Do it yourself! A Spring or Coilover installation How-To.
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 5:40 am
OK lets get rid of that unsightly fender gap people! Here's what you'll need:
-spring compressors!!
-jack and jack stands (ramps simply won't do! although a lift couldn't hurt.)
-various sockets, and probably an extender
-breaker bar
-ratchet
-possibly a pipe to extend the handle for more torque
-penetrating lubricant/catalyst if you have stubborn bolts.
-19mm Open end/box end wrench
-vise grips
-razor blade
-zip ties? <-- coilover ppl
OK, you've got either the front or the rear of your car on jack stands, and you've removed the appropriate wheels. Remember that the front is an open diff, so loosen the lugs before you jack it up or the wheels will spin! Lets get goin...
1. Clear the brake line from the strut. On an older model impreza or legacy, this means removing a clip, then using a dremel to cut a slot in the bracket that is attatched to the strut, holding the brake line to it:
If you dremeled, then use pliers to bend back the bracket, freeing the brake line:
2. Now you're ready to take off the bolts that hold the strut to the lower suspension. This is where we needed the penetrating lube/catalyst. We chose PB Blaster as the preferred Penetrating lube. This also lead to some broken tools and alot of headache on this particular car. Newer models will be much easier.
The wrench can usually be put so it is braces against the fender wall or the other bolt, and give that breaker bar a good pull.
On the fronts, pay attention to which bolt goes where. You'll notice that the top bolt has a lobe and a washer. I understand this is for alignment adjusting? I dunno, just put it back where it belongs!
there are two, btw. One on top of the other.
3. Now you can take off the three nuts holding the spring/strut assembly in the car. (no not larry, curly, and moe.) Finding these three bolts is quite easy in the front. In the rear, you'll have to remove the necessary interior panels. For the wagon boys, it's pretty obvious. For the sedan kids, take out your back seat and you'll have access. This is really easy. Just keep figuring out which bolts are holding them in and undo them. Wiggle that sum'bich out and you're ready to continue. This was a legacy wagon, and we had to unscrew the speakers to get to it:
the nuts:
Once the three nuts are off the assembly should come out after you wrestle with it a little.
4. The nut in the center of the strut top is what holds it on. But the strut top is holding the spring in place, so before we take it off you must fasten the spring compressors:
5. now we can remove the center nut. You can turn it till you're blue in the face, but unless you're holding the middle of the strut you won't get anywhere. Using vise grips, tightly grab the shiny part of the strut that's hidden by the boot. If you're worried about damaging it, use a rag.
6. Chances are in the intstructions in your springs it tells you to cut the bump stop at a certain place. We cut about half of the bump stop, but we were going with a fairly low suspension.
7. If you're doin coilover like these ground control ones, place the perch. Clear any debris from the area where it rests, and hopefully you have supplied O-rings to put on first. Get the o-rings in the general vicinity of where they need to be, accounting for the fact that when the perch slides down on them they will move down a bit. These are to prevent rattling.
On the other hand, if you're doing springs make sure you have the correct front/rear springs and put it on the same way your stock spring was. Make sure it's in position correctly and won't settle any more. This is also a good time to replace the bump stop.
If you're doing coilovers like these, you'll want to zip tie the top piece into place, or it could potentially move from its position.
8. If you're doing springs, get the spring compressors off of your stock spring and onto this new one. Compress it pretty well so you can get the strut top back on and start the center nut. Use the same method with the vice grips to hold the strut and tighten the nut. Once it's on, remove the spring compressors (carefully. Don't let your finger get crushed.) Here's what ours looks like when it's back together. If you're doing springs, it'll look very much the way it did when it came out, just with a different colored and cleaner spring.
9. Get the three bolts up back into place and tighten the three nuts, thus holding the whole assembly in place again. Put the two bolts back in, and replace the wheel. Repeat 3x's. Your car will thank you.
Remember that this can throw off your alignment. Give the springs a little time to settle (a week?) and have the alignment checked.
