theorie

iTrader: (31)

I bought some TEIN springs off eBay. Nothing fancy, just the sTech springs. (hey im broke but i need alittle drop, so $155 was the most I could spend on suspension right now!)

anyway, i remember when i put new suspension on my last car (in my garage) it was a bitch to do because you can only get so high w/ jack stands.

also when we put new springs on my friends car, we had to use one of those tools to compress the spring so we could get it off the shock.

will i need one of these tools to take the old spring off, and put the new spring on? if so, i guess ill have to wait till i can use a lift at a shop. i usually go to Corvettes West in Sarasota. they have one of the spring compressor tools there and they let me use their lifts when i need to.

so is it possible to do in my garage without the spring compressor tool thing?

rynberg

You need a spring compressor tool....

johnisenglish

You can get a spring compressor from Advance Auto for I think $20. Autozone sells one two, but IMO its not nearly as good and costs $60 (although you can rent it for free).

Doing the suspension in your garage isn't hard at all, I've done it on both my Integra and FD. Just give yourself a full afternoon.

rzograbian

no its not that hard but you have to have the compress tool. dont try without that because it can be very dangerous (remember, it has enough pressure to hold up a 2800lb car!!)

InsaneGideon

Wow, consider yourself lucky! Most shops I've been in wont let non-employees in the lift area for insurance reasons.

Roar 629

go to sum community college that teach automotive stuff.. i'm sure they have a tool room which mean they will have the spring compressor also, and they must have a lift there i guess. juz dress up like a student and go in there for free tool and free lift
i done this before at a community college.. gl on the work!

rzograbian

haha, you have actually done that? !!!!

hyper7

you can also loosen the nuts on top to release the pressure while on the car. then just jack it up and the springs will slowly depress and all you have to do is take it all out. now your ready for the new springs! gl

fd3s93

it all depends if the springs need to be compress..i delt with springs that are so low that it doesnt.. so springs that are real low dont need a spring compressor.

Str8Down

Yes you need the tool, but Autozone lends them for free. I did mine about a month ago, and it was cake. Got the spring tool from Autozone, they take a deposit and give it back when you bring it back.

saxyman990

no, not hardly. Stock springs will not uncompress just by unloading the suspension. You WILL need a spring compressor to do the job.

Sometimes using those Autozone-type spring compressors is a pain in the ***, especially with the FD springs. My suggestion: take the spring/shock assemblies off in your garage, and then just take them over to a local suspension garage to have them change springs. They'll probably charge you about 5-10 dollars a corner.

All in all, its an easy and straightforward job.

Rob

WVRx7

This will not work. Please don't try it.

Yes, the job generally requires a spring compressor. If you have no experience performing this type of work it is even more recommended to have someone else do it for you.

With that said, the swap is easy and if you are relatively competent and have the correct tools you will be able to complete the job.

As for springs, MOST will seriously require a spring compressor. Generally, the heavier the car is, the better the car "rides" (sedan) the longer the free length of the spring (uncompressed length)

When the free length is considerably more than the compressed length (size when installed on the strut) you definitely need a compressor. (I saw the hole in a cinderblock wall from where a moron took the upper bolt off his Maxima strut and the spring shot the strut through the cinderblock wall)

On the FD the free length vs. the compressed length ratio is not that great. As such, I have peformed the swap on several FDs without a compressor but it is still dangerous and for the first time you do it, you should DEFINITELY have a spring compressor.

the_glass_man

iTrader: (2)

Yep, Autozone will give you one for a deposit, it's a fairly straight forward and easy job.

theorie

iTrader: (31)

GOOD IDEA!!!! thanks man i think ill do this. i can use the tool at that garage i said i can go to...

theorie

iTrader: (31)

DAMNIT!

I just spent an hour jacking my car up, putting stands under it, getting the rims off, etc.

Then I go to take off nut at the bottom of the shocks, and the bitch wont come off!

I had three people try and none of us could get it off by hand!

So then I had to spend another hour putting the rims back on and getting the car of the stands...

UHHHHH guess I'll have to take it to the shop so i can use their lift/air-tools/spring-compressor-tool...

damn i need air tools

saxyman990

heh heh. Sorry to hear that man. I guess we forgot to mention that after 10 years and 50+ thousand miles, those damn suspension parts can become extremely hard to get off. When I redid my suspension I had about 45k miles on the car. The bolts came off with hand tools, but it took a pretty good sized breaker bar to do it. Air tools do make the job much easier and faster...

good luck.

saxyman990

oh and make sure you have some PB Blaster on hand. A definate requirement whenever you are working on suspension or exhaust components.

Roar 629

yea.. i was arguin with my brother's wife, so i got abandon from the house for a few days.. in reality i didnt go home actully owelpz