# coilover install and some other events...



## AHarmes5 (Apr 18, 2003)

so wednesday night we ended up only getting the front passenger side completed. everything was fairly easy except for the upper control arm bolt. it was spinning free but wouldn't come loose (typical). a half can of super-wrench, a hammer, and a pair of 2 ft. pliers and about an hour... it came out







yesterday I planned on working on this most of the day.......
but due to unplanned circumstances my day's agenda was drastically changed. around 3PM I was out in the garage working on the driver's side and the loudest noise I've heard thus far in my life occured like 15 feet to my left. An elderly lady was driving down the road, lost conciousness with her foot stuck on the gas. proceeded to head straight through my neighbors driveway through my yard T-boned my mom's mountaineer. pinned that against her car and the house and well, the pictures will do the talking...
needless to say, I never ended up finishing yesterday. hopefully today I can. I'll upload all the install pictures when i finish.




























































*HOW SAFE DO YOU FEEL??????*


_Modified by AHarmes5 at 4:38 PM 11-30-2007_


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## AHarmes5 (Apr 18, 2003)

the Mountaineer was struck so hard it launched forward and in the second picture you can see a wood beam supporting a lintel infront of the mountaineer. there WAS a column 3 course wide and 8" thick FILLED BLOCK with (2) # rebar coming vertically out of the concrete slab floor. it ripped the rebar in half and the column/wall crumbled. Our electric service panel is right behind the door you can see in the second picture. mom's car had it pinned so we coulnd't shut it off. her car was running the whole time with her trapped inside. i climbed through to get to her but all her windows were up and doors were jammed. *scary s h i t*. leaking all fluids as well as my moms. they disconnected power at the service entry. and the jaws of life cut her a-pilars the folded roof back. 
luckily (i guess), i live on the same block as the hospital.










_Modified by AHarmes5 at 4:33 PM 11-30-2007_


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## eurocars (Mar 10, 2004)

*Re: (AHarmes5)*

Holy Shnykey. Too close for comfort there. Which stall were or are you in? I am thinking, good thing the Mountaineer was there. As bad as that is could have been worse, with you hunched under the ar.


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## AHarmes5 (Apr 18, 2003)

pretty much in the center of the garage..








finished the install an hour or so ago. total time per wheel, in order installed:
front passenger - 2.5 hr.
front driver - 1.5 hr.
rear passenger - 1 hr.
rear driver - half hour
No CEL or warning text on MFA. All I did was unhook the control module in the hatch. didn't have to take panels off either. Once I MacGyver'd a way to get the upper control arm bolts out in the front they were cake. 
In the rear, Detaching the sway bar from the C-clamp looking bushing was a necessity.. but no need to remove it from lower control arm... but you do need to remove both bolts in the upper/lower arms. I had my buddy stand on the hub while I went UP through upper arm and lastly setting it down. 
Overall, not very difficult. This was my first coilover install on any vehicle. My friend had a 2.5hp tank, but we really just did it by hand. a 4 ft metal tube was really useful cracking loose lower control arm bolts in rear. full write-up when I post install pictures tomorrow
cheers.


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

Glad to hear you are ok...that could have been bad


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## vr6ninja (Mar 20, 2007)

*Re: coilover install and some other events... (AHarmes5)*

Sorry to hear that, I hope everyone is OK. I guess you can be glad your house is made of masonry cuz you most likely would have had 2 cars inside of your house if it was wooden, along with some serious structural damage. Wow I've been studying too much engineering this weekend.








Nice work on the car. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## roshlioBG (Nov 5, 2004)

Oh God,
Man you are so lucky. thats an awful event. Its like right next to where you were. God thanks for that SUV in the way. Glad you are ok. how about the lady?
Good luck with repairs and isurance claims...
that type of staff shouldn't happen in people homes.
crazy pics man .... WOW



_Modified by roshlioBG at 12:38 AM 12-4-2007_


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## seank (Jul 29, 2003)

*Re: coilover install and some other events... (roshlioBG)*

that is crazy, when the hell are people going to realize that mandatory license retesting needs to be put in place.


