To all people who have fitted their own coilovers.

I bought some second hand meisterRs at the weekend and whilst fitting them ran into a couple of problems:

1. The bottom bolt that hold the front strut onto the lower arm is seized solid and broke my socket!!!

2. When I do get the bolt out, where an I going to get the right size nut to refit the new shocks in. Because the existing nut is welded to the strut?!


Does anyone know what the size and thread is because once jacked up I can't obviously then drive to a motor factors to find the right nut.

And finally, any tips on getting that B*****D bolt out? WD and breaker bar is all I have.

Many thanks in advance.

 

Hi Simon

Good to bump into you at the weekend! My car is still no better in fact looking more like oil smoke now..

Anyway I had the same problem when we fitted my Coilovers down at Dixons. It took allot of heat, hammering and deternination to get it off. The bolt was so messed up after we got it off that Dixon replaced both sides with new Honda bolts that he had in stock. No Idea what the specs where but could be worth dropping him a PM asking him for some advise.. He might be able to post you a couple.

Hope all goes well mate, Will keep you posted on my ongoing nightmare.

P.S. have you got a repeatable jap performance garages near you? Need to get my car into somewhere that knows our engines..

 

M12 1.25 fine threaded. Off the top off my head..

I got some from a local nuts and bolts shop in the end.

 

To hold it together while I sort something else out (NB: the car isn't being used..!) I cut the welded on bolts off the oem struts.

I don't like the idea of them as a permenant solution, though, to the car will be trailered to have the geo done and I'll get new nuts fitted at the time..

 

I had a similar problem. Sounds about the right size. I tried the local dealer, but they would have had to order them and I couldn't wait. A few phone calls and I found some nuts at a fastener stockist.

 

The captive nut is on the shock isn't it? So you have a new one on your Meister Rs, and all you need is a new bolt.

 

Thanks for the replies. No Dembo, there is no captive nut welded onto the Meister strut.

I think maybe hack sawing off the existing nut might be the quick fix in order to get to somewhere that can sell me the right bolts.

M12 1.25 fine threaded it is then.... Hopefully. I'm guessing the 1.25 is cm?

Frankie, good to meet you too. Sorry to hear you still got problems. Not many great places I know TBH I take mine to my local garage that I trust and they seem fine.

 

All those sizes - M12 and 1,25 - are millimetres. Also, does the bracket on the front strut that holds the brake hose have a captive nut? I cable tied mine until I got a new nut for that too. Can't remember the size though, but if you tie it up, you can then take it to a fastener place and get them to find one for you.

 

Well there should be. There were on my Bilsteins, I'm 99% sure. It's one thing people always say about these cheap coilovers: they tend not to have exactly the right fitment for the car.

You should probably use one of those nylon locking nut, rather than any old nut.

 

In that case surely it's 12.5 not 1.25 otherwise that's a nut for a very slim bolt? The M12 is the thread, and the second is the diametiftar the hole in the nut. Is that right or am I just being stupid?

And yeah there is no captive nut for the brake line either. I was going to do the same for the moment and cable tie it.

As for heating up the bolt to try to remove it, will a normal blowtorch be worth a go?