So I spent all day Saturday and part of Sunday morning putting on some springs and a rear camber kit. Finished the fronts this morning and did a test drive, and the freaking front end of the car feels like it is unstable as hell. I double checked all of the nuts/bolts, and everything is tight, except for the center strut rod that you tighten a nut from under the hood. It basically doesn't get tight, although it's not hand-loose (if that makes sense).

Why does it feel like my front end is now a pile of loose bolts??

 

Did you disconnect your sway bar at all?

 

Yes, I undid the bottom strut bolt and the bottom swaybar bolt (both attach to suspension arm). I checked them both this morning, and are both tight as hell. The spring looks to be seated perfectly on the strut. I am just out of ideas. Well, at least the car looks good, too bad I can't drive it

 

Another thing to note, I can feel the vibrations at my feet while driving. I thought maybe because I didn't orientate the OEM plastic coatings on the springs correctly, but that wouldn't cause all the vibration and clunking?

 

Did you get an alignment?

When you lower the car you change the camber and toe and if you don't get realigned the car is going to feel like **** and it's gonna eat tires like homer and a box of krispy kremes.

 

Agreed, but your camber/toe isn't going to cause the entire front end to clunk. I've kinda got to get that fixed before I can think of an alignment. I'm fully aware of camber/toe issues with lowering, I already have all the necessary camber kits installed.

For those who have installed springs, were you able to put on the top center strut nut on before or after you installed the strut assembly back onto the suspension arm?

 

I was able to put the nut on before re-installing the assembly back into the car.

 

I tried to but was about an inch short. Were you using an impact gun on your spring compressors to get that much compression?? I ratcheted and ratcheted on the spring compressors and decided I would just get more compression from putting the jack under the suspension arm with the assembly in. I wonder if that is why I can't get that nut tight.

 

jhurst,
You need to use some kind of impact gun air or elec. The reason for this is the nut on the strut rod will just spin the whole rod so the nut will not tighten. Now if you where to use a impact gun it should spin the nut faster and with more torque than the rod. This might be the reason for all the noise your hearing loose strut nounts or strut will make a hell of a racket....

 

^ exactly

 

My car felt terrible after a 350Z spring install. Any thing over 85 and it seemed to be jumping side to side. We I didn't have time to swap them back so I let it ride for a few weeks. It all went away. Then I got the toe-in set and it was just fine.

 

Great success.....finally! The first impact gun I tried on that top nut didnt spin fast enough, so I borrowed one that I swear they use in Nascar or something, even with it it took a lot of air compressor refills to finally get it to where I could snug it down with my torque wrench.

Took it for a test drive with flying colors. One of my rear wheels has visible excessive toe-in so an alignment will be upcoming.

Thanks for all of the advice: GreenGoblin, Moog, and Benxxxx.

BTW: I don't see alot of LR representation out at the get-togethers. I'll be sure to bring it out sometime.