10. Enjoy your newly lowered Legacy!
-spring compressors!!
-jack and jack stands (ramps simply won't do! although a lift couldn't hurt.)
-various sockets, and probably an extender
-breaker bar
-ratchet
-possibly a pipe to extend the handle for more torque
-penetrating lubricant/catalyst if you have stubborn bolts.
-19mm Open end/box end wrench
-vise grips
-razor blade
-zip ties? <-- coilover ppl
OK, you've got either the front or the rear of your car on jack stands, and you've removed the appropriate wheels. Remember that the front is an open diff, so loosen the lugs before you jack it up or the wheels will spin! Lets get goin...
1. Clear the brake line from the strut. On an older model impreza or legacy, this means removing a clip, then using a dremel to cut a slot in the bracket that is attatched to the strut, holding the brake line to it:
If you dremeled, then use pliers to bend back the bracket, freeing the brake line:
2. Now you're ready to take off the bolts that hold the strut to the lower suspension. This is where we needed the penetrating lube/catalyst. We chose PB Blaster as the preferred Penetrating lube. This also lead to some broken tools and alot of headache on this particular car. Newer models will be much easier.
The wrench can usually be put so it is braces against the fender wall or the other bolt, and give that breaker bar a good pull.
On the fronts, pay attention to which bolt goes where. You'll notice that the top bolt has a lobe and a washer. I understand this is for alignment adjusting? I dunno, just put it back where it belongs!
there are two, btw. One on top of the other.
3. Now you can take off the three nuts holding the spring/strut assembly in the car. (no not larry, curly, and moe.) Finding these three bolts is quite easy in the front. In the rear, you'll have to remove the necessary interior panels. For the wagon boys, it's pretty obvious. For the sedan kids, take out your back seat and you'll have access. This is really easy. Just keep figuring out which bolts are holding them in and undo them. Wiggle that sum'bich out and you're ready to continue. This was a legacy wagon, and we had to unscrew the speakers to get to it:
the nuts:
Once the three nuts are off the assembly should come out after you wrestle with it a little.
4. The nut in the center of the strut top is what holds it on. But the strut top is holding the spring in place, so before we take it off you must fasten the spring compressors:
5. now we can remove the center nut. You can turn it till you're blue in the face, but unless you're holding the middle of the strut you won't get anywhere. Using vise grips, tightly grab the shiny part of the strut that's hidden by the boot. If you're worried about damaging it, use a rag.
6. Chances are in the intstructions in your springs it tells you to cut the bump stop at a certain place. We cut about half of the bump stop, but we were going with a fairly low suspension.
7. If you're doin coilover like these ground control ones, place the perch. Clear any debris from the area where it rests, and hopefully you have supplied O-rings to put on first. Get the o-rings in the general vicinity of where they need to be, accounting for the fact that when the perch slides down on them they will move down a bit. These are to prevent rattling.
On the other hand, if you're doing springs make sure you have the correct front/rear springs and put it on the same way your stock spring was. Make sure it's in position correctly and won't settle any more. This is also a good time to replace the bump stop.
If you're doing coilovers like these, you'll want to zip tie the top piece into place, or it could potentially move from its position.
8. If you're doing springs, get the spring compressors off of your stock spring and onto this new one. Compress it pretty well so you can get the strut top back on and start the center nut. Use the same method with the vice grips to hold the strut and tighten the nut. Once it's on, remove the spring compressors (carefully. Don't let your finger get crushed.) Here's what ours looks like when it's back together. If you're doing springs, it'll look very much the way it did when it came out, just with a different colored and cleaner spring.
9. Get the three bolts up back into place and tighten the three nuts, thus holding the whole assembly in place again. Put the two bolts back in, and replace the wheel. Repeat 3x's. Your car will thank you.
Remember that this can throw off your alignment. Give the springs a little time to settle (a week?) and have the alignment checked.
10. Enjoy your newly lowered Legacy!
