Rookie build on '91 Tracker.

[Lindenmooch]

So I'm pretty much a wanna be mechanic.   Spent a couple months in high school shadowing a mechanic, and helped him build his race car.    Spent a few more months this year working in a garage....replaced a couple transmissions, but mostly did detailing work on cars.

I'm making quite a project of my 91 Geo Tracker.  Bought a spacer lift from Hoepker on this forum.  New wheels/tires.  New brake shoes/wheel cylinders.  Emergency brake cables.  New rear shocks.  New wheel bearings. New hubs.


I have the rear end all done.  Only took me 2 afternoons in the brisk late october sun here in PA.  By the way....I'm working in the driveway with basic hand tools.  No air or power tools here.   


I'm going to start on the front tomorrow, with the hubs and bearings first.   I don't have spring compressing tools to put the front coil spring spacers on.  Trying to borrow them from an uncle(if he even has any).   

With the back end all done, I put the new tires on to see how they'd fit.  Bought 30x9.50x15 ProComp AT's.   It looks kinda funny with the lift and tires on the back, and the front still stock.  Rides weird too.   Tracker's got a real mean rake to it!   

I'm snappin some pics along the way....and I'll post em up when it's all done, for a cool before/after effect.


Comment/Enjoi!

Before:








And as it sits now:








-Tone.

[derekj]

What some people do when replacing the front springs is support the frame on jack stands and then put a floor jack under the lower control arm to slowly lower it down. Just don't put the jack in from the side, put it in from the front. That should help with your spacer install.

Derek

[Hillbillydave]

I put my spacers in without a spring compressor. Like Derek said, supprot it with jackstands under frame, then remove wheel, disconnect swaybar, put jack under swingarm. Disconnect strut at top, then lower jack slowly until spring comes out. That's the easy part. I had to remove the rear frame bolt on the swingarm to give me enough room to install the spring with the spacer installed. I then had to jack the arm back up to get the bolt back in. My spacers were full two inch, if yours are smaller, you might not have to take out the bolt. Take your time and be careful, you'll do fine. Get those pics up soon, before and after shots please!
David

[BRD HNTR]

No need for spring compressor.  As Derek and Hillbillydave said Support it with jackstands under frame, then remove wheel, disconnect sway bar (gains a lot more drop), put jack on the a-arm (lift slightly to take pressure off struts).  I disconnected mine on bottom (seemed easier to me, so it seems your choice), then lower slowly and remove the spring.  Insert the spring spacer and if needed tap it up in place, install spring (I never had a problem with getting spring back in when I disconnected the swaybar).  Jack the a-arm back up to get the strut bolted back up.  If you go two inches, you will probably need camber bolts to reset the camber correctly.  It is much more cost effective if you order your camber bolts then if you get them when you have it realigned (which should be done).

[Lindenmooch]

Oh man...the stories I have!   


Bearings are done. New hubs on.  So I have 4 wheel drive again!  Huzzah!   Got the passenger side coil spacer on....I quit for the day while in the middle of drilling out the studs on the strut mount for the strut spacer.    Gonna take more pics, and post a lot more detail....just wanted to update this here thread. 

-Tone.

[rascott]

sounds like you are coming along nicely, and i think you will be pleased.
i used jeff's spacers also.
i was able to pop those strut mount bolts out by putting them on an appropriate sized socket and smacking the stud with a hammer.
are you gonna use camber bolts(i did) or slot the struts?
i'll be looking for the pics.

[Hillbillydave]

I bought a set of camber bolts from local Autozone for about $20. Installed them in the lower holes because there was not enough adjustment in the top ones.

Job well done Lindenmooch!

[Lindenmooch]

DONE*

For now at least!

It's back on the road...and glides along on the highway so well it's retarded.   I love it!  It feels HUGE.  I almost fell on my face stepping out of it the first couple times, because I'm not used to the 3ish inches it grew.

The tracker has more money in new parts in the past week....than what I originally paid for it!   And I'm not even close to being finished with it!  Many plans for the future.


So...new stuff.   


Out back - E brake cables.  Wheel cylinders.  Brake shoes.  Crown Vic shocks.

Front end - Wheel bearings.  Hubs.  Driver side ball joint(because I'm an idiot).   

All 4 corners - Jeff's coil spacers.  Procomp 30" AT's.   Black Rock Crawler wheels.


Gotta say, the hardest part of it all was drilling out the studs on the strut mounts.   Couldn't find an easy way to do that....had to buy a brand new drill(old one is a useless 12V cordless).   I cut/drilled/hammered.....those studs were a huge PIA.


I NEVER in my life attempted ANY of the work I just completed....and so far it seems it all went well.  Took it for a rip tonight already, and it's smooth as silk.  I'm very happy with it.

I have some pics for you guys....just before and during....gonna get some after pics tomorrow if the weather is decent.(supposed to rain)

http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d51/hornetking/Geo%20Tracker/

Link is for my public photobucket album.  Should have no trouble viewing it.   Lots of pics.   So one link is easier for me than 50.   



My next plans are some engine work.  Wanna replace all the belts...spark plugs/wires...filters...and whatever else I have money left over for.  Next summer is body work and paint.   Might go flat olive drab, with gloss black accents.  Saw a slick one on here that I liked.  Think it was nicknamed "turtle".



I appreciate all the help I've gotten so far.  You guys are great!

-Mooch

[rascott]

i looked at your pics.
looks like you are enjoying your project and getting good results.
jeff wasn't making those strut mount spacers when i got my pucks- i had to make my own- i like them. nice fit.
you're "to do" list will probably keep growing.

[Lindenmooch]

I want to bring my little daily driver project back into the light...to maybe reflect, or re-think some strategies.


Been kickin around some ideas to make my offroading adventures more fun.  I think I've been leaving out the most practical choice.....of acquiring a nice truck/trailer combo, and relieving the Tracker of it's duties as a road legal vehicle so I can kick it up a notch or two and really let her loose.

Then, I could SAS the tracker....or even make it a prerunner like I've been talking about recently.  If any of this happens...I'll have plenty more to blog about in the build thread.   


As it sits now....I probably won't be doing much to the little tracker.  So I'd like to thank you guys for helping me out with it this far.  And thanks to Jeff1997 for the spacers....they're great!


-Mooch

[Lindenmooch]

Wow....been a whole year since I modified my tracker!!  Imagine that!   

All I did in a year was put some paint on it....and nearly kill it.     Poor little thing.....Guess I ought to fix er up!

[Drone637]

At least you painted it. 

How are you liking those ProComp All Terrains after a year?

[RHodge]

looks like it's coming along

[Lindenmooch]

Yeah...it's coming along.   And the Pro Comp tires are holding up really well.  Still have lots of tread on em, and I drove a ton of highway too.  There's a bit of "feathering" on the front tires, but that's my fault because I never corrected the positive camber after installing a spacer lift.   

[cwymer]

i have a 89 kick with a 2.5 inch body lift.  does anybody know if 31x10.50's will fit under it?  it has stock tires under it now but i have a set of 31's in the yard.  i have to drive 30 miles to get the tires mounted and i want to make sure they will fit before i make the trip.  im sure i will have to cut up the fenders a bit.  will i need spring spacers? wheel spacers?  can anybody help me?