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*Re: (AHarmes5)*

wait....all of these shenanigans have distracted me from what I really wanna know....hows the coils?


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## AHarmes5 (Apr 18, 2003)

yesterday i got the car aligned.. as best as possible. it goes straight and the steering wheel is centered but the camber is a little dramatic. first picture shows them as low as the fenders allow. I trimmed a little from the fender liner. 
second picture shows ride height. minimal rubbing now that I've been trimmed and aligned







it's pretty remarkable how smooth the ride is considering it's pretty low. plenty of room up front, as the stock bumper has good clearance.
I havn't really been able to adjust to it yet because of the nasty weather but I can defenitely notice an extreme loss in body roll. can't wait for the roads to dry.
only thing I need to talk to 2bennett about is VAGCOM. i hooked up to my car after the install, and it was already reading my vehicle as an A6 in the soft-coding. every once in awhile my traction control light will either turn on/off depending if I previously had it turned off/on... if that makes sense. but it does not appear to effect traction control itself...
sorry for the half-a55ed iphone pics


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## AHarmes5 (Apr 18, 2003)

another one slammed... (pre-alignment)


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## seank (Jul 29, 2003)

*Re: (AHarmes5)*

that looks sick http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## BHB (Oct 26, 2004)

*Re: (AHarmes5)*








not sure how i missed this thread.... looks outstanding! more pics ASAP!
scary **** about the accident.


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## AHarmes5 (Apr 18, 2003)

thanks yo!!!
here is a pic after we first pulled it out of my garage. this height is completely driveable, but not efficient.. if that makes sense? it's not bouncy or anything, but it will rub on hard corners. 








I'd like to get some different tires in a few months. is there a way that I'd be able to keep the 245/40/19 in the rear, and in the front somehow go thiner sidewall?? like a 245/35/19 or 235/35/19??? or would i have to do 245/35/19 all four wheels to maintain the same rotating mass?
oh, i def. need to get a video. first to second gear is INSANE. if the road or tires are damp at ALL; second gear will spin... in a straight line. the a55 end hardly drops down and the front end doesnt lift up like the S.S Minow anymore!
it's sleeting right now.. maybe i can find a parking lot tonight


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*Re: (AHarmes5)*

what are you doing with the old suspension?


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## AHarmes5 (Apr 18, 2003)

If someone is interested, I'll sell the stock setup. Just make sure ya get new upper control arm bolts/nuts








Oh Brandon, didn't you ask me to take a picture of the bags? You wanted the diameter of something, correct?


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*Re: (AHarmes5)*

If you could send me pics of the bags that would be great...nothing specific...just pics of each bag/strut assembly...thanks buddy


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

*Re: (diive4sho)*

wow, makes me miss my old allroad http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## SSSS4 (Oct 16, 2004)

*Re: coilover install and some other events... (AHarmes5)*

very sweet http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*Re: coilover install and some other events... (Lowduberz)*

how bout that video??


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## tdiboy4 (Aug 26, 2004)

*Re: coilover install and some other events... (diive4sho)*

I just spent $2400 having both front air springs replaced $1400 parts ($655 each spring ) & $1000 labor , not to mention it was my 40K service which tacked on another $650 making my pockets a total of 3K lighter .


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## yourdaddys2liter (Nov 28, 2006)

That's an allroad?? NICE! I need one of those!


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## yourdaddys2liter (Nov 28, 2006)

which coilovers are you running? Does it still raise up and down.(stock)I'm buying an allroad too and want to know how you drive in the snow slammed like that.


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*Re: (yourdaddys2liter)*

he's running the 2bennett audi allroad coilover conversion kit.
NO he does not have adjustability at the touch of a button....he has to jack the car up and use wrenches to adjust


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