Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Because I'm a dull bastard with nothing better to do on a Friday night, I decided to crack on and proceed with my suspension refurb.
First task was the 14mm bolt holding the strut insert inside the strut body. Buzzed that off with my new 14mm impact socket and then was left with:
Ignore the minging carpet... it's the cat corner so doesn't get cleaned so often 
You may notice they look a bit cleaner since the last set of photo's. Last weekend I brushed away the worst of the surface rust, rubbed them down and gave them a quick coat of that rust treatment hammerite stuff. Purely to make them a bit cleaner/nicer to handle around the house, it's not intended to be a finish that'll last years!
I can now finally look inside the shocks. I couldn't be bothered annotating one of my photographs so I've stolen one from a guide I'm following to show why I'm doing all this:
Basically the area which is lacking grease is the 8 or so inch gap between the upper bushing (marked on the diagram) and the lower one. Because of the caster(castor?) on the suspension, the struts have a slight bit of sideways movement and so this "chamber" inside the strut needs to be packed with grease so that it can be nicely distributed between the bushings and the damper insert. There's no way of packing this chamber completely with grease once the shocker is constructed, hence the modification to fit a grease nipple and fill it up AFTER the strut has been built.
The nipple allows for top-ups in the future, but if done right it should never need doing again.
I decided not to clean the old grease out until I'd finished all my drilling and tapping. That way hopefully the grease would "catch" the majority of the shavings and shit and make cleanup easier...
Next job was to mark, punch, drill and tap:
I then deburred inside and out and begun the cleanup process. (stuffing kitchen roll into the strut, poking it down to the bottom with a stick, then poking it back out again... over, and over, and over )
I finished off with a good squirt of brake cleaner and another few runs through with the kitchen roll.
I then picked out my fittings and screwed them home with some Loctite stuff just to be sure:
Here's a terrible photo of the nipples fitted with dustcaps:
I went with the 45 degree angle ones because the valve mechanism is all before the thread, meaning the thread is shorter, meaning it doesn't foul the damper insert once screwed tight.
When rigged up on the car, these nipples will be facing backwards and will be clear of the wheel, tyre, brake hoses, etc.
I've done a lot of thinking about the rebuild process, and due to the markings/damage to the strut insert on the 2nd hand ones which I bought - I think I'm going to dismantle the struts which are on the car and use the inserts from those inside my modified bodies.
That'll mean a leap of faith whereby I dismantle something on my car which means if it goes wrong... I'm stuck but it also means potentially sacrificing my ability to sell on my old suspension due to the damaged inserts.
Next job is to cover up all the holes/gaps, give the struts another rub down and another coat of paint. Then it's time to jack the car up and get the inserts swapped/fitted.
Fun fun fun!
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Wrighty
Member
Registered: 28th Feb 04
Location: Howden
User status: Offline
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kin ell
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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I concede... It all looks a little bit redneck but I'm told the results are quite positive!
I just need to hire a test driver now 
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Wrighty
Member
Registered: 28th Feb 04
Location: Howden
User status: Offline
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il do some test driving, wait til it snows and we will do some over taking
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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My Torque wrench arrived yesterday from Machine Mart, so now I don't have any excuse not to get the car jacked up and get the suspension swapped over!
Weather isn't looking too good this weekend, and I need to help a friend out so I reckon it'll be the weekend after at the earliest.
You busy Wrighty?
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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I put a post in GC last week asking for generic opinions on leather interiors.
Seemingly coincidentally, a post came up in the Scoobynet classified asking for a straight swap... My seats/doorcards for his seats/doorcards, and he's got full leather from a 2007 Spec D STi. He's also got a black carpet (vs my Blue one) which may become part of the swap too.
So in what could be the most controversial decision ever, I've registered interest with him and we could be doing the swap this month sometime.
Here are some pictures:
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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That's Snow on the seats btw
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Ben G
Member
Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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that looks so much better. go for it.
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big eck
Member
Registered: 20th Apr 03
Location: Tullibody. Drives - Audi B8 S4 & Fiesta Zetec-S
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Leather all the way mate
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BeetleGav
Member
Registered: 27th Jun 10
Location: lancashire, nelson
User status: Offline
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Will suit well mate
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Wrighty
Member
Registered: 28th Feb 04
Location: Howden
User status: Offline
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now having seen pics of it, think you blue cloths much nicer mate, but you know my opinions anyway 
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Cheers guys, valid opinions all around - major dilemma for me deciding this
Wrighty, for the record knowing you prefer the cloth makes me want the leather even more
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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whitter45
Member
Registered: 15th Nov 02
Location: Norton
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for me it would depend how much you use the car and also what for
i.e if doing high miles then I would ASSUME the leathers are comfy but if you spend little time then the orginals might be better and also keep witht he orginal unmodified look
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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I do about 70 miles a week in 7mile bursts, so I could probably have a wooden bench and it wouldn't be too uncomfortable
I keep looking at photo's every few minutes, my cloth, the leather, my cloth, the leather, my cloth, the leather, etc... really don't know which way to go.
