Notes on Tokico rear shock install on 1994 Q45

[TellarHK]

So after getting my money back from the online frauds at Auto Parts Bin / Auto Parts Train / Auto Parts Warehouse / Speedy Car Parts (Yes, all four of those names are the -same- fraud of a company that completely makes up in-stock information) I ordered a set of Tokico blues from Infiniti of Scottsdale and had them installed by my "shade tree mechanic" friend last week. Aside from some problems with really tough bolts at the bushing, things went pretty well.

I figured I'd post a quick note to let folks know how things went, how the car came out, and what's next on my plate.

Removing the driver's side rear shock was the most difficult part of the job, as it was next to impossible to get the bolt out of the car. It actually had to be cut into at the head with a dremel, which heated up the bolt just enough to let it loosen up and be removed normally. Of course, this meant a new bolt was in order. Fortunately, the local NAPA had two bolts, and two nuts, for two bucks a set. The original bolt had quite a lot of surface corrosion, but didn't feel at all structurally compromised.

After the lower bolt removal, my friend had to disconnect the arm just above that in order to let the wheel drop down enough to get easier access to everything. Once he did that, everything went pretty smoothly and the shock went on.

The passenger side was a lot easier, as we used some Break Free from my gun cleaning supplies and let that soak in overnight. The bolt that came out of the passenger side bushing was so clean it looked no more than a few years old, though I know nothing had been replaced (except brakes) in at least 11 years on that wheel. The big snag on the passenger rear, was the discovery that the morons at VIP auto in Calais, Maine had used a damn impact wrench and nearly smoothed out one of the lugs. I was able to purchase one lug to replace the worst of the damage, but at $2.50 just for the one part.

In a few weeks, we'll be putting on some new brake pads. Rotors and calipers all look fine, and there's no significant amounts of rust on the underbody.

All that leaves for planned maintenance (aside from oil changes, etc.) are the front shocks which I'll be planning on doing in August, and the brakes as mentioned.

One more note, primarily intended for people who might be new here.

Despite the douchiness of a small but vocal number of frequent posters on this forum, there is useful information to be had. The attitude of some of these people is what I could easily call "poisonous", to the point where I almost wanted to do business with anyone OTHER than companies they recommended. In my case, the shocks I needed were actually priced identically to the budget, low-price bait and refund scammers that I started with.

I've been on a number of forums, chat rooms, IRC channels, etc. for over a decade, and the only time I've encountered the sheer snobbery that I see here, has been on gun forums catering to the far right. Even the Linux fanboys are less insulting to deal with.

My dealings with IOS have been quite good, and it turns out my Clarion CD changer was even purchased from them, by my folks before giving me the car.

So, despite my annoyance with a vocal minority here, I'd like to thank everyone for the suggestions of IOS and the pointers I've received over the last few months regarding my car. I hope to keep this car on the road for another fifteen years if I can possibly manage it, and am happy that I get to start with a Q in already excellent condition.

Now, I'm heading out to give it this summer's waxing.

[maxnix]

It might be wise to measure hub run outs as impact drivers can deform them easily, which means rotors don't last long without vibrating.

The FSM spcifications are a little liberal.

[TellarHK]

I'll see about checking as much as I can when we get ready to do the brakes, thanks. I'm going to be telling anyone that works on the car to hand-tighten the lugs from now on. My friend and I put them back on by hand, and don't even own an impact wrench.

[TellarHK]

I thought I'd add up a quick photo for anyone curious as I was, about where the top shock mounts are accessible. It's really simple, but not noted anyplace clearly in the FSM's section on the suspension.