lowering springs
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Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 48
lowering springs
I think I'm going to order Skunk 2 Racing Lowering Springs. Since they are "Racing" lowering springs would it be fine to put them on my dd? I dont think it would matter but I want to make sure before buying them. Also, to put them on, all I'm gonna have to do is take off the tire, unscrew the strut from the strut tower, compress the OEM springs to get them off, then slide on the lowering springs and reassemble? If not could someone guide me through this?
Recognized HCF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 11,203
From: Brownsburg, IN 46112
RE: lowering springs
swaping springs has been talked about ALOT...
standard tools needed and a spring compressor! and a torque wrench when reinstaling...
you can run ANY spring for any car... BUT just depends on WHAT YOU WANT....
PERSONALY i like a someone stock ride but lowered so i went with some tein Stech springs which are a preaty popular choice for the daily driver with any kinda of comfort desired from a lowered vehicle.... ya might also have to swap out your struts with some new ones or some designed for a lower drop... i went with some blue HP struts another popular shock/strut around here...
BUT be prepaired to have extra cash...... you need a alignment.... id say ruffly a week or two AFTER you instal the springs and drive on them for a bit so the springs settle good... then take it to get a aligment.... 2-3washers for the upper control arm for proper camber.
and MOST LIKELY afew new Lower Control Arm bolts.... cause those either seize or strip VERY EASILY.... dont cheap out! buy them from your local honda dealer!!!!! and buy 2-4BEFORE HAND!!!!! just incase they dont have them in stock like mine didnt.....
and if the bolts are seized which thiers a 85% chance id say that the one that holds the strut to the LCA is most likely seized..... i got lucky! but i know ALOT of other members arent so lucky
just take your time and be sure to instal the right spring in the front or rear
cause if you mix them up your butt will be in the air
the springs are slightly different styles... take off the stock spring one at a time and replace it with the matching style new spring. and be carefull with the spring compressor! you dont want that spring to pop out and fly across the shop like a rocket! VERY BAD so ive been told....... just buy or rent a spring compressor.
standard tools needed and a spring compressor! and a torque wrench when reinstaling...
you can run ANY spring for any car... BUT just depends on WHAT YOU WANT....
PERSONALY i like a someone stock ride but lowered so i went with some tein Stech springs which are a preaty popular choice for the daily driver with any kinda of comfort desired from a lowered vehicle.... ya might also have to swap out your struts with some new ones or some designed for a lower drop... i went with some blue HP struts another popular shock/strut around here...
BUT be prepaired to have extra cash...... you need a alignment.... id say ruffly a week or two AFTER you instal the springs and drive on them for a bit so the springs settle good... then take it to get a aligment.... 2-3washers for the upper control arm for proper camber.
and MOST LIKELY afew new Lower Control Arm bolts.... cause those either seize or strip VERY EASILY.... dont cheap out! buy them from your local honda dealer!!!!! and buy 2-4BEFORE HAND!!!!! just incase they dont have them in stock like mine didnt.....
and if the bolts are seized which thiers a 85% chance id say that the one that holds the strut to the LCA is most likely seized..... i got lucky! but i know ALOT of other members arent so lucky
just take your time and be sure to instal the right spring in the front or rear
cause if you mix them up your butt will be in the air the springs are slightly different styles... take off the stock spring one at a time and replace it with the matching style new spring. and be carefull with the spring compressor! you dont want that spring to pop out and fly across the shop like a rocket! VERY BAD so ive been told....... just buy or rent a spring compressor.
Super Cereal Admin
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,081
From: Lexington, KY
RE: lowering springs
the fact that they're race springs doesn't really mean much. All it means is that they have higher spring rates. In normal terms, it means that it takes more force to compress the srpings to a certain height than the stock springs would. They'll be just fine on your dd.
Now, before you get started on anything, there's a few things you should know
1) start the install on a friday. Replacing all four springs should take about 4 hours, but that's only if you have no problems (which you will). Starting on a friday gives you three days (and nights) to get everything back together before work/school monday.
2) Have extra LCA bolts handy. This is pretty important, since there's really only one practical place to get new bolts, and that's through a dealership. I promise you that your lower control arm bolts will give you problems (they have a nasty habit of seizing from all the rustand thenbreaking when you try to get them off)
3) Be patient when installing them. I've noticed that if I'm working on a car and I get frustrated, things just do downhill; small things go wrong and it pretty much just ruins your day. When this happens and you keep working, the quality of your work will probably suffer. If you get frustrated, just leave the car alone for a while (this is another reason for hint #1); go have a snack, watch tv, take a nap, whatever. Just come back and work on the car when you're relaxed again.
4) WD-40 ain't got nothin' on PB Blaster. Have a bunch of PB Blaster handy. It's like freakin' WD40 on steroids; it works wonders on rusted bolts.
