SPL install tips

[underdonk]

Yeah there was about a 2 month gap between doing the rear traction links and then doing everything else. The biggest difference was that they pretty much eliminated the wheel hop. The general uneasiness/unsettled feeling when hitting bumps mid-corner didn't really disappear until I did the rest of the arms though.

I did the rear traction links early on help address wheel hop that I was experiencing. I've posted this elsewhere, but can confirm it does help address this issue on the car, and doing solid aluminum diff mounts pretty much eliminates it.

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[Nocturnal LE]

Front LCAs:

The installation was pretty straight forward, nothing jumped out to me as missing from SPL's docs, but I did find that separating the leveling sensor on the driver's side from the stock arm SUCKED ASS. Nothing I did worked, the plastic bracket on the factory LCA snapped almost immediately when I started trying to separate them (no biggie, I wasn't planning on reinstalling the factory arm anyway), and every time I tried to use something to pry or pull the ball out of the socket it just broke more. What finally worked for me was to zip-tie the factory arm to a 13mm wrench for reinforcement with the open end of the wrench positioned carefully to support the opening on the arm while still letting the ball pull free, use a set of locking pliers to grab onto the ball, position the arm behind the strut to hold it steady, and then pull full force on the pliers. When the ball finally pulled out of the arm I tumbled backward into the wall, but it came out and the arm was still in one piece! See the pics below for more clarity.

The new leveling sensor bracket on the SPL arm is kind of janky as well. It doesn't bolt to the arm anymore, instead it just kind of loosely fits over the threaded portion of the arm to hold it in place. It positions the sensor well, I haven't had any error codes yet, but it's very loose and rattles around. I zip-tied it down to keep it still, but I'm curious if anyone else has other suggestions.

Also as many people have pointed out, the clearance between the LCAs and the sway bar is very small. Using adjustable endlinks set as short as they can will help buy some extra room, and in my case I also decided to cut off the 3rd adjustment hole, so now I only have 2-way adjustable front sways. Cutting it off was pretty straight forward, just a hackzall to cut through the center of the hole, then an angle grinder to take off the remaining 1/8" or so and round/smooth it out, then some rustoleum paint to clean it up.

It's impossible to get these set exactly the same as OEM, so just ballpark it and then get an alignment ASAP.

SPL provides multiple spacers to adjust the roll center, but doesn't provide any guidance on how to set it. My car is on HKS adjustables at roughly the default height, so about a 1" drop. I used the thick spacer by itself, so about half of the total adjustment range. I don't have a ton of miles yet on them, but so far so good.

Note that my picture of the arm installed was before I rotated it properly. It's a bit too angled in this pic, it sits more vertical in real life, similar to the pic in SPL's install doc.

Appreciate this write-up. I'm using your posts, SPL instructions, and the one youtube video that goes through install to piece things together.

If you look at 21:50 of the youtube video, it shows the ball joint comes right out after he loosens the nut on top. I'm having a hard time following your wrench/ziptie/locking pliers solution. Is there something the video is not showing?

Also - any reason why it was just the driver side sensor that was a PIA, and not the passenger side? Assuming there is one on each side...

Out of town for work and have time to kill. trying to line everything up before I come home and tackle this. Thanks!!

 

[razorlab]

Appreciate this write-up. I'm using your posts, SPL instructions, and the one youtube video that goes through install to piece things together.

If you look at 21:50 of the youtube video, it shows the ball joint comes right out after he loosens the nut on top. I'm having a hard time following your wrench/ziptie/locking pliers solution. Is there something the video is not showing?

Also - any reason why it was just the driver side sensor that was a PIA, and not the passenger side? Assuming there is one on each side...

Out of town for work and have time to kill. trying to line everything up before I come home and tackle this. Thanks!!

Height sensors are only on drivers side. Front/rear

 

[suicidaleggroll]

If you look at 21:50 of the youtube video, it shows the ball joint comes right out after he loosens the nut on top. I'm having a hard time following your wrench/ziptie/locking pliers solution. Is there something the video is not showing?

He's working on the LCA/spindle joint at 21:50, that popped right now for me, no issues. The wrench/ziptie madness was for the ride height sensor on the driver's side. It's a little plastic arm and ball, there are no bolts or nuts, you just have to try to pull the ball out of the socket without breaking the plastic arm. It doesn't look like he touches the front driver's side in that video, so the ride height sensor isn't covered there.

You can see it in this picture from the suspension deep dive thread, red arrow:

 

[Nocturnal LE]

He's working on the LCA/spindle joint at 21:50, that popped right now for me, no issues. The wrench/ziptie madness was for the ride height sensor on the driver's side. It's a little plastic arm and ball, there are no bolts or nuts, you just have to try to pull the ball out of the socket without breaking the plastic arm. It doesn't look like he touches the front driver's side in that video, so the ride height sensor isn't covered there.

