V6 into a RHD Chrysler Neon mk1

[Richard Moss]

Rear struts are £47.69 each INC VAT at Buypartsby: http://www.buypartsby.co.uk/buy/CHRYSLE ... absorbers/

[tractorman]

Unless your springs/shock absorbers etc are nearly new, always replace as an "axle set", never replace just one!

I think suspension part prices have gone up a lot in the last few years, possibly due to more gas-filled shock absorbers being fitted on new cars making oil-filled ones smaller production runs and hence putting the price up. Mind you, I would always go for the more expensive gas ones as they don't seem to wear out as quickly! The first gas shockers that I got were on the first Golf (having had a Maxi for 13 years) and they had a lifetime guarantee! Strangely enough, that outfit had stopped that warranty by the time the original rear ones needed replacing, but they still lasted for the time I had the car!

[JPB]

Unless your springs/shock absorbers etc are nearly new, always replace as an "axle set", never replace just one...

I'm as tight as a fishes backside but would still have to agree wholeheartedly with those words. Save your pennies elsewhere, somewhere that isn't going to affect primary safety. A cheap radio, cheap carpets or supermarket engine oil are examples that spring to mind. OK, maybe not the cheap oil!

[Mitsuru]

Mitsuru, How much have you spent on this car now,
it's starting to sound like a very expensive project to me?

Well to answer Zeb's question, until the problem of the rear struts cropped
up the guys running the £999 challenge on the PPC mag forum (which is
down as it was hacked) said the car qualified for it!!!
But they don't include parts bought in error, or tools which you might classify
the winch as.

Okay back to the car.

With the right rear strut off and dismantled, I used my fingers to rub or pick
at the rust on the strut. Yes that pile next to the strut on the bench is just
off between the piston and the seat!



I thought that this one was past it too, so order of replacement before seeing
this post

Rear struts are £47.69 each INC VAT at Buypartsby:
http://www.buypartsby.co.uk/buy/CHRYSLE ... absorbers/

I had to deal with the surface rust on these suspension parts. The
underside of the floor pan is okay, but everything that bolts to it is
rust covered.



The hub and calliper with the stone guard first, very high temp heat
paint first but the label would have to be wrong. It should be red not
mat orange!



So I had mother pick up a can of Red Smooth hammerite spray paint,
with one thick coat it was an improvement.



I decided to use the Orange paint as a base coat on the other side
too before I give it a coat of the red hammerite.



Red is for heat and danger and I have silver and black for the other
rear suspension parts.

Tomorrow Pickering Modified Show!!

[Mitsuru]

Old shot with new one.



And yes the new one is gas not oil.



I thought I'd make sure all bits are there and I have everything I needed
so I set it out on the bench (the other strut was ordered too late on
Saturday to make the van for delivery today.)



These were what sat on the strut and what the springs sat ontop.
I think it's safe to say they are pasted it!

[Mitsuru]

Off came the masking tape, a quick check and the rear callipers are working
okay thank goodness!



Any old bits of suspension that is off has been cleaned sanded and given a lick
of paint.As it started to rain I lay on my back under the car and painted other
suspension parts that had previously been wire brushed and cleaned.





Never paint when you have a migraine!

[Mitsuru]

First thing to do was to clean off all the crud and rust off the surface of
the disks and pads using the grinder. These were fitted new when Dean
did the brake connections for me a while back.

Left disk resurfaced, right how it was before the grinder!!



I have made a decision for the moment the car needs to be able to be
moved yet I will be looking into better springs. BUT as the mk2 r/t neon
springs probably damaged the old shocks I thought it best as a temporary
measure to take only one coil off each of the rear springs.

As I have stated in a previous post the spring seat rubbers where well past
there use by date so as a tempary measure the lowest coil of the spring
was covered in a piece of new rubber coolant hose and tie-wrapped into
place!




Put back temporarily so car can be moved once the same has been done, so
that dad can move stuff into and out of the garage while I wait for parts!




I was worried about the shock as the spring seat/rest was bigger/wider than
that on the old one, and thought it might have caused problems with the
clearances of it and the tyre, I didn't have to worry.






I took some measurements after I levelled the car off using a jack under
the right torsion bar mount to take the weight of that side of the car.
The left side was on it's own suspension.





left to right perfectly level, from the sill to the floor at the front of the front
door was 7" the rear of the rear door was just over 6". And that is with one
coil, and to think I was debating to take one and a half coils off!!!

[TerryG]

I hope you plan on replacing the load bearing cable ties with something like the correct springs before you take it for a drive! Also I would strongly recommend that you replace those discs / pads before you go anywhere as they will be amazingly off balance now.

[JPB]

[rich.]

how much work until you have it running Under its own steam?