adg44

I got a set of H&R sport springs and I'm planning on installing them this weekend.

Are there any special tools that I need?

Did you guys change the bushings when you did a new suspension setup? I only have 20,000 miles on the car, but perhaps the strut bushings are worn.

Any other suggestions/tips?

Thanks,

- Anthony

Sneaky Pete

I'm sure Ed or Redbridge among a bunch of others have got some good tips on this. Guys?

okbarnett

rears not bad, just a spring compresser. But fronts have to split the ball joints and when you put them on, you have to have it aligned immediatly

adg44

What do you mean "split the ball joints"?

philooo

talking alignment, I see people align their car 'manually' with a thread... is it possible to get good result doing that ?

in other word, can we align a car at home ?

Sneaky Pete

I would NOT try an alignment at the house unless your house has a Hunter machine.

Do a search on here for changing out the springs. I recently put an X74 suspension on the car and had some help. Also researched it on RL before I dove in. Good Luck!

ivangene

last weekend i talked a guy thru some of the steps on the phone - its really not that bad - you need some tools - spring clamp comes to mind and good selection of "regular tools"

there are step by step instructions but I just "winged it" and really its pretty easy to figure out.

when are you doing it? - also the guy has not called me back but his initial impression was the H&R's on stock struts was a little bounce? I didnt drive it so not sure what he meant - I had Eibach on mine and found them quite nice, doubt there is much diff

nick49

Like anything else, it depends on your mechanical ability/ apptitude. Can you accurately measure, loosen suspension mounting points, make adjustments, and check your work?

Alignment is not a black art, it's pretty easy and straight forward. If done at home in the driveway, it can be a rewarding experience. But a word of caution, it is critical to fully understand the process before going about it. I'm certain there are people that align cars professionally that have all the best equipment, yet don't really have a clue what they are doing. Give them levels, string, straight edges, tape measures, jacks and wrenches and they couldn't align a car for a million $.

I replaced all the suspension expendable compenents, bushings and bearings on a Jag XKE I had years ago and had to align both ends just to get it to an alignment shop. I decided to go one step further and dial it in to factory specs rather than getting it close. So the full alignment was done at home. 130mph hands off the wheel proved my results.

Years ago, I took the f & r suspension off my Jeep and did a 3.5" lift, new control arms, springs, shocks, track bar, etc. Driveway alignment worked perfect, handles superb, very even tire wear. 65k miles is proof that it can work.

Another point, is if you understand alignment and how to accomplish what you want, you realize the factory spec is a one size fits all recommendation. You won't go too far wrong using this, but it may not be right for you either. You can tweek it to get what you want and improve the car. This is true for everything else as well, ride height, tire pressures, sway bar diameters and settings.

adg44

I may try and do it today actually, since I have nothing else to do. I am wondering if I should replace any of the wear items though since I'll have the suspension apart, but I do only have 20,000 miles so they may not need to be replaced.

I've done lots of suspensions before so I'm not really too worried. I have a spring compressor, a spindle spreader tool (although I don't think I need that for this car), and a full selection of regular tools.

I've read numerous threads about lifting the 996 to put it jackstands, and I don't feel comfortable lifting via the motor. I think I'm going to put the front on jackstands, then keep the rear in the air with two floor jacks, and then put two jack stands under the rear suspension crossmember as a fail-safe.

I'll take pictures and post back when I'm done.

- Anthony

adg44

People try to do this, and for a ghetto alignment it will work, but you have absolutely no idea what the actual camber, caster, and toe setting sare unless you use an alignment machine. The cost of wear on your tires will be more than just spending $100 to get a real alignment.

After installing a suspension though, wait a week or two for everything to settle before you go get an alignment.

- Anthony

ivangene

should be "cake" for you

took me 30 minutes ea in the rear to take out and mount (not including bench time) and a little over an hour ea up front (again no bench time) - I bought my replacements pre assembled

ivangene

where the hell is this at ?? my guy charges WAY more than that...think the least I paid was more than double that

philooo

when you do the upgrade, try to take a couple pictures for us

I want to upgrade my suspension and I think I 'll bring it to the shop, hoping to have it aligned at the same time.

About your remark to wait until it settle, does it means that I should do another alignment a few weeks after ?

I am curious to see a diy on suspension replacement. I want to replace mine with PSS10, I like the idea of adjustable suspensions.

ivangene

no - it settles in a couple miles (aka on the way to the alignment shop) unless you left bolts loose

adg44

That's not true - the springs need to settle, as do new struts and most especially bushings (if you replaced those).

I just finished this (it took about 6 hours working alone), and aligning the rear shock was the hardest part of the whole process. You really need two people to do that, but I managed to do it alone. A true pry-bar would have made everything go a lot easier.

As for the drop - it is perfect. I think the rear could be maybe .25" higher, but it definitely looks good. I'd put it at factory GT3 height, maybe a tad lower. With my GT3 fitment wheels, it looks amazing. I'll post some pics tomorrow.

- Anthony