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Beachya
01-07-2003, 05:07 PM
Yeah for those who have or are going to install springs yourself dont be suprised when the tie rod and strut don't come aprt. So after banging the living piss outta the bolt (like an hour) it didnt bugde and I even managed to damage the threads on the bottom, had to freaking hack about two thread lengths off (but thats another story). So i noticed that civic hatch boi worked inside the well and used a spring compressor, but I dont have access to one at the moment so i want to know what others have done beside hitting the bolt with wood/ hammer/ whatever. I was thinking of leaving the brake set up intack, loosening the nut attached to the tie rod just a smidge and standing on the brake set up to unjar the freaking thing. Someone is going to let me use a tool called a punch (dunno what it is yet)on thursday so i'll try that. But if nothing works by then Im going to just have it done at a pro shop b/c it's too dang cold out and without a spring compressor the tierod situation seems like more trouble than it's worth at the moment. So somebody/ anybody let me know what tricks you have done or seen to unjar the tie rod and strut please.

Thanx

David

civicSIracer
01-07-2003, 08:48 PM
well at least you gave it a shot.. that is pretty hard stuff if you havent done one yet..

HondaMan
01-07-2003, 08:59 PM
Pay $100 (that's what I paid) and have an import mod shop do it for you. That's what I did after getting the correct springs and doing it twice myself. It will be $100 well spent, trust me! :)

http://www.pryor.ws/honda/gallery1.htm

myeverlovinsir
01-07-2003, 09:24 PM
That link is great, thanks hondaman.:)

HondaMan
01-07-2003, 09:29 PM
Originally posted by myeverlovinsir
That link is great, thanks hondaman.:)

No problem...happy to help when I can! :)

02SilverSiHB
01-07-2003, 09:35 PM
Originally posted by Beachya
Yeah for those who have or are going to install springs yourself dont be suprised when the tie rod and strut don't come aprt. So after banging the living piss outta the bolt (like an hour) it didnt bugde and I even managed to damage the threads on the bottom, had to freaking hack about two thread lengths off (but thats another story). So i noticed that civic hatch boi worked inside the well and used a spring compressor, but I dont have access to one at the moment so i want to know what others have done beside hitting the bolt with wood/ hammer/ whatever. I was thinking of leaving the brake set up intack, loosening the nut attached to the tie rod just a smidge and standing on the brake set up to unjar the freaking thing. Someone is going to let me use a tool called a punch (dunno what it is yet)on thursday so i'll try that. But if nothing works by then Im going to just have it done at a pro shop b/c it's too dang cold out and without a spring compressor the tierod situation seems like more trouble than it's worth at the moment. So somebody/ anybody let me know what tricks you have done or seen to unjar the tie rod and strut please.

Thanx

David
wow, I'm sorry to hear you had a hard time. I've done spring installs on the si a few times now. I never had a problem. The initial install is the hardest, as everything is settled in tightly. Basically for that tie rod I backed the nut down to the end of the bolt, so that when I used a big rubber mallet, it would keep from hitting the threads. It is also important not to back the nut down to far, to where you are hitting the nut in a way that it is taking all the impact.

You want to back that nut down till it is flush with the bottom of the bolt,so when you hit that nut/bolt, you are hitting both at the same time with the mallet. I had problems with the tie rod when I kept hitting the bolt/nut while laying down. I tried kneeling and hitting it with the mallet and still had problems. Then I knew I was just being to dang gental. So I tried again while kneeling and hit it again a few times as hard as I could and finally the damn thing came out. It will take a while the first time.

As for the spring compressor, I highly advise using one. you can get away with it, but you would need an allen wrench to keep the top of the strut from turning while unscrewing the nut. It's a pain in the but, but can be done. But like I said, get a spring compressor, it will make it sooooo much easier. There's two types really. I think you can even get one at an autoshop that is small, but does the job. Other types are huge and usually mounted to a wall at suspension shops (the one I used).

Good luck man! :)

chunky
01-07-2003, 10:00 PM
why for the love of all that is holy does no one use a tie rod puller?

it's a 10$ tool at the local auto parts store, and pops tie rods off in seconds.

Beachya
01-07-2003, 10:03 PM
02SilverSiHB- glad to hear it can be done.i will try it as you did and see if it comes off. Also I was just told earlier today that I should buy a tie rod separator ($10) or I could rent one from autozone with a credit card (no charge). Any experience using this? I'll go by a few shops tomorrow and check them out.
Thanx for the feedback!

Hondaman- your step by step with pics is great! Thanx! So yeah, I'll give it anther try, if nothing...it's off to the mod shop i go

David

Beachya
01-07-2003, 10:04 PM
Originally posted by chunky
why for the love of all that is holy does no one use a tie rod puller?

it's a 10$ tool at the local auto parts store, and pops tie rods off in seconds.

lol, we must have posted at the same time...im glad to hear that it is a good tool to useand will buy it first thing tomorrow.

02SilverSiHB
01-08-2003, 05:35 AM
Originally posted by Beachya


lol, we must have posted at the same time...im glad to hear that it is a good tool to useand will buy it first thing tomorrow.
:D yeah, that tool is supposed to make it come out in like a split second, but the shop I was at didn't have it, so I just used a mallet. If all else fails, go get one and make it easier on yourself :)

chunky
01-08-2003, 07:43 AM
Originally posted by Beachya


lol, we must have posted at the same time...im glad to hear that it is a good tool to useand will buy it first thing tomorrow.

