Installing New Springs

  • Thread starter Thread starter jester999
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jester999

I just got my Eibach Pro kit, but dont know if i can put them in myself. I need a spring compressor right? If anyone has installed springs, could you let me know how much difficulty is involved. I have to wait to get my car back b/c some lady in a 1999 explorer ran into the back of me, crushing the hatch and taking off the the rear bumper... :( It was sad, but shes paying for everything to get fixed. But if anyone knows how to install springs, or has Photos it would be greatly appriciated. Also the Jet Chip?? Any comments? thanks all! :D
 
first of all you dont need a spring compressor theres a short cut............if you unbolt the struts from the top like in the engine bay and then jack up the front as you jack it up the springs decompress on their own........then you unbolt them from the bottom and pull the who thing out take off the spring and replace it with the other one...........then bolt back in and the weight of the car compresses it on its own and then tighten back up............ this can be done for front and back

[ 02-05-2002: Message edited by: 4DRMP5ATR ]
 
I installed an Eibach Pro Kit on my p5 just before christmas. I didn't know the mechanics of my p5 suspension setup but i have done many hondas before so i sort of took what i already knew and applied that.

Front Springs
The front springs are the easiest, basically you unbolt the top of the strut and the bottom where it joins your hub. Then you have to take disconnect the small rod that connects your swaybar to the shock. The nut was very tight on mine and i ended up popping the balljoint out, so be careful. Thats basically it for the front. You can take the spring off with no compressor, i just unscrewed the top (dangerous way i would not reccomend) and the spring was under no compression and didnt shoot anywhere.

Back Springs
For the back springs you will need to take off the left and right panels in the trunk plus the top parts. You will remove the seatbelt guide which is on top of the bolts on the top of your strut. Then its basically the same as the front EXCEPT you will have to remove the brake calipers for the bottom bolt to come out. You will have to disconnect the rod on the sway bar again.


Hope this makes a little sense, took me about 4 hours total. Rides pretty good but i would recommend aftermarket struts and swaybars so your suspension remains tight. With just the springs it feels way too loose.
 
Here are the tools you'll need;
17mm socket and wrench (Lower strut mounting Bolts)
14mm socket (swaybar end link, upper strut mounting bolts, rear caliper mounting bolts).
12mm socket (abs sensor wire brackets).

Take off the wheels, open the hood, unbolt the struts from the strut towers,14mm.4 bolts.
pull the brake hose clip from the tab on the strut and remove the brake hose from the assembly, unbolt the abs sensor wire bracket and move the wire out of the way.
unbolt the swaybar end link from the strut and move it out of the way.
Remove the lower strut mount bolts and push the strut away from the knuckle now pull the assembly down at an angle and remove it, be carefull not to scratch the paint.

It is good to use a spring compressor.

With the spring compressor installed and compressed. Remove the nut on the top of the strut, 17mm. Be sure to hold the strut cylinder (the shiny part) to keep it from rotating to much.
Remove the uper strut mount and remove the spring, making sure to reinstall the rubbers install the new spring and the upper strut mount , a compressor shouldn't be needed for this just a strong arm to push down the mount enough to expose some threads, then run the nut back down till it's TIGHT.
don't forget to put the clear plastic gasket back on the strut mount prior to installation.

Now instalation is basically the same as removal. However don't tighten anything until you have everything reattached to the strut assembly.
The first thing is the sway bar endlink, reattach that first and then the brakehose, reinstall it in the bracket and install the clip. Reattach the abs sensor wire bracket to the strut tube then install the Lower strut mounting bolts and nuts Now push the assembly up through the strut tower, making sure the mount is clocked so the bolt holes line up, then install the nuts. Now tighten everything starting with the lower strut bolts, the swaybar endlink, the abs wire bracket, then the upper strut mount bolts. Now double check everything then check it again. Now reinstall the wheel.

The rears are basically the same except for having to remove the brake caliper to remove the lower strut bolts and the upper mounts are a bear and theres only 3 bolts.

Remove the wheel, With a thin flathead screwdriver pop the covers off of te rear seatbelt mounts and move them out of the way. pull out the big cube of foam. The seat belt guide mounts to the top of the strut so that has to be removed and set aside, 14mm's
making sure not to drop the nuts in the trim, as i imagine they could be hell to retrieve. after thats out of the way. Except for some foam the upper strut mount nuts are fairly easy to get to, keep in mind on the rears there's only 3. and don't remove the nuts until you have the lower strut mounts bolts removed or you'll have a hell of time getting them out.

Now as for the installation of the spring. When you remove the upper plate from the srtut make sure to remember it's position. It has to be installed in the EXACT same way, it doesn't rotate like the front ones, so pay carefull attention. Again don't forget the plastic gaskets. And triple check everything.
:)
 
Thanks alot guys! Very informative, and after hearing what is involved with the rear and taking things apart, im thinkging im going to get some struts in the next week and wait to have someone install them both. I dont have anything more than the jack the car came with so to really get the stuff apart, might be a challenge. But thanks for the info. :)
 
Yeah, i think that about says it all. I would have put what happenend when mine got done but you guys couldnt have explained it any better than that! Thats good stuff. :D
 
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