Ok, that makes sense, thanks! Did you consider the caster bushings? I read some people needed them with aftermarket sway bar and LCAs for clearance. I can hardly find anything on the utility/benefit of these. Not cheap, and would need a shop to press them in and out for me

 

[suicidaleggroll]

I thought about them, but didn't want to deal with having to press them in/out. Instead I just shortened the endlinks a bit and cut off the 3rd adjustment point on the sways so they weren't poking out into the LCAs.

 

[Nocturnal LE]

I thought about them, but didn't want to deal with having to press them in/out. Instead I just shortened the endlinks a bit and cut off the 3rd adjustment point on the sways so they weren't poking out into the LCAs.

Ok... thanks for confirming that is a real thing haha. Maybe I'll just have the shop do these bushings when I take it there for suspension tuning and alignment. Thanks, very helpful!

 

[decodeddiesel]

Is there a preferred tool for popping the ball joints on the LCAs? I read through this thread and searched on the forum, but I haven't come up with much. I really don't want to go at it with a pickle fork.

I need to purchase a new press to do the adjustable front caster rod bushings, so I might as well buy a ball joint separator that works well.

 

[adawine]

I didn’t need a special tool for the LCA, just impact the nut and that’s it.

As far as ball joint separator, I tried mine but couldn’t get it to work for the caster bushings, so wound up just using a family members floor press.

 

[suicidaleggroll]

Is there a preferred tool for popping the ball joints on the LCAs?

No need, once you pull the nut they basically fall out. Maybe a light tap with the wrench but that's it, no special tools required.

 

[decodeddiesel]

No need, once you pull the nut they basically fall out. Maybe a light tap with the wrench but that's it, no special tools required.

Well, that's a refreshing change from some of the bullshit ball joints I've dealt with.

 

[razorlab]

Is there a preferred tool for popping the ball joints on the LCAs? I read through this thread and searched on the forum, but I haven't come up with much. I really don't want to go at it with a pickle fork.

I need to purchase a new press to do the adjustable front caster rod bushings, so I might as well buy a ball joint separator that works well.

They just slide right out. No need for a ball joint tool.

 

[decodeddiesel]

Front LCAs:

The installation was pretty straight forward, nothing jumped out to me as missing from SPL's docs, but I did find that separating the leveling sensor on the driver's side from the stock arm SUCKED ASS. Nothing I did worked, the plastic bracket on the factory LCA snapped almost immediately when I started trying to separate them (no biggie, I wasn't planning on reinstalling the factory arm anyway), and every time I tried to use something to pry or pull the ball out of the socket it just broke more. What finally worked for me was to zip-tie the factory arm to a 13mm wrench for reinforcement with the open end of the wrench positioned carefully to support the opening on the arm while still letting the ball pull free, use a set of locking pliers to grab onto the ball, position the arm behind the strut to hold it steady, and then pull full force on the pliers. When the ball finally pulled out of the arm I tumbled backward into the wall, but it came out and the arm was still in one piece! See the pics below for more clarity.

Yup. Mine snapped almost immediately.

I gave up for the day, but I'm going to try your method tomorrow morning.

SPL provides multiple spacers to adjust the roll center, but doesn't provide any guidance on how to set it. My car is on HKS adjustables at roughly the default height, so about a 1" drop. I used the thick spacer by itself, so about half of the total adjustment range. I don't have a ton of miles yet on them, but so far so good.

I'm still at stock ride height. I'm wondering if I need any of the spacers. It looks like it will be closest to the factory LCA with no spacers.

Tomorrow is rear sway bar, rear toe arms, and alignment.

 

[suicidaleggroll]

I'm still at stock ride height. I'm wondering if I need any of the spacers. It looks like it will be closest to the factory LCA with no spacers.

My understanding is the spacers are only for when you’re lowered, stock height wouldn’t use any. SPL’s instructions could use a lot more clarification on those spacers though, it’s barely even mentioned.

 

[decodeddiesel]

My understanding is the spacers are only for when you’re lowered, stock height wouldn’t use any. SPL’s instructions could use a lot more clarification on those spacers though, it’s barely even mentioned.

You're right about that! Also the orientation of the spacers at the subframe are not really discussed very clearly. I'm going off of the level sensor bracket orientation and making both sides the same.

So about that God damn level sensor...

I ended pulling the whole thing off of my car (2X T25 bolts and a plug) and using the vice on my bench and a vice grip. What a nightmare.

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