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View Full Version : How to on Installing Springs?



HondaMan
08-05-2002, 04:13 PM
It appears after calling around to several places it will cost me $175 or more to have springs installed and the alignment checked/done.

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NAPA sales a spring compressor for $82.
I can do this install myself and save approx. $100.
Is the wheel alignment that important? I plan to get H&R Sport Springs.
Any feedback on this would be appreciated!
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Thanks!

A good friend (part-time auto mechanic) and myself installed a suspension kit/system on my '89 Civic Si, but that has been a good 10 years ago and he has the spring compressor in Georgia. I can probably wing it but could use any feedback/advice.

xlr8
08-05-2002, 04:19 PM
you need a 4 wheel alignment after lowering your car. before you lower your car check with your dealer. mine said i could lower my car and not void the warrenty, but it had to be done by a reputable shop and an alignment must be done

FireFighterSI
08-05-2002, 04:25 PM
I wouldn't try lowering it yourself unless you have years of practice and experiance. The new Si has ball joints, rather than your typical hinged joints like other civics. Now your going to need a ball-joint spreader to get them apart. And if you do it wrong of break them, which is easy if you don't know what your doing, then your screwed. Also you might be overlooking one big thing.... how are you going to lift the car high enough to get the joints and suspention apart?

I guess it is possible, but this isn't a light fixture...this is a major part of the vehicle.

Good luck, and happy driving!

Silver '02 Si
08-05-2002, 06:25 PM
If you do it yourself you don't have to buy a spring compressor...lots of places will rent them out or let you borrow the tools to do the job...i.e. pep boys/auto zone/kragen (checker, shucks)...and it's not all that difficult to do...just take your time and enjoy the install, don't treat it like it's work...also, most manufacturers will include directions with the kits that you buy...

An alignment is a good idea...but, if you don't do it it won't kill you, just your tires/suspension...the rear is not as important because, unless i'm mistaken you only change the camber not castor or toe...the front on the other hand will whack out all of the above. A good camber kit, (i believe sprint or someone has them available...will get you close to if not right on factory specs with an alignment.

Good luck with your project...

HondaMan
08-05-2002, 10:02 PM
Hmmm...I'm leaning toward getting it done for me @ the price of $175...I'll just have to save up my "allowance" for the next 3 months. ;)

2k2civicSi
08-05-2002, 10:16 PM
will the dealer do 4 wheel allinement

HondaMan
08-05-2002, 10:21 PM
$175 = wheel alignment and installation

1fastminivan
08-05-2002, 10:58 PM
you migh want to wait and save up for a camber kit also man......I did a drop on my old civic and they couldnt do an alignment with out a camberkit and it ate up my tires quickly. it was a 1 3/4 drop from tanabe..thier superdownprecedos springs. I dont know about the alignment on the new si....I dont know if it will affect it bad. Just my 2 cents. Keep in mind you have some expensive rubber on your car.hehe:cool:

DynaSpeed
08-06-2002, 08:10 AM
$82 for a spring compressor is way overkill... are you talking about a clamshell compressor? that's one of the big dogs that you don't need for your application. Mine was $28, and works just fine. The clamshells are of course less likely to injure anybody, but that only happens with people without any safety knowledge.

SBC31
08-06-2002, 08:23 AM
Unless you have done many spring jobs in the past, leave it to the pros. This is one thing that is best left to someone who has experience in this.

DynaSpeed
08-06-2002, 08:32 AM
Have you tried it before? I never say that, until I know that I can't do it. And the only reason I know I wouldn't be able to do it myself is if I don't have the correct tool. But spring work is not difficult. Two hands, jack-stands, sockets & wrenches, a spring compressor, patience, and you're all set.

David K.
08-06-2002, 09:16 AM
One other thing to keep in mind is that our cars have a McPhersion(spelling?) strut setup. I had my H&R's installed by a local import performance shop and they aparently didn't have a working knowledge of this setup. From what I understand the whole strut assembly rotates with the wheel when you are turning and if you do not reassemble it properly you will get binding and a really nasty popping noise when you turn your wheel. I had to take my to another shop (Jotech) to get the prob. corrected. IMO it's worth it to have this done correctly the first time.

HondaMan
08-06-2002, 12:27 PM
Yeah, I found out a spring compressor is only like $28 via Harbor Freight. I could do it but I'm thinking a pro needs to do it now. The camber plate is a serious consideration, cause I do have some expensive rubber on my ride.

xlr8
08-06-2002, 03:18 PM
Originally posted by HondaMan
Yeah, I found out a spring compressor is only like $28 via Harbor Freight. I could do it but I'm thinking a pro needs to do it now. The camber plate is a serious consideration, cause I do have some expensive rubber on my ride.
h&r's cause 1.8 degrees of negative camber in the rear. if you decide to get a cmabe kit go ahead i was told by my shop that it will handle great at 1.8 and shouldnt wear the tire too much. the front is self-cambering so no problem there

HondaMan
08-06-2002, 06:28 PM
Originally posted by xlr8

h&r's cause 1.8 degrees of negative camber in the rear. if you decide to get a cmabe kit go ahead i was told by my shop that it will handle great at 1.8 and shouldnt wear the tire too much. the front is self-cambering so no problem there

Ah, great info...thanks bro!

