors and there were airbags being put on a truck!
