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    SUSP : Suspension Install

    Installing Your New Suspension .

    Tools needed:

    -A jack
    -Two Jack Stands
    -a few wrenches including a 17mm, 15mm, 14mm
    -Allen Wrenches (for top of shock piston)
    -Spring compressor (front and rear springs, or take them separately to a shop to do.
    -Anti-seize to apply to bolts/nuts for easy removal next time.


    Here are what the shock assemblies look like off the car. The rear shock is the longer shock.



    Here are my instructions on how to install your spring and strut suspension.
    Let's go to the rear since it's easier.

    . REAR SUSPENSION .

    1.) Go inside your car where the back seat is, or go to the trunk area. Basically find where the top of the strut is. For my accord, it was behind the back seat.
    2.) Take off the plastic cover and there you will see the top of the strut assembly.
    3.) Loosen and remove the TWO bolts per side (circled in red)

    4.) Next, get out of the car and lift the car up.
    5.) Take off the wheel
    6.) Support the car with jack stands for extra safty.
    7.) Use a 17mm wrench and remove the one single bolt that holds the bottom of the strut to place. You will need two 17mm wrenches, one on each side. You'll need two because if you turn just one side, the other will move along with it. You will need to hold the other end still in order to remove it. You also may need a plastic/rubber hammer to hit the loosen bolt out of place.

    8.) Now the entire strut assembly should come off your car.
    9.) Get a spring compressor and follow the instructions given in the kit to compress the springs.
    10.) Next take your 17mm wrench and loosen the top nut that holds the springs and spring "cap" to place.
    11.) You may need another wrench to hold the strut rod to place. There is a strong wrench that I do now know what it is called, but there is a part where you can adjust it by turning a knob. That makes the wrench open or close to a certain degree. It's nice because it makes a TIGHT fit and will not strip your strut rod.
    12.) Once the single nut is remove, everything will fall out, which will include the strut "cap" (not sure of the offical name) the bushings, washers, bumpstop, and of course the springs. NOTE: make sure you notice which washer or bushings goes on first and last.
    13.) Get your new aftermarket struts and put on the lowering springs. And then put on all the old bushings, washers, and bumpstop in the order that they should be in.
    14.) Use your springs compessor and compress the springs and then put the strut cap back on.
    (NOTE: you might not need this step, it depends on your new springs and struts)
    15.) Put on the single nut on the strut rod to tighten everything down.
    16.) Now get to the car agian and put the new strut assembly back on.
    17.) Get a friend or another jack to lift it to place of the two holes inside towards the top of the fenders.
    18.) Get inside the car (make sure those t-stands and jack are secure and safe) and bolt on the TWO bolts to hold the struts to place.
    19.) Get back down out of the car and line up the last bolt into place. You may need to use that second jack again to push it to place in order to line up the holes.

    20.) Check all bolts and make sure everything is safe.
    21.) Put wheel back on and you're done.




    . FRONT .

    The front is like the rear, but a little bit harder.

    1.) Open up the hood
    2.) Find where the top of the strut assembly is and remove the THREE bolts that hold the strut to place (circled in red)

    3.) Lift up the car and support it correctly with jack stands
    4.) Remove the wheel
    5.) Remove the small bolts that hold the brake lines to the struts. After the bolts are remove, just push the lines out of the way. There is no need to disconnect them.
    6.) Under the car, you will see a large fork that holds the struts to place. Towards the back end, you will see the upper fork bolt that holds the strut to place. Remove that bolt.
    7.) Then look at the bottom of the fork and see where it's held to the car, remove that bolt as well. (Lower Fork Bolt)

    8.) Now the folk should come off and then push it downward to knock it out of place. This will give you a little more room. You will need this extra room to be able to take the strut off of the car.
    9.) Now the entire strut assembly will come off the car.
    10.) Next just use directions (9.) through (15.) of the rear suspension intructions to put the new springs and struts together.
    11.) Now that the strut assembly is installed, it time to put it back on the car. Just put it on the car and use the second jack or a friend to push it up into the car.
    12.) Go into the engine bay and tighten the THREE bolts to hold the strut to place.
    13.) Put the folk back on the car using that single bottom bolt. You can just use the same method as the rear suspension by using that second jack to line up the holes.
    14.) Now put the bottom of the strut into the top opening of the fork.
    15.) Make sure the holes line up..and put the bolt back on to hold the strut on to the folk.
    (NOTE: If you look at the bottom of the strut, you will see a little "nick" that is there to line up where the bolt is. Make sure that is lined up when you put on the bolt.)

    16.) Double check all bolts to make sure everything is safe.
    17.) Put the wheel back on and lower the car to the ground.

    AND YOU ARE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Last edited by aero; 12-26-2005, 10:52 PM.


    Praise The Lowered...

