Feezy's Build Thread - 2002 New Formula Red
FB 
12-04-2019 | 04:17 PM
#494
Thread Starter
Moderator
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 7,017
Likes: 323
From: Arizona
11.7.2018 - Alignment at Science of Speed
The day after I had everything installed I took it for a quick test drive. With practically new everything saying the car was a handful is an understatement. Thankfully Science of Speed is only a 10 minute drive from the house. I made an appointment and ran down to have the car dialed in.
I know a couple of the guys who work down there and they were kind enough to let me hang out in the back for a bit and snap a few cell phone pictures. Next time I go for an alignment I'm going to take the wife with me so she can take some real photos. She's who takes care of me now that ADRS2K left me.
Anyway, here is a couple of the pics of the car on the lift. I really think there were pictures from the very first alignment, but it's all the pictures I have of the finished project.
And one last one... of this exhaust. Every single time I look at this thing I love it more and more. It's just hands down the perfect exhaust for my car. It's easily one of my favorite pieces. Seriously, I just can't get enough of this thing.
I think that about sums it up for the suspension refresh project. After the alignment the car feels incredible. It's such a joy to drive.
The day after I had everything installed I took it for a quick test drive. With practically new everything saying the car was a handful is an understatement. Thankfully Science of Speed is only a 10 minute drive from the house. I made an appointment and ran down to have the car dialed in.
I know a couple of the guys who work down there and they were kind enough to let me hang out in the back for a bit and snap a few cell phone pictures. Next time I go for an alignment I'm going to take the wife with me so she can take some real photos. She's who takes care of me now that ADRS2K left me.
Anyway, here is a couple of the pics of the car on the lift. I really think there were pictures from the very first alignment, but it's all the pictures I have of the finished project.
And one last one... of this exhaust. Every single time I look at this thing I love it more and more. It's just hands down the perfect exhaust for my car. It's easily one of my favorite pieces. Seriously, I just can't get enough of this thing.
I think that about sums it up for the suspension refresh project. After the alignment the car feels incredible. It's such a joy to drive.
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Live Fast (12-04-2019)
12-04-2019 | 07:35 PM
#497
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 493
Likes: 55
11.05.2018 - Suspension Component Refinishing
I had planned on refinishing everything while I was working on the suspension, so I went an ordered a full set of re-manufactured calipers to swap onto the car. If I was going through all this trouble I wanted everything on the suspension to be as fresh as possible. I don't think I have any pictures of the calipers before I refinished them, but the fronts and rears came in different finishes from the manufacturer. I decided it was best to just do them black for the time being so they would blend in with everything else. I was also due for rotors so I ordered a set of Centric premiums to go along with everything else.
Once I got the arms back I began the tedious process of preparing the arms for paint. I de-greased everything and then began taping off the mounting points as well as the exposed areas of the bushings. Once this was done I hung them up out back and started spraying away. It was winter time here in Arizona, so I had rigged up several heat lamps around the arms to help encourage the paint to cure a bit quicker than normal. Once the arms were done I started the same process with the re-manufactured calipers. I pulled them all apart, taped them off, and painted away. I think I only took one picture of an arm that was prepped and ready for paint:
I pulled the old clips and boots on all the control arm ball joints, and then removed the old grease. I repacked them with new grease and then installed the new boots with new clips. I made sure to grease the outside of the boots with some silicone grease to keep them fresh and set them aside. The calipers were then reassembled, making sure to grease the slider pins.
All said and done the arms looked fantastic. A far cry from what they looked like before:
I had planned on refinishing everything while I was working on the suspension, so I went an ordered a full set of re-manufactured calipers to swap onto the car. If I was going through all this trouble I wanted everything on the suspension to be as fresh as possible. I don't think I have any pictures of the calipers before I refinished them, but the fronts and rears came in different finishes from the manufacturer. I decided it was best to just do them black for the time being so they would blend in with everything else. I was also due for rotors so I ordered a set of Centric premiums to go along with everything else.
Once I got the arms back I began the tedious process of preparing the arms for paint. I de-greased everything and then began taping off the mounting points as well as the exposed areas of the bushings. Once this was done I hung them up out back and started spraying away. It was winter time here in Arizona, so I had rigged up several heat lamps around the arms to help encourage the paint to cure a bit quicker than normal. Once the arms were done I started the same process with the re-manufactured calipers. I pulled them all apart, taped them off, and painted away. I think I only took one picture of an arm that was prepped and ready for paint:
I pulled the old clips and boots on all the control arm ball joints, and then removed the old grease. I repacked them with new grease and then installed the new boots with new clips. I made sure to grease the outside of the boots with some silicone grease to keep them fresh and set them aside. The calipers were then reassembled, making sure to grease the slider pins.
All said and done the arms looked fantastic. A far cry from what they looked like before:
Good work man!
12-04-2019 | 07:45 PM
#498
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 7,017
Likes: 323
From: Arizona
It was more trouble than it was worth. I didn't know where to find replacement ball joints, and the one bushing on the rear lower control arms isn't serviceable. I wasn't sure how well it was going to hold up under the powder coating temperatures so I opted for painting instead.
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Live Fast (12-05-2019)
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1993 (12-05-2019)