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View Full Version : Fitting Rear Coil Braces AAARRGGGHH



10G
3rd February 2018, 03:11 PM
I'm trying to fit a set of the rear coil tower braces from BOSS 4WD.

I've got the passenger side in.

How the heck do you get the nut onto the drivers side, outside (closest to the outside of the car), rear bolt (closest to the rear of the car) where the fuel line is???

I've got the front outside drivers side nut & bolt on, but I can't see how the heck you get the nut in & on for the other bolt.

Looking at the size of the nut & how little room there appears to be there, I'm wondering if it may even be a good idea not to put that nut & bolt in. There couldn't be much room for the fuel lines around the nut that goes there, just worried about the fuel line rubbing on the nut.

jff45
3rd February 2018, 03:40 PM
I wrapped the nut tightly in wire and fed it gently over the top while watching the hole with a mirror. Then hold steady and offer the bolt in with an Allen socket and extension. Took 3 goes from memory..

If your fuel lines are moving, they’re going to rub through on something else anyway.. I think you’ll find they’re held pretty well.

10G
3rd February 2018, 04:02 PM
I tried to get a finger in there to just try and feel how I could feed a nut in there and couldn't get a finger in any way I tried.

Didn't think of a mirror, good idea.

the evil twin
3rd February 2018, 04:51 PM
Wire wrap as jff45 mentions works... as does;

Magnetic Pick up tool works suprisingly well (put a flat of the Hex on the magnet)

Pick up tool with spring loaded fingers works on alloy nuts

Cardboard and tape, put a hole in the cardboard and tape one side of the cardboard and face of the nut (carton cardboard works well and obviously one has to drink the contents to be able to use the carton) ... also works with double sided tape

MudRunnerTD
3rd February 2018, 05:38 PM
What a Bastard they where to do!!! I nearly gave up. and was going to run only 2.

my tower was damaged and i had a weld in there to deal with too so i bought some longer bolts for that side which made life a little easier.

I fitted these 2 weeks ago in the driveway.

Firstly, i ended up dropping the jack stands down so i could just fit under as i had teh car soo high i could barely reach the tower with my fingertips! Good luck doing it if the car is set too high. Drop it right down so you can reach easily. I had my Son outside handing me items too. dont try and do it alone as it will do your head in. Even if your wife can hand you bits will help alot.

I used a small lever bar to lift the fuel lines up a little (flat head screw driver will do). enough to get the nut in with 2 or 1 finger. i pushed it into position and the dropped the lines back down. Using a philips head to move ti around i positioned it dead centre over the top of the hole then left it. I gently screwed up into it. I might have had my son on the ratchet while i held a spanner up on the nut if needed. Once i figured it out it didn't take too long. I did nearly give up though. In fact i did give up and went back to it the next day and got it done quickly.

mudnut
3rd February 2018, 05:58 PM
Obvious questions, but how did you go bending the tower back to its original form? Is it dead level? How much space is there between the tower, fuel lines and body? You might want to check that the body mounts aren't munted.

10G
3rd February 2018, 06:30 PM
What a Bastard they where to do!!! I nearly gave up. and was going to run only 2.

my tower was damaged and i had a weld in there to deal with too so i bought some longer bolts for that side which made life a little easier.

I fitted these 2 weeks ago in the driveway.

Firstly, i ended up dropping the jack stands down so i could just fit under as i had teh car soo high i could barely reach the tower with my fingertips! Good luck doing it if the car is set too high. Drop it right down so you can reach easily. I had my Son outside handing me items too. dont try and do it alone as it will do your head in. Even if your wife can hand you bits will help alot.

I used a small lever bar to lift the fuel lines up a little (flat head screw driver will do). enough to get the nut in with 2 or 1 finger. i pushed it into position and the dropped the lines back down. Using a philips head to move ti around i positioned it dead centre over the top of the hole then left it. I gently screwed up into it. I might have had my son on the ratchet while i held a spanner up on the nut if needed. Once i figured it out it didn't take too long. I did nearly give up though. In fact i did give up and went back to it the next day and got it done quickly.