    #2
    cool write up, I was thinking of following these directions to install my springs, anyone else followed this or got any pics? thanks


    "You've done more threatening prescription drugs..."
    "the character of a man can be judged by how he takes his criticism"
    "Quoting yourself is like, masturbation" -Starchland

    Comment


      #3
      is that safe... wont the spring/strut top nuts pop off (hehe). i guess the waight of the car acts as a spring compresser huh?....

      what ever works mang

      Comment


        #4
        HOLY SHIT THIS IS OLD!! lol.. meh.. i need to seriously re-write that better.. im lazy tonite ill do it sometime 2morrow..


        Praise The Lowered...

        Comment


          #5
          id REALLY appreciate it if you rewrote this, just cause im sure you could add alot and revise it. and pics hehe!!


          "You've done more threatening prescription drugs..."
          "the character of a man can be judged by how he takes his criticism"
          "Quoting yourself is like, masturbation" -Starchland

          Comment


            #6
            man, so there are only like 3-4 bolts to take off just to remove the spring/shock assembly?


            "You've done more threatening prescription drugs..."
            "the character of a man can be judged by how he takes his criticism"
            "Quoting yourself is like, masturbation" -Starchland

            Comment


              #7
              cool, yeah i was thinking of ordering the energy suspension bushing set thing from driverfx.ca while im in there. um, im just afraid of breaking a bolt and having to wait and get my car towed to a garage. other than that i think i have all the tools (jacks, jackstands, wrenches,etc, wd40)


              "You've done more threatening prescription drugs..."
              "the character of a man can be judged by how he takes his criticism"
              "Quoting yourself is like, masturbation" -Starchland

              Comment


                #8
                I'm going to be swapping out my AGX's for Konis soon so I can take pics as I do it. Anybody have certain pics they want?

                Comment


                  #9
                  oh really available thru canadian tire order?


                  "You've done more threatening prescription drugs..."
                  "the character of a man can be judged by how he takes his criticism"
                  "Quoting yourself is like, masturbation" -Starchland

                  Comment


                    #10
                    nice write up

                    '04 SB AP2 211whp 150wtq

                    Comment


                      #11
                      i have a tip:

                      i had an issue the other day that i think you guys should hear. when putting back the fork on the strut there is this alignment thing that will only go on one way, or you cant get the stupid bolt on...i didnt know this and it never ligned up correctly...i had to take everything apart again.

                      but i like these directions. my steps were:

                      unbolt lower control arm bolt
                      unbolt brake lines
                      unbolt the fork and pull down to allow the strut to be free
                      unbolt the strut mount and take out the strut

                      pretty damn easy. took me like 20 minutes.

                      oh i found a shop that sells coil compressors for like 10 bucks! hella happy! i bought a set.
                      What makes me laugh about forums, is that no matter how much you try to help someone, they dont take the advice. Go ahead and do it the hard way.

                      You got to respect what you drive, and appreciate what you have, making the best of what you got. and if that means putting CAI, HID's, a phat stereo system, and a idiot in the drivers seat...then so be it!

                      Retro!

                      Hater

                      I love nooBs...They make me look good

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by accordztech
                        i have a tip:

                        i had an issue the other day that i think you guys should hear. when putting back the fork on the strut there is this alignment thing that will only go on one way, or you cant get the stupid bolt on...i didnt know this and it never ligned up correctly...i had to take everything apart again.
                        well on the front, mine went right in, had no problem what so ever, heheh...but on the rear the bolt was a bitch to get it to thread in and line up correctly...well sense i had mine on a lift when i did it, i took two(2) Flat Head Screwdrivers and finaggled it into place, basically used them both the manuver everything, made it a lot easier, but that was for me..could be harder for others.

                        ^sold

                        Comment


                          #13
                          how long does it take to do this and how hard is it?

                          and don't u need a spring compressor??

                          Great achievements result from great effort

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by i_love_cb7
                            how long does it take to do this and how hard is it?

                            and don't u need a spring compressor??
                            with taking STOCK springs off of the shocks, i would recommend a compressor, on lower springs say from a 2.0inch drop and lower you shouldnt need one at all, just some pushing can get the springs on there...it took me say 2 1/2 hours with the problems i kept running into, and transfering everything from my stock shocks to my tokico's..but thats because i never did suspension, someone with experience, say about max of an Hour...and i would give it from a scale of 1-10, about a 6 or so.

                            ^sold

                            Comment


                              #15
                              if u were changing struts on a lowerd car do you need to compress the spring again? or can u just undo the bolt?

                              i heard u can also just undo the bolt when the car is on the ground, and then lift the car up and the spring will be decompressed as well...?
                              What makes me laugh about forums, is that no matter how much you try to help someone, they dont take the advice. Go ahead and do it the hard way.

                              You got to respect what you drive, and appreciate what you have, making the best of what you got. and if that means putting CAI, HID's, a phat stereo system, and a idiot in the drivers seat...then so be it!

                              Retro!

                              Hater

                              I love nooBs...They make me look good

                              Comment

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