While I sort out the issue with the freight company dropkicking my 2JZ off the pallet, I decide to take care of my front end noises. The 240 pulls to the right on acceleration and makes an ugly clunking noise when turning the wheel left.
After tearing apart the front of the car, I discover that both my inner and outer tie rod ends are completely blown, my tension rods are shot and my Megan Track Coilovers are seized.
I absolutely despise anyone who installs bottom threaded coilovers without anti-seize, because it goes a long way in preventing this kind of seizing issue.
I take off the front coilovers and allow them to soak overnight in a mixture of Greddy Blue Synthetic 5w-30 motor oil and used pennzoil 10-40.
As the entire bottom assembly must turn, this really is one of the only ways to unseize these kinds of coilovers without ruining the mounting perches or collars by clamping down on them.
After spraying off the excess oil, I disassemble the coilovers so that I can knock the lower half of the coilovers free.
After removing the adjustment screw and the allen head securing it to the rod assembly, I take off the pillowball upper mounts and pull up the dust boot to expose the shaft.
Remove the spring and lower locking perches and unwind the locking perch on the very bottom of the shock so that the lower assembly will freely turn.
It takes just one swing of the hammer to knock loose the coilover mount, and now I can raise the car from it’s current “I-scrape-on-bubble-gum” setting.
After a call to my boy Nelson @ Megan Racing, he sends me a set of their new tension rods for the S14 chassis.
Here’s a pic of my 15+ year old tension rod
And finally a picture of the new Megan Tension Rods installed, for the record its 2 17mm nuts holding this part to the front lower control arm, one 17mm head bolt and 19mm nut on the K member
With the new tension rods installed the car no longer has the horrible noises on deceleration and is much more predictable over bumps, eliminating the guesswork and diminshing the “bump steer” factor of the 240sx.
Next up : Installing new bushings and arms for the complete rear pumpkin assembly.
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