DIY: SPC A-arm Installation (Front Camber Adjust)
03-17-2009, 08:33 PM
#16
Registered User
If you are already doing springs, doing the A-arms will take you an additional 15minutes since you will have the strut/springs out already! I wish I had done it when I did my springs! Just the A-arms took me about 2 hours.
03-18-2009, 11:21 AM
#19
I'll be fixing it all up this evening as I was in a rush yesterday... plus my TQ wrench broke. :-/
03-22-2009, 02:07 AM
#20
Installed - Couple of Additional Suggestions
Update 3/29: When I originally did this, I only lifted one side of the car. The stress that puts on the suspension, makes things a bit harder. This weekend, I worked on this again to adjust the camber and see where it is hitting the fender [details in this post: SPC Front Camber Kit Rattle].
I broke down and bought some new lower jack stands and a new low-profile alum jack. What I learned this weekend, is that you can save yourself a lot of time if you lift the entire front-end and set on jack stands. If you do, here are the benefits.
1) You don't have to remove the under engine plastic shield.
2) You can do everything without having to loosen the sway bar.
3) I also found a better easier way to do a few of the steps so I have edited accordingly below.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++
Got my kit from Andy @ HPAuto as well. I printed Finagle69's DIY and it is a great DYI....made it pretty easy overall.....definitely easier than if you following the FSM to the letter.
However, I am running Eibach springs, OEM shocks and GTSpec Strut Bar. So that resulted in having to do a couple of minor changes to the DYI. In addition, I wanted to offer a couple of suggestions that may help.
I followed Finagle69 DIY except as follows:
Step 3: I had heck of a time getting the GTSpec strut bar brackets put on the first time. Those that have done it, know that you can not get a socket on one of the nuts. You have to use a open-end wrench which is a pain to get in the small area, and of course you cannot torque it down . So this time I purchased a crow foot and a wooble extension. Still a tight fit, but a whole lot easier and you can torque. In case you wonder what a crow's foot and wooble extention are....
Crows Foot
Wooble Extension
Step 4: If lift one side of car only, then it works just like Finagle says except you have to loosen the sway bar if you are running Eibach springs since the shock will not drop out of the upper mounting holes. In the picture below, you can see where the sway hits the suspension on the left side. I loosened the sway bracket (also mentioned in the SPC instructions) as you can see below and that was enough to do the rest of the procedure. If lift and support both sides of car, then you do not have to loosen the sway bar. And u only have to lift the suspension up just a hair to get the end link out of the sway bar which can be done easily by hand instead of using a jack.
Step 5: A suggestion to keep pressure off the brake lines is to use a tie wrap to connect the suspension and spring as in the following picture. Works great and no pressure on brake lines.
Step 6 1/2: Using a previous alignment, check your caster and see if you need anything other than Zero. It appears that SPC is shipping the arms with various Caster settings so be sure to check. I dialed in -0.5 Caster on both left and right based on my previous alignment. If no alignment to reference, then set it to Zero. Read the instructions several times as the pictures are not real easy to follow. But if you are setting the Caster to zero, you will have the SPC logo toward the outside of the car.
Step 8, 9 and 10: I did a minor change to these steps. It is suggested that you tighten and torque the (2) a-arm bolts while in the "loaded" position. So I put the new a-arm in and installed the (2) a-arm bolts only tightening my hand.
Now tighten and torque the camber adjustment bolt while you have easy access to it.
Now hold the a-arm up by hand to the approximate fully loaded position, and tighten and torque both of these bolts to spec.
Be sure the bolts at the top of the shock are in their holes. Then I used a jack and raised the suspension slowly up until I could get the upper a-arm engaged and then install the knuckle bolt. Pretty easy really. Then tighten and torque the knuckle to spec.
Lower the jack. Reinstall the end link.
I used the spreadsheet Finagle69 provided. Took me a minute to figure it out, but sure helps. I was shooting for -0.3* to -0.4* camber. Looks much better.
Without Finagle69's DIY, I probably would have just taken it to a shop. Instead I saved some money and got some new tools.
I broke down and bought some new lower jack stands and a new low-profile alum jack. What I learned this weekend, is that you can save yourself a lot of time if you lift the entire front-end and set on jack stands. If you do, here are the benefits.
