17 replies to this topic

[rawky]

Hi there,
I've had my car for a few weeks now, and on fast roads, the back of the car scratches the ground. I think it's most possibly the mud-flaps, because they have scratch marks all over the bottom edge of them.
I thought I'd raise the back a few cm's, and it gave me chance to see how to adjust these hi-lows. When I went to adjust the lower nut on the driver's side, (not the locking one) the entire hi-low assembly turned round, including the rubber housing at the rear end. I had moved the locking nut away to allow adjustment...


(not my car)

The passenger side of the car adjusted perfectly, but I think the adjustment has ceased up on the driver's side... Any suggestions?

[Brigbeale]

This happens a lot when two different metals are in contact with each other (eg. steel and ally)
You will have to take the hi-lo off and turn it upside down and give it a good dose of penetrating oil and let it soak.
Once you've given it enough time, secure the steel part in a vice and get a means of gripping the alloy part (boa wrench or similar which wont damage it) and work it backwards and forwards until it frees off. Once freed off, clean it and use copper based grease to lubricate it and stop it happening again.

Don't use direct heat (blowtorch) as the alloy part will have a low melting point and will be useless afterwards. You may get away with immersing the alloy part in boiling water.

If it still remains seized then the only option will be replacement.

Edited by Brigbeale, 22 February 2009 - 01:32 PM.

[rawky]

This happens a lot when two different metals are in contact with each other (eg. steel and ally)
You will have to take the hi-lo off and turn it upside down and give it a good dose of penetrating oil and let it soak.
Once you've given it enough time, secure the steel part in a vice and get a means of gripping the alloy part (boa wrench or similar which wont damage it) and work it backwards and forwards until it frees off. Once freed off, clean it and use copper based grease to lubricate it and stop it happening again.

Don't use direct heat (blowtorch) as the alloy part will have a low melting point and will be useless afterwards. You may get away with immersing the alloy part in boiling water.

If it still remains seized then the only option will be replacement.

How do I go about removing it?

[mini7boy]

This happens a lot when two different metals are in contact with each other (eg. steel and ally)
You will have to take the hi-lo off and turn it upside down and give it a good dose of penetrating oil and let it soak.
Once you've given it enough time, secure the steel part in a vice and get a means of gripping the alloy part (boa wrench or similar which wont damage it) and work it backwards and forwards until it frees off. Once freed off, clean it and use copper based grease to lubricate it and stop it happening again.

Don't use direct heat (blowtorch) as the alloy part will have a low melting point and will be useless afterwards. You may get away with immersing the alloy part in boiling water.

If it still remains seized then the only option will be replacement.

How do I go about removing it?

unless you can somehow grip the ally part to keep it from turning you may have to try sawing thru the rubber cone(which has some metal pieces inside part of it). Of course you would then have to replace the cone. The cone looks pretty ancient anyway. Once the hi-lo assembly is removed from the car, you'll have many more options for getting it apart. If you know a skilled aluminum welder, he could weld on a temporary piece which would prevent the aluminum cone seat from turning. This piece could be removed after the hi-lo is removed from the car. It should be unnecessary to apply enough heat to damage the cone if welded properly.

It should be obvious, but it is always wise to assemble such threaded portions with some sort of anti-seize or anti-corrosive to prevent the dissimilar metals from getting corroded together as age and moisture take their toll.

[sweetser]

Could you not lift the radious arm back up to apply some pressuse to the rubber dougnut to stop ot from spinning? ok it might make it alot more fiddly but it could work?

Luke.

[rawky]

Could you not lift the radious arm back up to apply some pressuse to the rubber dougnut to stop ot from spinning? ok it might make it alot more fiddly but it could work?

Luke.

That sounds like an idea, I may try a mix of boiling water and using a jack to lift the radius arm...

[rawky]

WOO HOO!
Finally freed it! Used Luke's idea above, worked a treat! Adjusted the Hi-Low very easily. Job done I thought but the other side now, even though it turns just as well as the other side, doesn't actually move along the thread when I turn it. I tried lifting the radius arm but it made no difference... Any ideas what could be the cause/fix? Is it a replacement? How big of a job would it be?

Cheers For Any Help
Simon

[rawky]

Anyone?

[rawky]

Any Ideas? ANYONE?

[GraemeC]

What are you turning? What does and doesn't move?

[sweetser]

Sorry, but woo my plan worked haha

Maybe you could take the hi-low out and see if it all screws up correctly off the car then you can take it all apart and check that the threads are all ok? if they are you could re-assemble it all and give it another go?

Luke.

[craig_56097]

Sorry, but woo my plan worked haha

Maybe you could take the hi-low out and see if it all screws up correctly off the car then you can take it all apart and check that the threads are all ok? if they are you could re-assemble it all and give it another go?

Luke.

Put some copper grease on the threads before you put it back together too

[sweetser]

Sorry, but woo my plan worked haha

Maybe you could take the hi-low out and see if it all screws up correctly off the car then you can take it all apart and check that the threads are all ok? if they are you could re-assemble it all and give it another go?

Luke.

Put some copper grease on the threads before you put it back together too

Yeah, forgot to put that

[rawky]

Cheers Everyone,
Could anyone tell me where I can find a write up on how to remove the hi-low? Does it mean removing the subframe? :S When I adjust it I loosen the locking nut as normal and try and turn the thread out of the hi low to raise the car, and the thread doesn't actually move no matter how much i rotate it...
But how do I go about removing it? Big job?

Edited by rawky, 15 May 2009 - 10:31 PM.

[shnevpayne]

Cheers Everyone,
Could anyone tell me where I can find a write up on how to remove the hi-low? Does it mean removing the subframe? :S When I adjust it I loosen the locking nut as normal and try and turn the thread out of the hi low to raise the car, and the thread doesn't actually move no matter how much i rotate it...
But how do I go about removing it? Big job?

Shouldn't have to remove the subframe that the last thing you'd have to do!! It sounds like you say ceased,
I mean if you have taken the shock off and let the radius arm down as far as possible the whole of the suspension should be loose, or could be made slightly looser, classic job of a good tap with a hammer or pry it out with a decent prying thing (flathead screwdriver) Thats what i found when removing my old suspension for new hi los. should come out in one big lump and then just sort it out away from the car. If worse comes to worse you could always get a new set for just the rears.