A great help MudRunnerTD, thanks. I got back out & under the thing again this arvo, I hate having things beat me. I used a mirror which was a help, I could see that a fuel line was actually running just over the endge of the hole. I could get a screw in, but there's no way I could get a nut in.

How forgiving are those fuel lines?? I'll have to push them up about 1 cm I reckon to squeeze a nut underneath.

Here's what I got a photo of, I have a fuel line running right on the edge of the hole:

74329

I've put my rolled up swag under the car and I sit my head and shoulder on that, works well and when I get stuffed I just lie back and rest.

10G
3rd February 2018, 06:33 PM
That's not the picture I wanted, hopefully this is:

74330

Touses
3rd February 2018, 06:40 PM
You've got a bit of flex with them bloke. Only prob is they are bolted down in their own plastic mount. Ya gotta get that undone as well.
Leastwise that's what I found when mounting a Superior brace in mine. Mind you I had the tray off so's I could work on it from above.
Don't envy your situation at all!

mudnut
3rd February 2018, 06:44 PM
I asked the above questions because I fitted the Superior Engineering bolt on type strengthening kit. It sits on top of the tower, and there was enough clearance to work with but I had to shorten the bolts to clear the lines.

The kit also came with a rubber sleeve to fit to the lines. You may need to jam a rubber spacer in there, but you still need clearance from the body.

MudRunnerTD
3rd February 2018, 09:15 PM
Obvious questions, but how did you go bending the tower back to its original form? Is it dead level? How much space is there between the tower, fuel lines and body? You might want to check that the body mounts aren't munted.My drivers side tower was in very ordinary condition.

My tower was touching the floor. I used a 6ft crow bar from the passenger side and a jack. Worked a bloody treat!! That was actually what I expected to be the hardest bit. The welding was a Dog!!!!!!

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/14.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/15.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/16.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/17.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/18.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/19.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/20.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/21.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/22.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/23.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/24.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/25.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/26.jpg

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mudnut
3rd February 2018, 09:41 PM
Ouch! I was lucky to find mine had just stretched. I used a thick plate with tapped holes to fit the tower. I had a 16mm nut welded to the other end and to it, bolted a chain which looped around the axle. I used a small bottle jack between the chassis and the axle. The plate kept the tower from warping too much as it dragged the tower down.

Rossco
3rd February 2018, 10:35 PM
I just took the body off the car, easy. . .

(After hearing the dramas bloody glad i took three advantage of doing it at the time I think)http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2018/02/27.jpg

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10G
4th February 2018, 02:50 PM
Well that was a job and a half. I got that bloody nut onto the screw. I sat underneath and worked out if I jammed the correct sized piece of wood inbetween this thing and that, that would push the fuel lines (or whatever they are) just enough out of the way to get a nut into where it needed to go.

I ended up using a thin piece of sheet metal, sat the nut on the sheet metal and slipped it into place by going in through the wheel arch & inbetween the chassis and the body. Then used a piece of wire to push it into place. Then I had to almost dislocate 2 fingers and my left wrist so I could put a finger on top of the nut while I did the screw up. That was an event. I reckon I had 6 shots at it. On the 7th I put my arm through another gap and the thing screwed in straight away.

Unfortunately neither of the nuts on the outside, (or closest to the body) would grip and do up tight and getting a spanner in there is just about impossible, but they're done up a little more than finger tight and Locktited, so I'll see how I get on.

I was unprepared, I only had a 4" allen key for the screws which was a compete PITA. If it comes loose, it's getting welded in.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Now onto the next job!

MudRunnerTD
4th February 2018, 04:28 PM
They look soooooo easy in the box!!

"Just bolts in" they said. They where on drugs or cheated like Rossco.

10G
4th February 2018, 04:43 PM
Haha, I did think about taking the body off, but nah, it's not a long weekend.

mudnut
4th February 2018, 06:53 PM
The next option is to weld a long bit of steel onto the nut and anchor it.