CCM

Why am I so bad at working on cars? I'm usually very mechanically and electronically inclined, but there's something about my car that just seems to make me horrible at working on it.

I started installing my springs at 8, figuring I'd definitely be done by 12. I started with the rear (first mistake) and things went very smoothly, in about an hour the wheels were already back on the ground. I started the passenger side front and nearly 2 1/2 hours later finished it. The first problem I had was the caliper bolts, then the bottom sway bar nut was stuck, then probably the worst part of the whole install, the COTTER PINS. I ****ing hate those things, they are the biggest PITA to get in and out. I mangled it to death getting it out, thinking the worst was over, only to discover that the damn tie rod has to be beaten with a hammer for 10 minutes to come out. Then I ended up stripping the ABS sensor bolt and had to creatively make enough slack to get the A arm to drop low enough to get the spring out. The spring was also difficult to get out, a lot harder than in the rear. I ended looping a rope around one of the bottom coils and pulling up and out while my friend (big help) pushed down on the strut. By now it is almost 12 and my friend leaves, so I'm on my own to do the driver's side. Everything went well on that side (even the cotter pin) but I realized it was too late to be beating on the tie rod thing with a hammer. So I put the front wheels back on and pulled it back into the garage. Damnit!

CLIFF NOTES: #1 is it ok if my car is sitting right now with 3 SS springs and 1 stock spring? (It'll only be for about 10 hrs.)

#2 How important are the cotterpins on the bolts that connect the tie rod to the A arm? Because I pretty severly ****ed both of them up.

Sorry to make that a novel, didn't realize until I was done how long it was.

__________________