5) Air tools really don't help too much on spring installs (at least I don't think they do). When I put my coilovers on, I found myself using hand tools more often than not. It just seemed like the impact wrench didn't do anything to help me with the seized bolts.
6) The higher spring rates (and taller springs) go in front. The smaller spring rates go in back. The spring rates should be printed on the springs.
Anyway, now that that's taken care of, here's your basic spring install (with hand tools and jacks/jack stands):
1) break the lugs loose while the car is on the ground (hopefully, these first few steps should be a given)
2) put the car up on jacks; all four corners of the car. Trust me, it's easier this way than it is to just jack up the front or rear. Remember to use jack stands! Also, now's a good time to pop the hood.
3) take the wheels off.
---Let's start with the front springs---
4) this isn't necessary, but I feel it helps to give you a bit more headroom to work with: take off the fenders.
5) Now there's five bolts you'll need to take off (or at least there is on 5th gens): one on the control arm, two holding the brake line to the strut, and two on the strut tower (under the hood). Take them off in the order I gave you.
6) Now this is where a friend comes in handy. You'll need to wiggle the spring/strut assembly out of the car. Trust me, and extra set of hands comes in... well, handy (sorry for the bad pun
)
7) Compress the springs, and take everything apart. Take the spring compressors off the stock spring (be careful... spring compressors fly fast, and the spring will fly off in a random direction if the compressors manage to slip off the spring). You won't need the compressors for the new springs, but I like to get little things like this out of the way.
8) Remove the stock springs from the assembly. If you're installing new shocks, you'll have to take everything apart. Now, I've never done lowering springs (just coilovers), but I'm pretty sure it's just a simple spring swap (with coilovers you have to cut the bump stops and all this other fun stuff).
9) Put everything back together (if you're installing lowering springs, put everything together the same way the stocks were. If you're doing coilovers, put everything together the way the instructions/diagrams show).
10) Repeat steps 4-9 on the other side
11) Repeat steps 5-10 on the back springs. Itmight not be exactly the same as the front, butthe steps are close enough. You'll need to pull out some of the carpeting to get to the strut towers in the trunk.
12) Put the wheels (and fenders) back on, remove the jack stands, and lower the car down off the jacks.
13) Allow some time for the springs to completely settle before getting an alignment.
Now, before you get started on anything, there's a few things you should know
1) start the install on a friday. Replacing all four springs should take about 4 hours, but that's only if you have no problems (which you will). Starting on a friday gives you three days (and nights) to get everything back together before work/school monday.
2) Have extra LCA bolts handy. This is pretty important, since there's really only one practical place to get new bolts, and that's through a dealership. I promise you that your lower control arm bolts will give you problems (they have a nasty habit of seizing from all the rustand thenbreaking when you try to get them off)
3) Be patient when installing them. I've noticed that if I'm working on a car and I get frustrated, things just do downhill; small things go wrong and it pretty much just ruins your day. When this happens and you keep working, the quality of your work will probably suffer. If you get frustrated, just leave the car alone for a while (this is another reason for hint #1); go have a snack, watch tv, take a nap, whatever. Just come back and work on the car when you're relaxed again.
4) WD-40 ain't got nothin' on PB Blaster. Have a bunch of PB Blaster handy. It's like freakin' WD40 on steroids; it works wonders on rusted bolts.
5) Air tools really don't help too much on spring installs (at least I don't think they do). When I put my coilovers on, I found myself using hand tools more often than not. It just seemed like the impact wrench didn't do anything to help me with the seized bolts.
6) The higher spring rates (and taller springs) go in front. The smaller spring rates go in back. The spring rates should be printed on the springs.
Anyway, now that that's taken care of, here's your basic spring install (with hand tools and jacks/jack stands):
1) break the lugs loose while the car is on the ground (hopefully, these first few steps should be a given)
2) put the car up on jacks; all four corners of the car. Trust me, it's easier this way than it is to just jack up the front or rear. Remember to use jack stands! Also, now's a good time to pop the hood.
3) take the wheels off.
---Let's start with the front springs---
4) this isn't necessary, but I feel it helps to give you a bit more headroom to work with: take off the fenders.
5) Now there's five bolts you'll need to take off (or at least there is on 5th gens): one on the control arm, two holding the brake line to the strut, and two on the strut tower (under the hood). Take them off in the order I gave you.
6) Now this is where a friend comes in handy. You'll need to wiggle the spring/strut assembly out of the car. Trust me, and extra set of hands comes in... well, handy (sorry for the bad pun
)7) Compress the springs, and take everything apart. Take the spring compressors off the stock spring (be careful... spring compressors fly fast, and the spring will fly off in a random direction if the compressors manage to slip off the spring). You won't need the compressors for the new springs, but I like to get little things like this out of the way.
