Howto? 4th gen REAR BEAM CENTERING...
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 35,755
From: Lake Orion, MI
Howto? 4th gen REAR BEAM CENTERING...
Now the bushings and such were designed for a car at stock ride height. When you lower the car, you start to deform and constrict the bushings since the suspension angle is changing in relation to the chassis. In the FSM you will find segments on how to re-align the beam. Take a peak next time when the car is on a flat surface and you will see the bushings are bent sideways
What you have to do:
1. measure your rear vehicle ride height
2. jack up the car and place jack stands
3. unbolt the bottom bolts holding your rear shocks to the beam
4. loosen the bolt going through the bushing on your beam (there is one on each side, two total)
5. jack up the beam until it is at the ride height you measured earlier
6. tighten the two bolts you loosened
7. tighten the rear suspension bolts back on
8. lower and drive around
What you have to do:
1. measure your rear vehicle ride height
2. jack up the car and place jack stands
3. unbolt the bottom bolts holding your rear shocks to the beam
4. loosen the bolt going through the bushing on your beam (there is one on each side, two total)
5. jack up the beam until it is at the ride height you measured earlier
6. tighten the two bolts you loosened
7. tighten the rear suspension bolts back on
8. lower and drive around
First measure the distance from the center cap to the fender on both sides.
Take off the wheels and take off the rear strut lower bolt.
Those are the two bolts you want to loosen. The bolt on the left has a nut on the other side and I don't have a socket small enough to fit in there. I could NOT loosen this bolt/nut combo no matter what combo of breaker bar/open end wrench so I quit on that side. I just loosen the pass side nut and attempted to adjust.
(Click that pic for a close up on the "hole")That hole looks like the center of the rear beam so I used that to jack it up, I don't know if me having the rear sway bar has any effect on this. I doubt it does. Put the wheels back on and jack up the rear beam till the center cap to fender gap is what you measured on the ground. Now tighten the nut(s). It will be much harder since the wheel is in the way on the pass side. Now you can lower the beam, take off the wheels and install the rear struts again. Now put the wheels BACK on and go drive the car.
For me it kinda feels better over bumps but it might just be in my head since I did not do it the proper way which calls for loosening both nuts. But this should be a good guideline on how to do it.
Irish you can move this to the 4th gen forum if you want, I figured I would post it on hear incase anyone else has done it with tips on how to remove the drivers side bolt/nut w/o air tools.
Last edited by Kevlo911; Jul 17, 2011 at 08:18 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 35,755
From: Lake Orion, MI
Originally Posted by VQuick
Cool, I should try this the proper way somtime.
BTW Kevlo, paint your rusty rotors...
BTW Kevlo, paint your rusty rotors...
11 year old rotors. I don't wanna mess with um
I should change the calipers first so they don't freeze and mess up perfectly good rotors!
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 235
I tried the "recentering" the beam on my fifth gen also. I was able to loosen both of the required bolts. raised up the beam to static ride height and tightened.
I noticed no change in side to side alignment. My passenger wheel is still further out than my driver wheel
When raising the beam for this procedure, what prevents the beam from following the same path that it does normally?
My car has 160k miles on it, 130k of which is lowered using a variety of setups. Is there something I can do to coax the bushings while everything is loose?
I noticed no change in side to side alignment. My passenger wheel is still further out than my driver wheel
When raising the beam for this procedure, what prevents the beam from following the same path that it does normally?
My car has 160k miles on it, 130k of which is lowered using a variety of setups. Is there something I can do to coax the bushings while everything is loose?
Originally Posted by Kevlo911
Those are the two bolts you want to loosen. The bolt on the left has a nut on the other side and I don't have a socket small enough to fit in there. I could NOT loosen this bolt/nut combo no matter what combo of breaker bar/open end wrench so I quit on that side. I just loosen the pass side nut and attempted to adjust.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 35,755
From: Lake Orion, MI
Isorry. IIRC one is 23 and one is 17. That bolt is a ***** for real tho. How I managed to break a breaker bar I don't know haha. But IT IS hard loosening bolts while laying on your back
Originally Posted by Kevlo911
Isorry. IIRC one is 23 and one is 17. That bolt is a ***** for real tho. How I managed to break a breaker bar I don't know haha. But IT IS hard loosening bolts while laying on your back
I dunno, I don't seem to have any problems....
How much?
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 35,755
From: Lake Orion, MI
Originally Posted by irish44j
I dunno, I don't seem to have any problems....
[IMhttp://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j85/irish44j/RCPMaximaMeet054.jpg[/IMG]
Originally Posted by gtr_rider
i thought you didnt need a breaker bar, 
Originally Posted by VQuick
I actually think that dude was talking to me in the thread where he posted that ugly bicep shot...I was LOLing at the time, but I LOLed even more when Kevlo adopted it!
If you have problem with that bolt, it is very simple. Spray **** loads pb blaster, and let it soaks for few mins. Use torque wrench( I adjusted to the highest lbs lol)...or try to extend breaker bar....break it hard...I had a same problem on my b15 as well :d I hope this help you on that bolt.
Pretty much the same things. Even though nothing is really adjustable, the bolt holes do have some play. Just loosen them all and move them all to the side you want to move the beam before tightening.
Could replace the beam link with an adjustable one, not sure if the qt link fits 5g's.
Could replace the beam link with an adjustable one, not sure if the qt link fits 5g's.
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