A simpler spring/strut install DIY -- no compressor needed

[Readytoxplod]

Originally Posted by waterbison777

I just finished my install using this DIY. Took me... 4.5 hours. But I had never done anything like this before.

any problems? How hard was it? I've never done this kinda thing and the shop is quoting me double what the springs cost to install.

[eljefe]

This would work very well for the fronts. I thought about this after i had done my first front, but it was too late. Also i didnt have a hollow ratchet. I will be buying one if i ever do this again, as this way is superior to what i did. Although on the rear i think it would make the strut harder to remove because it would increase the length of the whole assembly.

I used my impact gun, but i was careful not to hold down the trigger. Also i lubed the top bolt first. I set the gun on high power, and lightly tapped it in short bursts, this worked pretty well. Also, i just stand on top of the spring and when the top bolt finally comes off, the strut only shoots a few inches. Its not under that much pressure, this is what i've done for years with my hondas. please note that on other cars this is definitely not safe. but on this car, its not a problem.

[Deadspool]

I like this, well done.

[jeebus]

Originally Posted by eljefe

This would work very well for the fronts. I thought about this after i had done my first front, but it was too late. Also i didnt have a hollow ratchet. I will be buying one if i ever do this again, as this way is superior to what i did. Although on the rear i think it would make the strut harder to remove because it would increase the length of the whole assembly.

I used my impact gun, but i was careful not to hold down the trigger. Also i lubed the top bolt first. I set the gun on high power, and lightly tapped it in short bursts, this worked pretty well. Also, i just stand on top of the spring and when the top bolt finally comes off, the strut only shoots a few inches. Its not under that much pressure, this is what i've done for years with my hondas. please note that on other cars this is definitely not safe. but on this car, its not a problem.

It really wasn't that big of a deal getting the rears out using this method. Yeah, you have to push down on the hub a tad, but it was easy. Getting the rears back in also wasn't too big of a deal. You do have to compress the strut a bit and push the assembly in faster than the strut rebounds. It took me two tries...really not hard.

[suaveflooder]

WOW! Thank you! Keeping this for future reference!

[waterbison777]

Originally Posted by Readytoxplod

any problems? How hard was it? I've never done this kinda thing and the shop is quoting me double what the springs cost to install.

The instructions are pretty comprehensive, and sometimes it took me a good minute to match the pictures on the DIY with the actual car parts, but it all makes sense when you actually do it.


Things to note for a newbie like me:

Instead of using a long allen wrench to hold the shaft in place, I used a hex screwdriver... which essentially, IS a super long allen wrench. It worked beautifully; no vice required.

I'd say the hardest parts were removing the 17mm bolts from the rear control arms (steps 37 - 42) and putting it all back. It took a bit more force and wriggling than I expected. It definitely helps to have a buddy work with you here.

Make sure you orient your springs correctly. My springs (Swift) have their sticker logos upside down, which was a bit confusing at first.

When I jacked my car down, I did the front first, and my jack ended up getting stuck under the car. You'll have to let down the rear first before letting down the front. Otherwise, the car will tilt down and there might not be enough clearance to move your jack out from under your car.

Lastly, the Swift front springs were considerably shorter than the stock springs, so when the car was jacked up, the strut assembly was not yet high enough to fit into the top screw hole. As a result, the entire hub would slant downward toward me when I tried to install the wheels onto the car. So while a friend of mine lined up the strut assembly, I lowered the front of the car with a jack to the point where the weight of my wheels would have no clearance to fold the assembly down. Pretty much, my car was at a height so that when I installed the front wheels, the wheels were already just barely touching the ground.

^That paragraph seems confusing. I'm sure you'll understand it if you actually run into it.

All in all, I'm definitely happy that I was able to do this rather than bring it to a shop. There's this weird sense of accomplishment when you are able to take apart your own car, upgrade it, and put it back together. DIYs like these are why I love this forum so much.

[jeebus]

Originally Posted by waterbison777

The instructions are pretty comprehensive, and sometimes it took me a good minute to match the pictures on the DIY with the actual car parts, but it all makes sense when you actually do it.


Things to note for a newbie like me:

Instead of using a long allen wrench to hold the shaft in place, I used a hex screwdriver... which essentially, IS a super long allen wrench. It worked beautifully; no vice required.

I'd say the hardest parts were removing the 17mm bolts from the rear control arms (steps 37 - 42) and putting it all back. It took a bit more force and wriggling than I expected. It definitely helps to have a buddy work with you here.

Make sure you orient your springs correctly. My springs (Swift) have their sticker logos upside down, which was a bit confusing at first.

When I jacked my car down, I did the front first, and my jack ended up getting stuck under the car. You'll have to let down the rear first before letting down the front. Otherwise, the car will tilt down and there might not be enough clearance to move your jack out from under your car.

Lastly, the Swift front springs were considerably shorter than the stock springs, so when the car was jacked up, the strut assembly was not yet high enough to fit into the top screw hole. As a result, the entire hub would slant downward toward me when I tried to install the wheels onto the car. So while a friend of mine lined up the strut assembly, I lowered the front of the car with a jack to the point where the weight of my wheels would have no clearance to fold the assembly down. Pretty much, my car was at a height so that when I installed the front wheels, the wheels were already just barely touching the ground.

^That paragraph seems confusing. I'm sure you'll understand it if you actually run into it.