HondaMan
08-06-2002, 06:55 PM
Found spring compressors for $14.

Check it out:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38531

Thinking of doing it myself again, this way I can get them faster...$175 install will delay springs at least 2 months.

HondaMan
08-07-2002, 01:18 PM
Here are another coil spring compressor for only $10:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3980

mixedupneko
08-07-2002, 01:54 PM
Jotec in Texas ? My boy from my crew lived down there and said thast the freaking place to go. hes really good friends with the owern n reps them down here in jersey


neko

OrganDonar 8=D
08-07-2002, 02:27 PM
Originally posted by David K.
One other thing to keep in mind is that our cars have a McPhersion(spelling?) strut setup. I had my H&R's installed by a local import performance shop and they aparently didn't have a working knowledge of this setup. From what I understand the whole strut assembly rotates with the wheel when you are turning and if you do not reassemble it properly you will get binding and a really nasty popping noise when you turn your wheel. I had to take my to another shop (Jotech) to get the prob. corrected. IMO it's worth it to have this done correctly the first time.

i installed my springs and the one tip i could give is when you reassemble the spring/mounting plate pay close attention to where you line up the end of the spring coil. there aren't any instructions on this in the box. i had to take apart my front end twice. i was getting that clunking noise in the front end very loud, frequent, and disturbing. i called in to h&r and in 2 seconds the guy told me what was wrong. (if its that common put it in the damn instructions!!)

anyway, the coil on the h&r spring ends 1/4 turn shorter than the stock spring. so if you do like i did and line it up where the stock ones ended on the top mounting plate, the plate will not sit right. you will then get the clunking noise.
what you do is line up the end of the coil (H&R) where you see the white hash mark on the top of the mounting plate. besides this little problem ,wich you can now avoid, the installation was easy. the rear assembly you cannot mess up and will only take 25-30 minutes. good luck if you decide to go for it

HondaMan
08-07-2002, 02:54 PM
Originally posted by OrganDonar 8=D


i installed my springs and the one tip i could give is when you reassemble the spring/mounting plate pay close attention to where you line up the end of the spring coil. there aren't any instructions on this in the box. i had to take apart my front end twice. i was getting that clunking noise in the front end very loud, frequent, and disturbing. i called in to h&r and in 2 seconds the guy told me what was wrong. (if its that common put it in the damn instructions!!)

anyway, the coil on the h&r spring ends 1/4 turn shorter than the stock spring. so if you do like i did and line it up where the stock ones ended on the top mounting plate, the plate will not sit right. you will then get the clunking noise.
what you do is line up the end of the coil (H&R) where you see the white hash mark on the top of the mounting plate. besides this little problem ,wich you can now avoid, the installation was easy. the rear assembly you cannot mess up and will only take 25-30 minutes. good luck if you decide to go for it

Awesome advice! Many Thanks!

Keep'em coming folks... :)

Edit: BTW, I'm going to go for it!

ApexinSi
08-07-2002, 05:48 PM
take pictures and detailed instructions!!!...I wanna do mine myself also, I don't trust shops :(

HondaMan
08-07-2002, 06:38 PM
Originally posted by ApexinSi
take pictures and detailed instructions!!!...I wanna do mine myself also, I don't trust shops :(

Will do.

Silver '02 Si
08-07-2002, 09:07 PM
self correcting front camber? since when? :confused: by the way, even if you don't go with a camber kit, an alignment will still be a good thing for atleast the front...you have toe and castor to deal with...so atleast get a front alignment...the back on the other hand, i don't think will do you any good at all without the camber kit...but check it out with your local alignment shop, there's a good place here and he even stocks some camber kits...even stock height vehicles need them (atleast in the past), because honda had no camber adjustment on the vehicle stock so they were sometimes needed to do a correct alignment... ;) just a little info i've found out in the past on 2 different accords i've had...so maybe i'm wrong :p but again, check with a reputable alignment shop with knowledge of macpherson strut work... good luck with the install...

02SilverSiHB
08-17-2002, 02:24 PM
Originally posted by FireFighterSI
I wouldn't try lowering it yourself unless you have years of practice and experiance. The new Si has ball joints, rather than your typical hinged joints like other civics. Now your going to need a ball-joint spreader to get them apart. And if you do it wrong of break them, which is easy if you don't know what your doing, then your screwed. Also you might be overlooking one big thing.... how are you going to lift the car high enough to get the joints and suspention apart?

I guess it is possible, but this isn't a light fixture...this is a major part of the vehicle.

