DIY: Lowering Spring Install
#1
DIY: Lowering Spring Install
Spring Install
By: Loudsubz
1. Jack up the car in the front and rear utilizing the front jack point underneath the car, slightly to the right. It’s a piece of metal that’s shaped like a rectangle and has 2 small holes in it. Jack up the car and place jack stands on either side of the car to support it. Do the same for the rear, but use the tow hook located directly under the car to raise the vehicle. Support the rear with jack stands on either side under the car. Now the fun beings. You can start with the front or back, your choice.
2. Remove the wheels by loosening the (4) 19mm nuts, or your racing lug nuts (whichever you have on your car).
3. Start by removing the (2) 14mm nuts on top of the shock tower in your engine bay.
4. Remove the 14mm pinch bolt that holds the shock into the fork assembly. On 92-95 there is also (2) 12mm brake line holder bolts you need to take off, on 96-00 they are attached to the upper Control Arm so no need to remove them.
5. Remove the 17mm nut and bolt from the bottom of the fork assembly that attaches to the lower control arm. Take a rubber mallet and lightly tap the bolt out, taking note of the direction the bolt was installed. Before removing the bolt all the way watch out as the assembly sometimes lurches up once the pressure is relieved.
6. Take a rubber mallet and lightly tap where the bottom of the shock sits in the top of the fork assembly to remove the 2 pieces. Once the 2 pieces are apart slide the fork out of the way and gently remove the whole shock/spring/top hat assembly from the car.
7. Take a grease marker or a nail and mark on the top hat and bottom of shock to remember the correct alignment for later use. To remove the old spring, lay down one of your tires you took off from the car, and place one end of the shock against a hard surface like a wall, and the top part of the shock against the tire, but place the impact wrench between the 2 of them. Place a towel or cloth over the impact wrench and over the top hat as to catch any bolts/washers if they want to go for a walk. If you don’t have access to air tools, you can rent a spring compressor from Canadian Tire and use it to compress the spring them remove the shock nut that way.
8. Once the shock/spring is apart in 2 pieces, take off the bump stop and cut it accordingly to how low you plan to drop the car.
9. Once the bump stop is cut you can put the shock/spring combo back together with your new lowering spring, or now install your new shock and lowering spring/coil over if you have bought both.
10. Remember the order they went in. Make sure to seat the spring in correctly. There is a notch on the shock where the end of the spring coil sits in, so don’t get that mixed up.
11. First is bump stop, then bump stop plate, then dust boot, then the dust boot washer (black). Place the top hat back on and thread the 14mm screw back onto the shock rod on the top, taking note how everything was aligned before you took it apart. (Now is when the grease mark comes in handy)
12. Once it is all back together replace the shock/spring combo back into the car and reinstall the reverse of how it was taken apart.
13. The torque specs for the bolts are: 36ft-lbs for the (2) 14mm nuts on the shock tower, 47ft-lbs for the 17mm lower bolt on the bottom of the fork assembly, 40ft-lbs for the pinch bolt, and 80ft-lbs for the wheel lugs.
14. On to the rear suspension. Its pretty much the same idea as the front, only there is less involved to take out the assembly. To remove the rear suspension remove the wheel, and remove the (2) 14mm nuts in the trunk behind the carpet walls, or in a hatch under the plastic clips panels.
By: Loudsubz
1. Jack up the car in the front and rear utilizing the front jack point underneath the car, slightly to the right. It’s a piece of metal that’s shaped like a rectangle and has 2 small holes in it. Jack up the car and place jack stands on either side of the car to support it. Do the same for the rear, but use the tow hook located directly under the car to raise the vehicle. Support the rear with jack stands on either side under the car. Now the fun beings. You can start with the front or back, your choice.
2. Remove the wheels by loosening the (4) 19mm nuts, or your racing lug nuts (whichever you have on your car).
3. Start by removing the (2) 14mm nuts on top of the shock tower in your engine bay.
4. Remove the 14mm pinch bolt that holds the shock into the fork assembly. On 92-95 there is also (2) 12mm brake line holder bolts you need to take off, on 96-00 they are attached to the upper Control Arm so no need to remove them.