I'm gonna take my tie rod puller into work and take some pics to encourage people to buy one instead of fucking up their threads etc with a hammer. . ..

atl-si
01-08-2003, 01:11 PM
I used a mallet, sledge, tie rod puller/separator, and brute force and I still couldn't get it off. So you know what I did? I paid some else to do it. Of course it would be much simpler if I had a lift!!;)

yomamaInMySi
01-08-2003, 01:20 PM
Originally posted by Beachya
Yeah for those who have or are going to install springs yourself dont be suprised when the tie rod and strut don't come aprt. So after banging the living piss outta the bolt (like an hour) it didnt bugde and I even managed to damage the threads on the bottom, had to freaking hack about two thread lengths off (but thats another story). So i noticed that civic hatch boi worked inside the well and used a spring compressor, but I dont have access to one at the moment so i want to know what others have done beside hitting the bolt with wood/ hammer/ whatever. I was thinking of leaving the brake set up intack, loosening the nut attached to the tie rod just a smidge and standing on the brake set up to unjar the freaking thing. Someone is going to let me use a tool called a punch (dunno what it is yet)on thursday so i'll try that. But if nothing works by then Im going to just have it done at a pro shop b/c it's too dang cold out and without a spring compressor the tierod situation seems like more trouble than it's worth at the moment. So somebody/ anybody let me know what tricks you have done or seen to unjar the tie rod and strut please.

Thanx

David

Just hit the strut arm where the tie rod attaches to and it will pop up. I'll cut my balls off if it doesn't. When I did my coilovers I went through the same thing, thanks to my dad (a mechanic of a quarter of a century) who told me where to hit it right to avoid damage to the tie. G Luck!

HondaMan
01-08-2003, 01:21 PM
If you have the money, paying someone else to do it is well worth the investment...not to mention saving you a possible BIG headache (trust me I know).

Of course, the exception would be if you're dirt poor (still probably cost you some money in tools...etc.) and/or just love doing things like this yourself.

chunky
01-08-2003, 03:26 PM
go buy one. nuff said. pictures speak for themselves.

chunky
01-08-2003, 03:28 PM
on the tie rod end.

chunky
01-08-2003, 03:29 PM
turn your head sideways.

chunky
01-08-2003, 03:30 PM
for anyone who still doesn't get it, you tighten the bolt, and it pushes up on the tie rod end while pulling down on the strut mount point.

02SilverSiHB
01-08-2003, 03:32 PM
Originally posted by chunky
go buy one. nuff said. pictures speak for themselves.
oh hell yeah. nuff is said :) that makes it a 1000000000000000 times easier. I might have to buy one when I help install some other peeps springs over here in SA

HondaMan
01-08-2003, 03:36 PM
Originally posted by 02SilverSiHB

oh hell yeah. nuff is said :) that makes it a 1000000000000000 times easier. I might have to buy one when I help install some other peeps springs over here in SA

Yeah, that tie rod puller is a must have for this job! Would have made things much easier for me. :'(

chunky
01-08-2003, 08:11 PM
Originally posted by HondaMan


Yeah, that tie rod puller is a must have for this job! Would have made things much easier for me. :'(

if you ever have to do it again you can always borrow it from me. And of course you could always rent one.

if you're gonna buy one, make sure you buy the smaller sized tie rod puller. It might be called a pitman arm puller as well. our small cars have small tie rods, and sometimes the bigger tie rod pullers have too much of a gap between the two arms and won't grab the joint properly.

myeverlovinsir
01-08-2003, 08:17 PM
Great follow up chunky! Tks for the pics:)

4g63dsm
10-30-2003, 03:06 PM
sorry i'm a suspension newb, what happened to the black car?

r3p00c
10-30-2003, 07:46 PM
thats what happens when a spring install goes bad :D














the picture database keeps getting screwed up, and all the attachments get mixed up between posts. Thats Sidrivers ep, and he swerved off the road after dozing off at the wheel.

4g63dsm
10-30-2003, 09:56 PM
ya no kidding. but what went wrong?

r3p00c
10-31-2003, 08:22 AM
Originally posted by r3p00c
Thats Sidrivers ep, and he swerved off the road after dozing off at the wheel.

sleepin02si
01-09-2004, 11:02 AM
Originally posted by r3p00c
and he swerved off the road after dozing off at the wheel.
And how does that relate to the need for a tie-rod puller?

Btrthnezr3
01-09-2004, 11:38 AM
Originally posted by sleepin02si
And how does that relate to the need for a tie-rod puller?

It doesn't...


Originally posted by r3p00c
The picture database keeps getting screwed up, and all the attachments get mixed up between posts. Thats Sidrivers ep, and he swerved off the road after dozing off at the wheel.

This has happened on quite a few posts. Pictures that don't relate to the topic because of the database. (ie "Hey check out my new shift knob" and then you see a picture of a headlight or something else irrelevant.)

:D

Zero Three Si
01-09-2004, 01:35 PM
For the LAST time you DO NOT need a spring compressor.

Take off the entire brake assembly put a jack stand underneath it to support it to prevent the tie rod from falling out.

Our OEM springs are hardly under "compression".

bsdbytes
01-12-2004, 07:54 PM
Or do what I did. Get a friend that packs a few extra pounds and have him push down on the assembly while you take the bolt off. Then your friend slowly takes his weight off the spring.

Peking
01-12-2004, 08:27 PM
Originally posted by Zero Three Si
For the LAST time you DO NOT need a spring compressor.
Take off the entire brake assembly put a jack stand underneath it to support it to prevent the tie rod from falling out.
Our OEM springs are hardly under "compression".

Calm down Zero :D You might not need one, but for most it is a better way to be safe and sure :)

HondaMan
01-12-2004, 08:29 PM
Originally posted by Peking
Calm down Zero :D You might not need one, but for most it is a better way to be safe and sure :)

HeHe, still not needed...Zero is right. :angel: