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Swapping ARB's on a driveway?


r37

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As mentioned really. Im looking at fitting a set of eibach ARB's and powerflex drop links. Ive looked under the car and it looks fairly simple but i'll have to do it on a slightly inclined driveway using axle stands. Is it possible or should i just pay someone else to fit them on a ramp and save the hastle?

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im tempted to DIY, only worry is having both rear wheels on stands and no handbrake. I have a week off work and will be doing brakes/coilovers. was debating doing everything while its all off and nothing in the way.

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im tempted to DIY, only worry is having both rear wheels on stands and no handbrake. I have a week off work and will be doing brakes/coilovers. was debating doing everything while its all off and nothing in the way.

 

Have a go... what's the worst that could happen (Bar an accident with the car falling on you, but if you even have an ounce of common sense this can't happen)? Worst case, you have to drive to a garage to get it sorted or send an SOS on here for someone local to help out. :thumbs:

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Just did mine a few week back, its easy enough on the drive. Only issue i had was one of the bolts on the rear that are pressed in and held in place with the spline, sheared the spline. Pain in the a*se but once i got it out just replaced it with a cap screw (cant get a spanner into it, explains why the standard ones are splined and pressed) and new nut.

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PITA trying to get the exhaust off to change the rear. Make sure you have a big breaker bar and a pipe for getting some of the nuts off the underside of your car. Would do it on an incline though. You will use a lot of force to loosen some of the bolts and nuts off

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Did mine on the drive, pretty easy. Hardest part is trying to adjust the drop links so there is no preload on the ARBs, which should be done with the car on the ground, so there isn't a lot of room to work. You need to do this so that when the car is in it's normal position, the drop links easily slide in the hole on the ARB. (Attach and tighten one side first, drop car and settle suspension, then adjust opposite side to easily slide in) Exhaust needs to be detached at the mid pipe and hanger unbolted which will be difficult if yours is in poor condition, mine is only 6 months old so bolts were fine. I've read some people are able to remove the ARB without unbolting the exhaust somehow.

 

It will be fine if you have the correct tools eg axle stands, breaker bar, 6 point sockets, plus gas releasing spray/WD40 if you can't get any, wire brush and a blow torch may be necessary.

Edited by Jp606
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exhaust is an invidia gemini that was fitted about 3 months ago so should come off fine. My only major worry with this is that i will need to have both rear wheels off the ground and on stands on a slight slope. Doing the front doesnt worry me but the rear is a bit more tricky. I want the ARB's done anyway, might have a crack myself and if it looks too hard get them fitted by someone with a ramp.

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Did mine on the drive,and the only major issues were the bolt for the rear arb on the LH side, as you have to remove the headlight leveler first, cant remember which one, but one was a PITA, and a slightly different size, so keep an eye out for that. Getting the exhaust dropped/removed is a must on your drive,trust me,spent atleast an hour trying to get it off without removing the back box. Gave up in the end and dropped the brackets that hold the back box up and did it that way. Doing the front was easy, took me 3 hours, and that was with alot of faffing and poking around under the car. 2 hours tops i reckon for that. Its a rewarding job to do yourself, felt very proud after it was all done.

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exhaust is an invidia gemini that was fitted about 3 months ago so should come off fine. My only major worry with this is that i will need to have both rear wheels off the ground and on stands on a slight slope. Doing the front doesnt worry me but the rear is a bit more tricky. I want the ARB's done anyway, might have a crack myself and if it looks too hard get them fitted by someone with a ramp.

 

Chock the wheels mate.....you'll be surprised how hard it is to push a car over a chock or brick.

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exhaust is an invidia gemini that was fitted about 3 months ago so should come off fine. My only major worry with this is that i will need to have both rear wheels off the ground and on stands on a slight slope. Doing the front doesnt worry me but the rear is a bit more tricky. I want the ARB's done anyway, might have a crack myself and if it looks too hard get them fitted by someone with a ramp.

 

Chock the wheels mate.....you'll be surprised how hard it is to push a car over a chock or brick.

 

 

i know, but if it does come over and im under it its lights out.

 

then again, hurtling towards bends at silly speeds (on track ofc) is too. the life of a petrolhead.

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I think you will be fine doing it on your drive way, i did my rear one first, and as I mentioned, had to go to a local place to have one of the nuts removed, and then the exhaust issue, so ran out of time to do the front one, which i did the next day. I think if you allow a day to do both, that should be fine. If you can, soak the rear nuts and bolts in GT85 or something similar, as they are the ones that will be rusty due to being exposed to the elements. If you chock the front wheels, and put the rear of the car on axle stands, you will be fine. Just remember to remove the back box, or drop it off the hangers, dont bother struggling to do it with it on.

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I think you will be fine doing it on your drive way, i did my rear one first, and as I mentioned, had to go to a local place to have one of the nuts removed, and then the exhaust issue, so ran out of time to do the front one, which i did the next day. I think if you allow a day to do both, that should be fine. If you can, soak the rear nuts and bolts in GT85 or something similar, as they are the ones that will be rusty due to being exposed to the elements. If you chock the front wheels, and put the rear of the car on axle stands, you will be fine. Just remember to remove the back box, or drop it off the hangers, dont bother struggling to do it with it on.

 

Just make sure the axle stands aren't on the slope, or you will be flattened!

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DIY if you can, personally can't justify paying anyone to do something I can do myself unless I need it done quickly and I'm short on time.

 

Don't use axle stands on a slope though! They'd be ok on a minimal gradient with wheel chocks but even still..

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