The $2,500.00 weekend

[Bludsport]

I've been meaning to get all the suspension stuff I've bought over the last few months installed, so last week I got a couple of estimates. The "best" price was $2,500.00 for installation and alignment. I thought...WTF!...2,500 bucks! At $125 an hour, that's 20 hours of labor. I called BS on that and did the install myself. It wasn't particularly fun, it was hot, greasy and the skeeters were tearing me up until I go a big can of deep woods off. The only special tool I needed turned out to be a ball joint press I got from Harbor Freight for around 90 bucks. All in all, it took me about 12 to 15 hours, but I was taking my time and taking a lot of brakes. I also degreased, cleaned and painted most of the components that were reused like sway bars, brake calipers, etc.

This is what I installed:

FRONT:



AST Coilovers
Strut housings (OEM)
Shock tower reinforcement plates (ECS Tuning)
Control Arms (OEM for ZHP)
Control Arm Bushings and housings (Rogue Engineering aluminum press in w/black street bushings)
Tie Rods and rubber dust boots (OEM)
Ground Control chrome moly sway bar (medium) with adjustable stainless steel rod end links


REAR:


AST shocks
Reinforced shock mounts (Rogue)
AST Springs with adjustable aluminum spring perches and OEM rubber pads
Trailing arm bushings (Rogue street)
Lower control arms and both inner and outer bushings (OEM)
Upper control arm inner and outer bushings (OEM)
Sway bar bushings, brackets and end links (OEM)


I dropped the ride height by a little over an inch front and rear, but I'll most likely raise it a bit since I've already bumped the front bumper on a few bumps. I still need to have it aligned and corner balanced, but the difference in handling and ride quality is incredible. No more clunks, creaks or squeaks! The AST's are taught, but not stiff and the handling is balanced and very neutral. I haven't pushed it too hard yet, but the cornering is much, much flatter with at least 80 to 90% less lean when cornering than before the refresh. I really, really like these shocks and springs!

If you've been putting off doing this...DON'T! It's the best thing I've done so far for my little ZHP!

[danewilson77]

Good work my friend.

Sent from my S8+

[Vas]

Thumbs up

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[Oli77]

Dang, that's a win!

[anandoc]

Thats awesome. I am curious why you decided to replace the upper and lower inner control arm bushings in the rear. Did the old ones have significant wear on them when you pulled them out?

The upper and lower outer bushings - did you replace them with the M3 ball-joints?

[san]

Nice work! Replacing worn out suspension parts should be a top priority...


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[nsk040]

How easy were the inner/outer and upper/lower control arm bushings? Did they all come out pretty easily or was a special tool required? Any issues with having to drop the diff to get access to the inner ones?

Thanks

[704sw]

How easy were the inner/outer and upper/lower control arm bushings? Did they all come out pretty easily or was a special tool required? Any issues with having to drop the diff to get access to the inner ones?

Thanks

You're in Charlotte, right? I have a ball joint tool if you need to borrow it for the knuckle end.

[Bludsport]

How easy were the inner/outer and upper/lower control arm bushings? Did they all come out pretty easily or was a special tool required? Any issues with having to drop the diff to get access to the inner ones?

Thanks

The easiest to replace were the upper control arms outer bushings. None of the bushings (ball joints) come out easily, they must all be pressed out and then pressed back in. It's not that bad if you have the right tool. I installed new lower control arms that come with the outer bushings already installed, so I didn't have to deal them. I had no real problem lowering the diff, but I won't lie to you, replacing all this stuff with jack stands and a floor jack while lying on your back on a greasy concrete floor is a real bitch. You have very little room to maneuver, the spaces are tight and it can be very frustrating at times. I was sore for couple of days after and my hands were raw. Was it worth it, absolutely but I wouldn't do it again. If you have access to a legitimate lift that allows you to do all this stuff on your feet, use it!

[nsk040]

I'll see what sort of condition all the other bearings are in when I do the RTABs. Not surprised that it's a pretty unpleasant job.

[Bludsport]

I'll see what sort of condition all the other bearings are in when I do the RTABs. Not surprised that it's a pretty unpleasant job.

They're easy enough to check. When you remove the bolts holding the control arms to the chassis, pull the arm free and wiggle the ends of the ball joints. If they have any wobble or free play, replace them. I've got 2 brand new OEM RTAB's I didn't use, if you want em just message me with your address and I'll send them to you, but I highly recommend using Rogue Engineering's black RTAB's.
http://www.rogueengineering.com/Rogue-Engineering-Rear-Trailing-Arm-Bushings-RTAB-E36E46_p_126.html
They're much easier to install, last longer than OEM and you'll notice the difference after driving. The pulling to one side I would sometimes get from hard braking completely disappeared after I installed them.