1) You don't have to remove the under engine plastic shield.
2) You can do everything without having to loosen the sway bar.
3) I also found a better easier way to do a few of the steps so I have edited accordingly below.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++
Got my kit from Andy @ HPAuto as well. I printed Finagle69's DIY and it is a great DYI....made it pretty easy overall.....definitely easier than if you following the FSM to the letter.
However, I am running Eibach springs, OEM shocks and GTSpec Strut Bar. So that resulted in having to do a couple of minor changes to the DYI. In addition, I wanted to offer a couple of suggestions that may help.
I followed Finagle69 DIY except as follows:
Step 3: I had heck of a time getting the GTSpec strut bar brackets put on the first time. Those that have done it, know that you can not get a socket on one of the nuts. You have to use a open-end wrench which is a pain to get in the small area, and of course you cannot torque it down . So this time I purchased a crow foot and a wooble extension. Still a tight fit, but a whole lot easier and you can torque. In case you wonder what a crow's foot and wooble extention are....
Crows Foot
Wooble Extension
Step 4: If lift one side of car only, then it works just like Finagle says except you have to loosen the sway bar if you are running Eibach springs since the shock will not drop out of the upper mounting holes. In the picture below, you can see where the sway hits the suspension on the left side. I loosened the sway bracket (also mentioned in the SPC instructions) as you can see below and that was enough to do the rest of the procedure. If lift and support both sides of car, then you do not have to loosen the sway bar. And u only have to lift the suspension up just a hair to get the end link out of the sway bar which can be done easily by hand instead of using a jack.
Step 5: A suggestion to keep pressure off the brake lines is to use a tie wrap to connect the suspension and spring as in the following picture. Works great and no pressure on brake lines.
Step 6 1/2: Using a previous alignment, check your caster and see if you need anything other than Zero. It appears that SPC is shipping the arms with various Caster settings so be sure to check. I dialed in -0.5 Caster on both left and right based on my previous alignment. If no alignment to reference, then set it to Zero. Read the instructions several times as the pictures are not real easy to follow. But if you are setting the Caster to zero, you will have the SPC logo toward the outside of the car.
Step 8, 9 and 10: I did a minor change to these steps. It is suggested that you tighten and torque the (2) a-arm bolts while in the "loaded" position. So I put the new a-arm in and installed the (2) a-arm bolts only tightening my hand.
Now tighten and torque the camber adjustment bolt while you have easy access to it.
Now hold the a-arm up by hand to the approximate fully loaded position, and tighten and torque both of these bolts to spec.
Be sure the bolts at the top of the shock are in their holes. Then I used a jack and raised the suspension slowly up until I could get the upper a-arm engaged and then install the knuckle bolt. Pretty easy really. Then tighten and torque the knuckle to spec.
Lower the jack. Reinstall the end link.
I used the spreadsheet Finagle69 provided. Took me a minute to figure it out, but sure helps. I was shooting for -0.3* to -0.4* camber. Looks much better.
Without Finagle69's DIY, I probably would have just taken it to a shop. Instead I saved some money and got some new tools.
Last edited by HamstersG; 03-30-2009 at 12:48 AM. Reason: Add more info
03-24-2009, 10:48 PM
#22
Results
I got around to measuring my results. I was shooting for -0.3 to -0.4, but ended up with both left and right at +0.1 which is in spec. Here is a picture. Looks a lot better than the -1.5 that the right was at before I started. I may adjust a little back toward negative....one day.
Update: Adjusted today to -0.3. Did not post a new pic as it really looks about the same.
Update: Adjusted today to -0.3. Did not post a new pic as it really looks about the same.
Last edited by HamstersG; 03-30-2009 at 12:51 AM.
08-02-2010, 02:07 PM
#29
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for those who have experienced the car rising a bit after installation of this, make sure you load the suspension BEFORE tq'ing down the arm bushings to the body, if not the weight rests on the the arm, it needs to think its at its regular ride height when you tq. it down.
apparently im the only person still having trouble with the SPC camber kit on my sedan, im reviving all these old threads, lol. is there some magic potion for all the problems that noones telling me about?
apparently im the only person still having trouble with the SPC camber kit on my sedan, im reviving all these old threads, lol. is there some magic potion for all the problems that noones telling me about?