I think the leather will be pretty cool to be honest, don't see many of my spec/age with the leather interior and it kinda suits the direction I'm going with the car (refined and smooth power rather than a stripped out racer).
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Ben G
Member
Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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leather is wipe clean. perfect.
bloody cold in winter though if it's not heated
i have leather in the Z4 and cloth in the focus. the leather looks more expensive and the cloth looks cheap.
are both seats bolsters exactly the same? thats probably the most important part as an unsupportive leather seat (like mine in the Z4 and puma) isn't very comfortable at all.
[Edited on 11-03-2013 by Ben G]
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Simon_16v
Member
Registered: 14th Aug 06
Location: Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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I think Kyle is just waiting for us to all agree, you clearly want to swap them
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Don't be like that, any opinions are valid - for or against. Unless you're wrighty, he just wants me to take it all apart and leave it in pieces for years
Ben, Apparently the bolsters pinch you a bit tighter than the cloth ones, I guess to compensate for the fact leather is more prone to sliding around.
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
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Got to ask yourself why he wants to swap??/
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ben J
Got to ask yourself why he wants to swap??/
I didn't ask myself, but I did ask him 
I'll try to keep it short, but when the Hawkeye shape Impreza launched - they decided to launch 300 "Spec D" variants. These are basically STi spec, but without the big rear wing and big gold alloys. The idea was to appeal to the more discreet market, but it didn't really work - and as a result these Spec D's are selling for cheaper than ordinary STI's of same age/condition/etc.
The Spec D was also the only STI to include a leather interior.
The guy who wants to do the swap bought himself a Spec D to save himself some money over buying a standard STI, and has since purchased wheels and a spoiler to make it look like a regular STI from the outside - and now wants the "loud" blue interior too. Because I've got a facelift widetrack Blobeye, my interior is identical to the Hawkeye - so the leather for cloth is literally a straight swap. If I had a pre-facelift Blobeye we'd need to alter doorcards and stuff I just CBA with.
If it turns out to be a case of clever photography is hiding tatty leather, then I'd just walk away upon seeing it in the flesh... but what I'm concerned about is that if it's really uncomfortable or whatever - I ain't going to know about it until the deal has been done.
The one escape route in that scenario is that the leather is worth about twice what the cloth interior is worth on the second hand market - so aside for some hassle I could probably get back to square one with a bit of cash to show for it.
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
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So the "Spec D" is a gay mans Impreza.
So with leather going in yours you must swing both ways???
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ben J
So the "Spec D" is a gay mans Impreza.
So with leather going in yours you must swing both ways???
Nah I'm straight as an arrow mate.
The seats would match my leather chaps though. 
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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djgritt
Premium Member
Registered: 1st Nov 07
Location: Dorset Drives: Focus ST / Hyundai i20N
User status: Offline
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Go for it, may make yours more desirable if it's sold on.
If it's definitely a straight swap, and the Leather stuff could be sold on for good money/easily, then what have you got to lose other than time?
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BarnshaW
Member
Registered: 25th Oct 06
User status: Offline
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it wont make it more desirable imo, a good condition cloth set with the STI embroidery go for decent money, you detract part of the STI part of it by removing them IMO.
to me you are de-speccing it from what it is.
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Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Right, I've PM'd the leather guy tonight and told him I'm not going to go through with the exchange.
I've decided that I'm really happy with my interior, and although the leather might be nicer - there's a chance it may end up being less comfortable and it'll show wear/tear sooner - the leather has done double the mileage of my cloth has after all.
Another thing which put me off was a guy who I was talking to who has been trying to sell a WRX SL Wagon (with leather). The lad who I was going to do the swap with had all but signed a deal to buy the WRX SL before buying the Spec D but backed out last minute. During the "negotiations" he mentioned that he was after a car with leather.
Seems a bit odd he'd looked at both a Spec D and a WRX SL - and is now looking to switch to cloth.
Anyway... back to the project!
I've de-egged my rear clusters finally... this job has taken me about 5 weeks
I swapped the orange bulbs out for chrome, and when doing the obligatory light systems check I noticed that my driver side tail light wasn't working. I assumed I'd been hamfisted in the indicator change and had broken the bulb, swapped it... nada.
The wiring harness is/was really tight in it's fasteners so the next assumption was that I'd broken a wire. Got a spare harness from a breakers... nada.
Tonight I bought a multi-meter and started poking around. Finally traced the issue to a crimp further into the car's loom. Fixed it with some pliers and a blob of solder, but it suggests that the tail light never worked - at least not since I swapped the indicators
After that wild goose chase, all my lights are now working - and I can finally post before and after pictures of my eggs in good conscience 
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
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BeetleGav
Member
Registered: 27th Jun 10
Location: lancashire, nelson
User status: Offline
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Looks good. I would have just fully tinted the rear lights red 
You given up and bought coilovers yet?
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