All in all, I'm definitely happy that I was able to do this rather than bring it to a shop. There's this weird sense of accomplishment when you are able to take apart your own car, upgrade it, and put it back together. DIYs like these are why I love this forum so much.

nice job! Sometimes I forget to mention some of the little details that I consider kind of second nature. Like using a jack to raise up a hub assembly to push the shock upward and into place, or using a secondary jack so you don't get one stuck under the car, etc. I've done suspension installs on probably 10 cars now so I'm used to those little quirks

[CaptainSlow]

These instructions worked PERFECTLY! Thank you so much! One additional plus about doing it this way (at least this worked for me...I make no guarantees) is that you don't actually have to remove the front struts. You disconnect the lines and the sway bar and you can pull the strut down and rotate it out far enough to swap the springs and bump stops without removing the strut at all! Didn't get a pic, but it should be obvious once you get to that point. Also, use a jack to lift the rear control arm so the top of the strut goes through the hole. That way it holds it in place so you can start the nut inside the trunk. helpful if you're doing the job by yourself!

[jeebus]

Originally Posted by CaptainSlow

These instructions worked PERFECTLY! Thank you so much! One additional plus about doing it this way (at least this worked for me...I make no guarantees) is that you don't actually have to remove the front struts. You disconnect the lines and the sway bar and you can pull the strut down and rotate it out far enough to swap the springs and bump stops without removing the strut at all! Didn't get a pic, but it should be obvious once you get to that point. Also, use a jack to lift the rear control arm so the top of the strut goes through the hole. That way it holds it in place so you can start the nut inside the trunk. helpful if you're doing the job by yourself!

oh haha, I didn't even think about that EXTRA EXTRA shortcut on the front! Nice job!!!

[Wes]

Originally Posted by CaptainSlow

These instructions worked PERFECTLY! Thank you so much! One additional plus about doing it this way (at least this worked for me...I make no guarantees) is that you don't actually have to remove the front struts. You disconnect the lines and the sway bar and you can pull the strut down and rotate it out far enough to swap the springs and bump stops without removing the strut at all! Didn't get a pic, but it should be obvious once you get to that point. Also, use a jack to lift the rear control arm so the top of the strut goes through the hole. That way it holds it in place so you can start the nut inside the trunk. helpful if you're doing the job by yourself!

This would work for the front and rear? I was thinking about disconnecting the sway bars since the OP said that the rears didn't completely unload when the sways were still on

[Dezoris]

I dont like how easy this DIY is, need to find something more difficult and dangerous.

[CaptainSlow]

Originally Posted by Wes

This would work for the front and rear? I was thinking about disconnecting the sway bars since the OP said that the rears didn't completely unload when the sways were still on

Short answer:
You don't have to disconnect the rear sway bar. You do have to disconnect the front. I'm not sure if you can just loosen the strut bolt in the rear and pivot it out, but I found it was just as easy to remove that bolt (very easy access)

The long answer:

So, the way I did it was:

- Remove top bolts from all 4 struts (using the allen wrenches and open sockets)
- Loosen lug nuts
- Raise car into air and put on jackstands
- Remove wheels
- FRONT:
1) Unclip ABS sensor wire (2 spots on both sides)
2) Unbolt brake line from strut assembly (both sides)
3) Disconnect sway bar end links (both sides)
4) Pull DOWN on strut assembly until the top rod pulls out enough to where you can rotate it TOWARDS you
5) Slip off old spring/bump stop
6) Put on new spring/bump stop and ORIGINAL rubber hat (not sure what it's actually called, but it's lightly press-fit onto the top of the spring)
7) Maneuver rod near hole
8) Lift up on the rotor to compress the suspension enough to get the nut started on the rod (top of strut tower inside engine bay)
7) Put everything back together again
- REAR:
1) Remove bolt from hub/control arm
2) Remove bolt from strut/control arm
3) Pull DOWN on strut/control arm until rod clears the hole
4) Slip off old spring/dust shield/bump stop
5) Slip on old spring/dust shield/bump stop
6) Maneuver control arm/strut down so that the rod is near the hole
7) Reinstall bolts for hub/control arm and strut/control arm
8) Use jack to push up on control arm enough to allow you to start the nut on the rod (top of strut tower inside trunk)
- Replace wheels and lightly tighten lug nuts
- Gently lower car onto ground
- Tighten up nuts on top of strut rods

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by CaptainSlow

6) Put on new spring/bump stop and ORIGINAL rubber hat (not sure what it's actually called, but it's lightly press-fit onto the top of the spring)

That is a rubber isolater to prevent metal/metal contact and NVH between the spring and top hat. If that isn't properly seated or slips during assembly, you will hear unpleasant noises as you're driving around.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by CaptainSlow

Short answer:
You don't have to disconnect the rear sway bar. You do have to disconnect the front. I'm not sure if you can just loosen the strut bolt in the rear and pivot it out, but I found it was just as easy to remove that bolt (very easy access)

The long answer:

Thanks! And I think you're talking about the top hat? (referring to original rubber hat) So after putting the new springs on and stuff we reassemble everything, put the car down then tighten the top bolts? After tightening with open end wrench and allen key, would it be okay to use a normal torque wrench or would that cause the rod to spin? Sorry I've never swapped springs before and don't wanna blow my struts