5. Remove the 17mm nut and bolt from the bottom of the fork assembly that attaches to the lower control arm. Take a rubber mallet and lightly tap the bolt out, taking note of the direction the bolt was installed. Before removing the bolt all the way watch out as the assembly sometimes lurches up once the pressure is relieved.
6. Take a rubber mallet and lightly tap where the bottom of the shock sits in the top of the fork assembly to remove the 2 pieces. Once the 2 pieces are apart slide the fork out of the way and gently remove the whole shock/spring/top hat assembly from the car.
7. Take a grease marker or a nail and mark on the top hat and bottom of shock to remember the correct alignment for later use. To remove the old spring, lay down one of your tires you took off from the car, and place one end of the shock against a hard surface like a wall, and the top part of the shock against the tire, but place the impact wrench between the 2 of them. Place a towel or cloth over the impact wrench and over the top hat as to catch any bolts/washers if they want to go for a walk. If you don’t have access to air tools, you can rent a spring compressor from Canadian Tire and use it to compress the spring them remove the shock nut that way.
8. Once the shock/spring is apart in 2 pieces, take off the bump stop and cut it accordingly to how low you plan to drop the car.
9. Once the bump stop is cut you can put the shock/spring combo back together with your new lowering spring, or now install your new shock and lowering spring/coil over if you have bought both.
10. Remember the order they went in. Make sure to seat the spring in correctly. There is a notch on the shock where the end of the spring coil sits in, so don’t get that mixed up.
11. First is bump stop, then bump stop plate, then dust boot, then the dust boot washer (black). Place the top hat back on and thread the 14mm screw back onto the shock rod on the top, taking note how everything was aligned before you took it apart. (Now is when the grease mark comes in handy)
12. Once it is all back together replace the shock/spring combo back into the car and reinstall the reverse of how it was taken apart.
13. The torque specs for the bolts are: 36ft-lbs for the (2) 14mm nuts on the shock tower, 47ft-lbs for the 17mm lower bolt on the bottom of the fork assembly, 40ft-lbs for the pinch bolt, and 80ft-lbs for the wheel lugs.
14. On to the rear suspension. Its pretty much the same idea as the front, only there is less involved to take out the assembly. To remove the rear suspension remove the wheel, and remove the (2) 14mm nuts in the trunk behind the carpet walls, or in a hatch under the plastic clips panels.
#2
15. Go under the car and remove the 14mm bolt from the middle of the lower control arm, and remove the 14mm bolt from the farthest portion closest to the rear brakes. If you cant remove the middle bolt, remove the (2) outer bolts on the lower control arm and drop the whole lower control arm down with the shock still attached. This method works fine if you are going to reuse your shocks, but if you’re putting new shocks in its time for a new bushing or new lower control arm.
16. Take apart the shock as mentioned above and reinstall in the same manner. Torque specs are the same except the lower control arm bolts are all 40ft-lbs each.
17. Put the wheels back on, remove the jack stands and be amazed at your ride now.
18. PS. It’s a good idea to put anti seize on all your nuts/bolts to help prevent further rusting/seizing.
Some fun:
16. Take apart the shock as mentioned above and reinstall in the same manner. Torque specs are the same except the lower control arm bolts are all 40ft-lbs each.
17. Put the wheels back on, remove the jack stands and be amazed at your ride now.
18. PS. It’s a good idea to put anti seize on all your nuts/bolts to help prevent further rusting/seizing.
Some fun:
#7
bbarbulo:
Hahaha, yeah.. I got Matt a set of gloves (along with a set for myself) since he was helping me with my car.
My old endlinks were fuked, so I took them out along with my rear sway for now. Im im getting new endlinks from the dealer. I figured since I was down there I might aswell install the Beaks kit since ill have to install it regardless when I put in my CTR rear sway.
Hahaha, yeah.. I got Matt a set of gloves (along with a set for myself) since he was helping me with my car.
My old endlinks were fuked, so I took them out along with my rear sway for now. Im im getting new endlinks from the dealer. I figured since I was down there I might aswell install the Beaks kit since ill have to install it regardless when I put in my CTR rear sway.