front springs??
11-17-2003, 02:16 PM
#2
Race Director
http://www.tech-session.com/kb/index...x_v2&id=68&c=4
Loosen lug nuts one turn with car on the ground. Lift the front of the car and properly suppor with jack-stands. Remove the wheels. Use the jack to lift the control arm 2-3 inches... this relieves some stress on the spring so you may safely install the spring compressor and tighten it down. Do NOT support the weight of the vehicle with the jack under the control arm - this could cause damage and make the car unstable on the jack-stands.
Remove the brake line clips and pad wear sensor wires from the insert in the bottom of the struts. Attach a bungee to each brake disc and secure to car body to hold them upright when the bottom strut bolts are removed. Remove the 2 bottom bolts of the struts (see illustration) (you may want to scribe the alignment settings to attempt an accurate reinstallation). Go under the hood and remove the top 4 nuts (see illustration). Remove strut/spring assembly.
Remove the top "strut nut", for this you will want a deep 60 degree offset box wrench (22mm - not Craftsman). An alternative to this is to zip it off with an air gun. Be sure to note how the assembly is put together. Remove the top strut assembly and the compressed spring.
Rebuildable struts (see illustration): Removing the screwed on strut caps calls for a special tool (9186)... or, you can use a 3" or larger Pipe Wrench (monkey wrench). If the caps are "frozen", insert a large screwdriver through the bottom strut bolt hole. Position it to get a good grip, and use the hammer and chisel to get strut cap loose (striking cap to turn it counter-clockwise). Finish removing the cap as normal. Remove the strut insert. Clean threads of strut and coat with WD40. You can add ATF to the strut cavity to aid heat dissipation... be sure not to overfill. Replace the strut insert and tighten cap with a monkey wrench, using the large screwdriver to hold the strut from turning.
Sealed struts: No action necessary, skip to next step.
Release spring compressors from old springs and put them on new springs. Tighten them EVENLY, a little at a time. Install over struts. Replace the bumper and dust cap. Put on top spring mount and new upper strut bearing. Replace and attempt to torque the top strut nut (again, much easier with an air gun). Put the strut assembly back and tighten four upper bolts. Install the lower bolts. Lower the control arm ball joints back onto the jack stands. Once again, lower enough to compress the springs but DO NOT let the jack stands completely support the car! The spring compressors should be easy to take off. Put the lines back in the clips, remove the bungees, and the job is done.
If you are installing the Weltmeister 200# or 250# springs, this will lower the front ride height by ~1.5". You may want to balance the car by lowering the rear also. Rear ride height can be accomplished by adjusting the eccentric on the spring plate.
Notes: 1. It is possible to use the weight of the car on the strut as a pseudo spring compression device. For safety reasons, we will not recommend this procedure. 2. Use great caution when working with spring compressors and while removing the strut nut. 3. Replace all self-locking nuts with new units if at all suspect. 4. In most cases, you will need an alignment once the job is completed. 5. When removing the camber eccentric, loosen by the nut - not by the bolt.
Loosen lug nuts one turn with car on the ground. Lift the front of the car and properly suppor with jack-stands. Remove the wheels. Use the jack to lift the control arm 2-3 inches... this relieves some stress on the spring so you may safely install the spring compressor and tighten it down. Do NOT support the weight of the vehicle with the jack under the control arm - this could cause damage and make the car unstable on the jack-stands.
Remove the brake line clips and pad wear sensor wires from the insert in the bottom of the struts. Attach a bungee to each brake disc and secure to car body to hold them upright when the bottom strut bolts are removed. Remove the 2 bottom bolts of the struts (see illustration) (you may want to scribe the alignment settings to attempt an accurate reinstallation). Go under the hood and remove the top 4 nuts (see illustration). Remove strut/spring assembly.
Remove the top "strut nut", for this you will want a deep 60 degree offset box wrench (22mm - not Craftsman). An alternative to this is to zip it off with an air gun. Be sure to note how the assembly is put together. Remove the top strut assembly and the compressed spring.
Rebuildable struts (see illustration): Removing the screwed on strut caps calls for a special tool (9186)... or, you can use a 3" or larger Pipe Wrench (monkey wrench). If the caps are "frozen", insert a large screwdriver through the bottom strut bolt hole. Position it to get a good grip, and use the hammer and chisel to get strut cap loose (striking cap to turn it counter-clockwise). Finish removing the cap as normal. Remove the strut insert. Clean threads of strut and coat with WD40. You can add ATF to the strut cavity to aid heat dissipation... be sure not to overfill. Replace the strut insert and tighten cap with a monkey wrench, using the large screwdriver to hold the strut from turning.
Sealed struts: No action necessary, skip to next step.
Release spring compressors from old springs and put them on new springs. Tighten them EVENLY, a little at a time. Install over struts. Replace the bumper and dust cap. Put on top spring mount and new upper strut bearing. Replace and attempt to torque the top strut nut (again, much easier with an air gun). Put the strut assembly back and tighten four upper bolts. Install the lower bolts. Lower the control arm ball joints back onto the jack stands. Once again, lower enough to compress the springs but DO NOT let the jack stands completely support the car! The spring compressors should be easy to take off. Put the lines back in the clips, remove the bungees, and the job is done.
If you are installing the Weltmeister 200# or 250# springs, this will lower the front ride height by ~1.5". You may want to balance the car by lowering the rear also. Rear ride height can be accomplished by adjusting the eccentric on the spring plate.
Notes: 1. It is possible to use the weight of the car on the strut as a pseudo spring compression device. For safety reasons, we will not recommend this procedure. 2. Use great caution when working with spring compressors and while removing the strut nut. 3. Replace all self-locking nuts with new units if at all suspect. 4. In most cases, you will need an alignment once the job is completed. 5. When removing the camber eccentric, loosen by the nut - not by the bolt.