Alden Eagle install

[02ViperTodd]

Hi All,
I installed Alden Eagles on the front of my car last night. Is there anything I need to look out for on the rear? I've been told I have to heat up the forks to get them off the old shocks. I'm really not sure what that is as I've not done a recon on the rear shocks.

I just don't want to run into the problem I now have...no spanner wrench..no store around that I could find that has any..so I had to order one and it won't be in until Monday...any tips for the rear?

Thanks,
Todd

 

[FlyBryViper]

Remove spings from each shock. Everybody I know uses a cut-off wheel or chop saw.
Clamp the yoke in a H.D. vise attached to an unmoveable table. Tighten a large pipe wrench around the lower body of the shock where the spanner or special tool would go. Attach your 6' cheater bar to the pipe wrench. Take a big gulp, hold breath, and heave with all your might. Eventually, it will unscrew the shock from the yoke. Helps to have a cold 6-pack nearby.
Note to self: pick-up spare rear yokes whenever possible.

 

[02ViperTodd]

Thanks for the reply,
I guess I'm gonna have to take them both off tonight and do the removal at the office tomorrow...is there a left and right yoke or are they the same..I can't see any difference..but just when I say that I'll f*** it up

 

[Gerald]

I was in the exact same position you were with the spanner wrench. Car was done, waiting outside in the garage parking lot. It sat and settled too much so I asked them to readjust them.. it was about 4 o'clock on a Friday and I had to have my car for the weekend and I was not about to let my car sit outside over the weekend..

No spanner wrench..man, we're screwed... I headed over the the local motocycle shop. They sell spanner wrenches (adjustable, etc. Motorcycles have shocks that use the same wrenches). They sold me a spanner wrench for about $15. Headed back to the garage and bingo..

Try your local motorcycle repair shop, they should have something you can buy or borrow..

Gerald

 

[02ViperTodd]

Thanks,
Dang..The one I ordered was $120...I need that $15 deal..I was told by NAPA and NOPI they could order it but it might take a few weeks...WEEKS???? The hot rod shop should have had it...This is turning into more than a "easy thing" I'm use to struts and springs....

Is there a foward facing and a rear facing fork? also when I put the yoke on the shock do I screw till it's tight? torque it?? Do I tighten it till it"s tight then back off so I can get to the adjustment screw? The instrutions that come with these shocks are for a fabricator..not an install..

all ideas are appreciated,
Todd

 

[02ViperTodd]

I've got the shocks lying in my carport..marked as to where they came from..I'm not sure what to do next other than drink and stair at them till I get some force feedback to break them apart..

 

[FlyBryViper]

The yokes go either way - just grab one and screw it to the shock body.
I use anit-sieze on the shock thread to keep them from corroding. Tighten as much as you can by hand - that is tight enough. The threaded shock will bottm-out inside the yoke. They will not come undone.
Having been through all that, I understand some have just heated the inside arch of the yoke and unscrewed the shock. They make it sound easy. Mine required several hundred ft/lbs to unscrew the first time. I picked-up a spare set of yokes and installed them on the stock shocks. Now I can have a backup when I send the Aldens in for service.

 

[grcforce327]

Re: Aldan Eagle install

It is odd that a spanner wrench is not included with the shocks,but I do like the "look and design" of them.Good thing I kept my spanner from a long time ago!!!Good luck on the Gen-2 rears!

http://community.webshots.com/album/549269365OZfjZY

 

[02ViperTodd]

Done, well done mating the shocks to the yokes. Wasn't that bad but I didn't cut the springs. I used a spring compressor and just disassembled them. I had to have a buddy sit on the other side of the table from the vise and I was a foot off the floor at the end of a huge pipewrench. I weight in at about 225 so they were definately on there tight!!

I found another spanner at McMaster Carr..the same one I was going to buy, for $32..I'm having them courrier it over now. Time to leave the office and get these babies mounted.

I'll assume setting the ride height is just trial and error? raise car, make adjustment, lower car and measure? Untill I get the height I like? The front shocks actually raised my car 1/4". it's at 27 1/2" to the outer lip of the fenderwell..Is there a prefered height or is it personal preferance?

Thanks again for the help,
Todd

 

[FlyBryViper]

Ride height - it's your call, whatever you like.
Under your side frame rails are the 4 jacking points, oval shaped rod - 2 left, front & rear; and the 2 on the right.
Just a suggestion - from level ground to the front jacking points, 3.50" H.
Rear try 3.75" H. Drive around, see if you like the ride & look. Check the lowest ground clearance obstacle you face when driving.
Adjust up or down from there.

 

[02ViperTodd]

Missioin accomplished...D**n what a difference!! I think I had the world's tallest Viper before this. Now the thing litterally looks like it's crawling on its belly. The rears set the car down about 1.75". The jacking points on the rear came in at exactly 3.75". Now if that spanner wrench would get here I can get the front end down from it's current 5" (jacking point) to the 3.5"

How long does it take for these shocks to settle in? Is it worth it to keep adjusting or should I just raise the height 1/4" above the 3.75" and 3.5" and wait for a while?

Thanks again..I'm a very happy camper!!
Todd

 

[Joseph Dell]

Todd- Congrats! And you managed to do it w/o me... i'm so impressed! my wife will be so pleased that we didn't need the lift.

I can't wait to see your car now! bring it by one of these days!!!

JD

 

[02ViperTodd]

ran the car down a very curvey street..In my Z28..max speed 60mph...tonight the lowest I saw the speedo...75...SWEET without being tuned..


You know JD..THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I WANT TO TELL PPL TO GET f***ED...AND THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE TIMES..but I will restrain, all I need now is to sit down a couple inches lower...

Thanks All...JD, when you coming home?
Todd