Re: camber plate removal with PSS9

So I'm working this afternoon to remove the camber plates. Almost there, except: when I "loosen" the 22mm nut at the top of the PSS9 (which secures it to the camber plate / monoball), it just turns the shock rather than loosening the nut. How do I keep the shock from rotating?

There is what seems to be a 6mm hex hole in the top of the shock, but I don't see how to access it while using the socket over the nut! And I don't see a way to get a 22mm wrench at the nut from beneath due to clearance between the camber plate and the fender ceiling contour.

you can hold the nut with a box end wrench, then use an impact and a hex to break it free. You will then be able to undo it by hand with the wrench and an allen key. I am sure there is a special suspension tool for this, but If I remember correctly, this is what I did.

Steve

Steve
Guards Red 1999
I'm not a race car driver, but I play one in 2nd and 3rd gear

Steve, are you saying hold the nut still with a box wrench (from underneath is the only sideways exposure), and then use the impact gun or driver (from above) to drive the shock top clockwise (therefore effectively loosening the nut counter-clockwise) ? I'm doing all this via the top mounting hole in the fender because I don't seem to be able to fold the whole shock tower out of the wheel well with the control arm and sway bar etc. still in place.

"Steve, are you saying hold the nut still with a box wrench (from underneath is the only sideways exposure), and then use the impact gun or driver (from above) to drive the shock top clockwise (therefore effectively loosening the nut counter-clockwise) ? I'm doing all this via the top mounting hole in the fender because I don't seem to be able to fold the whole shock tower out of the wheel well with the control arm and sway bar etc. still in place."

When I did my H&R/Bilstien conversion, I unbolted the sway bar from the wheel carrier, used spring compressors to compress the spring. I then reached up into the wheel well and pulled down on the camber plate, compressing the shock. You may need a helper for this. I then had my helper push down on the brake disk to drop the wheel carrier as far as it would go, and swung the shock out of the wheel well. You just have to be real careful about the shock slipping and extending as you swing it out because It can do some scratching to the fender if you're not careful. Once the shock swings out, you can relax everything and you should be able to easily pull the shock from the wheel carrier. The only extra step for the rear is disconnecting and dropping the inner drive shaft CV joint(this will allow you to push the wheel carrier down in the rear.
You can try it your way, but I'm having a bit of trouble visualising it. I say give it a shot, if it doesn't work, I know it can be done off the car as I suggested. Quick question, how are you going to compress the shock to get the camber plate out once you have everything loose? You may find it kinda difficult to keep the shock compressed to slip the plate off/on.
If you go to the Boxster wikia, you can see the instructions for doing this in my wheel bearing R&R section. Step 4:
Boxster Wikia

Hope this helps you out...
Steve

Steve
Guards Red 1999
I'm not a race car driver, but I play one in 2nd and 3rd gear

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Loosen the spring tension in the PSS9.
Remove the struts securing bolt and move aside the droplink.
Loosen and remove the camber plate nuts.
Crack open the steering joint and release the arm.
Remove the trailing arm bolt that secures it to the control arm.
Push the complete assembly down and remove the strut from the carrier.
Now use the 22 mm wrench and torx driver (not hex) to undo the monoball and remove the camber plate.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Thanks guys! I'll try that in the morning.

Ugh. On the plus side I found out that OReilly auto parts rents tools and for spring compressors the cost of a 48-hour rental is $0!

Unfortunately,
1) The chunky spring compressors didn't do a whole lot of compression on the rather short PSS9 main springs, though it helped; they can't fit in between the helper spring bars at all, nor very near the ends of the main spring.
2) The ultimate problem is that the hole in the top of the PSS9 shaft, which must be held still while turning the big nut, has no good "purchase". It's definitely not torx, and the 6mm hex that fits, slips.
3) To top it off, now I can't get the sway bar drop link nut to go all the way back on tight!

I think I'll have the shop that is building my cage this month do this work, since the car will need a new alignment setup after removing camber plates anyway.

... for the PSS9s.
All you need to do is release the tension of the springs by loosening the round nut on the bottom of the strut.
There are two nuts. One of them is the locking nut which must forget. E loosened. Then both nuts can be threaded all the way down.
This takes all of the springs' tension and allows you to safely remove the camber plate.
Happy Boxstering
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna