Swaybars....and an oil change
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:31 am
Well, yesterday I sucessfully changed my father's oil in his G35 w/o lifting the car up Yeah, the 500 pound 6ton Craftsman pro low profile jack is better suited for mini's or smart cars I have a lot more respect (even though I already had it in general) for the G35 car design and engine...<will finish after I inhale some bfast!>
<story continues>...So anyhoo, I went out at 7:30PM to do the oil thinking it would be quick and I would be back in to watch Chuck and Heroes in HD. Not the case. I have never worked on the G35 or even looked at the underneath before so I figured the jack would reach a nice jacking point. Not the case. I first crammed my body under the car to remove all the bolts holding the plastic undertray on. I have a huge cranium so the only way to fit it under the car was to turn it sideways (yes, that is how low the car is). Luckily my father bought a pair of nice LED work lights to go w/ this fancy (but useless in this situation) lift. I would also like to add I was doing this in the cramped carport b/c that is the only flat level surface at my parent's house (so no real room to get on the sides of the car to do anything...you could have space if you moved some cabinets to the back instead of the side but that would be too logical so my mother is against it )
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...so now the part in the story that ties into suspension:
So anyhoo, I get the tray off and look underneath. Wow. Perfect access to the oil pan and the oil filter w/ little mess...but what do I see but one of the beefiest sway bars I have ever seen (yes, this is where the story actually brings up the topic of suspension)...and one of the secrets to why the car feels solid with little roll/flex when I drive it (compared to my forester it is a huge difference).
The stock forester comes w/ the same 21mm front sway bar as the WRX STi. The rear however comes w/ wimpy hollow 17mm sway bar. I replaced that w/ the stock WRX STi 20mm rear sway bar and beefier mounts. I thought that was a good upgrade until I saw the monster on the front of the G35 (I can only assume the rear is beefy as well). I do have a COBB 25mm FSB that I was hesitant to install UNTIL seeing the beast on the G35 (had to have been at least 35mm-40mm). I guess I will have to get the matching rear, too.
What are your thoughts on swaybar size?
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...<the end of the oil change> After getting the bolt loosened on the oil pan, I managed to just get the oil pan to fit under the car. Little did I know that the last oil change I did horribly deformed the interior space of the oil pan, decreasing the space to hold oil. Also, it deformed in such a way that even after the center drain screw plug was removed and the breather flap was opened, it wouldn't allow draining oil to enter (ask me how I found this out during the oil change ). So after using my gloved finger to force down the mutated interior through the drain hole, let the oil drain, use almost an entire Washington Post newspaper to wipe up the oil on the ground under the no profile car (no kitty litter on hand), change the oil filter, put the oil pan bolt back on, put new oil in, drain mutated oil pan into empty Mobil 1 5 quart container, put undertray back on w/ bolts; I was done for the evening.
<story continues>...So anyhoo, I went out at 7:30PM to do the oil thinking it would be quick and I would be back in to watch Chuck and Heroes in HD. Not the case. I have never worked on the G35 or even looked at the underneath before so I figured the jack would reach a nice jacking point. Not the case. I first crammed my body under the car to remove all the bolts holding the plastic undertray on. I have a huge cranium so the only way to fit it under the car was to turn it sideways (yes, that is how low the car is). Luckily my father bought a pair of nice LED work lights to go w/ this fancy (but useless in this situation) lift. I would also like to add I was doing this in the cramped carport b/c that is the only flat level surface at my parent's house (so no real room to get on the sides of the car to do anything...you could have space if you moved some cabinets to the back instead of the side but that would be too logical so my mother is against it )
===========================================================================================
...so now the part in the story that ties into suspension:
So anyhoo, I get the tray off and look underneath. Wow. Perfect access to the oil pan and the oil filter w/ little mess...but what do I see but one of the beefiest sway bars I have ever seen (yes, this is where the story actually brings up the topic of suspension)...and one of the secrets to why the car feels solid with little roll/flex when I drive it (compared to my forester it is a huge difference).
The stock forester comes w/ the same 21mm front sway bar as the WRX STi. The rear however comes w/ wimpy hollow 17mm sway bar. I replaced that w/ the stock WRX STi 20mm rear sway bar and beefier mounts. I thought that was a good upgrade until I saw the monster on the front of the G35 (I can only assume the rear is beefy as well). I do have a COBB 25mm FSB that I was hesitant to install UNTIL seeing the beast on the G35 (had to have been at least 35mm-40mm). I guess I will have to get the matching rear, too.
What are your thoughts on swaybar size?
============================================================================================
...<the end of the oil change> After getting the bolt loosened on the oil pan, I managed to just get the oil pan to fit under the car. Little did I know that the last oil change I did horribly deformed the interior space of the oil pan, decreasing the space to hold oil. Also, it deformed in such a way that even after the center drain screw plug was removed and the breather flap was opened, it wouldn't allow draining oil to enter (ask me how I found this out during the oil change ). So after using my gloved finger to force down the mutated interior through the drain hole, let the oil drain, use almost an entire Washington Post newspaper to wipe up the oil on the ground under the no profile car (no kitty litter on hand), change the oil filter, put the oil pan bolt back on, put new oil in, drain mutated oil pan into empty Mobil 1 5 quart container, put undertray back on w/ bolts; I was done for the evening.