Good luck, and happy driving!
hhmmm....not sure what you are talking about, I installed mine in 2 hours. Just used jack stand and a heavy duty lift. And power tools help as well. It's easy as pie :D

CgSi
08-17-2002, 08:16 PM
Installed springs on Celica without a compressor. My friend used an airgun and it didn't spring off at all..it jumped a half inch or so.
Not too bad

HondaMan
08-17-2002, 10:57 PM
It went okay, I got the fronts done with help from my wife at times. I really need air/power tools! It took me almost 5 hours to do the left spring install and the right one took less than 2 hours. Rather steep learning curve on the first one, but I got them done...hopefully both rear installs will take less than 2 hours tomorrow. My car looks funny right now...low in the front and jacked up in the rear...hehe! :D

I will have pics and a general how to from my spring install late tomorrow (after I get done)...stay tuned!

Thanks again 02SilverSiHB for helping me out over the phone! :) Also, I'm with you...I'm not sure what FireFighterSI is smoking...I don't think he knows what his talking concerning this topic/thread (no offense dude). ;)

Lastly, buy, rent or borrow air/power tools (impact wrench/gun) if you can!!! I highly recommend it!!! They would have saved me a crap load of time and soreness!

02SilverSiHB
08-18-2002, 08:16 AM
Originally posted by HondaMan
It went okay, I got the fronts done with help from my wife at times. I really need air/power tools! It took me almost 5 hours to do the left spring install and the right one took less than 2 hours. Rather steep learning curve on the first one, but I got them done...hopefully both rear installs will take less than 2 hours tomorrow. My car looks funny right now...low in the front and jacked up in the rear...hehe! :D

I will have pics and a general how to from my spring install late tomorrow (after I get done)...stay tuned!

Thanks again 02SilverSiHB for helping me out over the phone! :) Also, I'm with you...I'm not sure what FireFighterSI is smoking...I don't think he knows what his talking concerning this topic/thread (no offense dude). ;)

Lastly, buy, rent or borrow air/power tools (impact wrench/gun) if you can!!! I highly recommend it!!! They would have saved me a crap load of time and soreness!
:D yeah, air power tools rule! :D The rear is a piece of cake, it's just getting them back in was a pain for me

HondaMan
08-18-2002, 09:34 AM
Yeah, now I remember why it wasn't that bad doing the suspension mods on my '89 Civic Si with my mechanic buddy years ago...HE HAD AIR/POWER TOOLS! LOL! :D

HondaMan
08-18-2002, 03:13 PM
Well, it sounds like my front springs are not sitting correctly had make a noise when hitting bumps (especially the right front)...it's not real bad but noticeable...I followed all the advice given by folks here and now I'm confused.

Maybe they will settle in after awhile. BTW, do you take off or move up the rubber sleeve on the front springs??? Maybe that's the problem? :confused:

FourJays
08-20-2002, 12:29 PM
$175?!! I was quoted installing H&R springs as a 5-hour job at $350.00 by a Tire Rack-recommended shop!

HondaMan
08-20-2002, 01:11 PM
I had quotes that high as well. As cheap as ANT Wheel here in Portland said they would do it (it was actually $150) I should have gone with them. O well, I'll save myself about $75 after its all said and done. BTW, ANT Wheel is also a tirerack.com approved place.

HondaMan
08-20-2002, 01:14 PM
Oh yeah, I'm redo'ing the front springs Saturday...to fix my mistake. You live and learn I guess. I should have a pretty good how to after it's all done. So, anybody wanting to install H&R Sport Springs themselves will have nice instructions to follow. I'll have that up within a week or so. :)

sammysir
08-20-2002, 02:15 PM
OrganDonar 8=D

yah im getting some clunking as well in the front from my neuspeed not sure what you mean by lining up the coil to the hash marks any chance you could elaborate please?

cheers

HondaMan
08-20-2002, 03:05 PM
Your PM inbox is full, clean it out buddy so I can PM you about the white hash mark deal or let's chat real-time via AIM or MSN (see profile for usernames) soon...thanks! :)

HondaMan
08-24-2002, 09:09 PM
I'm all good now (finally)! :D Grease Grease Grease!!!

I'll have my "how to" for spring install up soon...

chenchao
08-26-2002, 11:55 AM
Hondaman, your the man! Sorry, I'm just trying to butter you up to hurry with the h&r spring how to.:eek: When its all said and done, I believe your how to could possibly be the most important one on here. Could you also in your spring how-to, include what spring compressor, grease, you used? and what exactly is up with those hash marks? Sorry, i'm an ass and suspension dumb.

P.S. All you need to do now is bust them headlights open and paint them black, I think that looks best on nighthawk. or if you want gunmetal like me, I'd use tamiya brand modeling lacquer/paint. 2 cans.

HondaMan
08-26-2002, 01:24 PM
Thanks for reminding me...I should have grabbed my digicam at lunch so I could upload the rest of the pics. O well, I'll have it done ASAP.