8) Remove the stock springs from the assembly. If you're installing new shocks, you'll have to take everything apart. Now, I've never done lowering springs (just coilovers), but I'm pretty sure it's just a simple spring swap (with coilovers you have to cut the bump stops and all this other fun stuff).
9) Put everything back together (if you're installing lowering springs, put everything together the same way the stocks were. If you're doing coilovers, put everything together the way the instructions/diagrams show).
10) Repeat steps 4-9 on the other side
11) Repeat steps 5-10 on the back springs. Itmight not be exactly the same as the front, butthe steps are close enough. You'll need to pull out some of the carpeting to get to the strut towers in the trunk.
12) Put the wheels (and fenders) back on, remove the jack stands, and lower the car down off the jacks.
13) Allow some time for the springs to completely settle before getting an alignment.
Recognized HCF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 11,203
From: Brownsburg, IN 46112
RE: lowering springs
BUT TO AVOID AS MANY AS POSIBLE...... only take out the strut LCA bolt!!!! then take the two upper control arm bolts out and with the strut unbolted top and botom in the rear STEP ON THE BRAKE DRUMS TO LOWER THEM ENOUGH TO THEN SQUIZE THE STRUT ASSEMBLY OUTTA PLACE!!!!!!
WAY EASIER than messing with one more of those infamous LCA bolts if you dont have to!!!!
i had two seized up on my passenger side that made me REALY PISSED OFF so i soaked them down and thought id wait over night and pray they would bust loose.... WELL while i couldnt do anything else i desided to go ahead and do the washer trick... unbolted that piece and noticed the spindle assemble drops.... so i steped on it and then tested if i could get the strut out... which i did
now if you got a friend to help pull it out or step on the brakes..... please ask them for 5seconds of help.LOL cause doing this yourself can be alittle tricky.LOL but i did it by myself just alittle harder balancing on one foot while puting pressure on the brake drum and one hand on the car to help balance while the other hand trying to remove the strut assembly. LMFAO
id rather do it this way than messing with those LCA bolts... then you just need to buy 2 new ones... one for each side for strut... jsut cause when removing mine they seemed to strip some of the threads down in half and i didnt wanna risk that with half threaded bolts! and didnt want them to mess up my new struts nuts!
you can see the two shiny washers from that upper control arm or what ever its called in the rear.
with my Stechs and blue HPs i used 3washers which gave me perfect camber... BUT one of my TOE adjusters is still froze up so i still got my back passenger wheel toed in alittle. as soon as my fender rolling tool sells im gonna either buy the new adjustable links for them or just buy new oem arm and torch off the old one. the stock toe adjuster is enough to make right after lowering. but i might just buy the adjustable ones JUST INCASE it seizes up again....
WAY EASIER than messing with one more of those infamous LCA bolts if you dont have to!!!!
i had two seized up on my passenger side that made me REALY PISSED OFF so i soaked them down and thought id wait over night and pray they would bust loose.... WELL while i couldnt do anything else i desided to go ahead and do the washer trick... unbolted that piece and noticed the spindle assemble drops.... so i steped on it and then tested if i could get the strut out... which i did
now if you got a friend to help pull it out or step on the brakes..... please ask them for 5seconds of help.LOL cause doing this yourself can be alittle tricky.LOL but i did it by myself just alittle harder balancing on one foot while puting pressure on the brake drum and one hand on the car to help balance while the other hand trying to remove the strut assembly. LMFAO
id rather do it this way than messing with those LCA bolts... then you just need to buy 2 new ones... one for each side for strut... jsut cause when removing mine they seemed to strip some of the threads down in half and i didnt wanna risk that with half threaded bolts! and didnt want them to mess up my new struts nuts!
you can see the two shiny washers from that upper control arm or what ever its called in the rear.
with my Stechs and blue HPs i used 3washers which gave me perfect camber... BUT one of my TOE adjusters is still froze up so i still got my back passenger wheel toed in alittle. as soon as my fender rolling tool sells im gonna either buy the new adjustable links for them or just buy new oem arm and torch off the old one. the stock toe adjuster is enough to make right after lowering. but i might just buy the adjustable ones JUST INCASE it seizes up again....
Super Cereal Admin
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,081
From: Lexington, KY
RE: lowering springs
ORIGINAL: Stumasters
Ok, these LCA bolts, they are on back and front?
And are their only 4 total, 1 per side?
I wanna order some just in case before i get around to doin it.
Ok, these LCA bolts, they are on back and front?
And are their only 4 total, 1 per side?
I wanna order some just in case before i get around to doin it.
HCF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,124
From:
RE: lowering springs
So as long as we are throwing questions out there, would it be smart to throw, say 1 washer in for my H-tech spring only drop to correct the camber, or just forget it and leave it alone?
If it's as easy as it seems to save a few bucks, i am all for it.
If it's as easy as it seems to save a few bucks, i am all for it.
