Changing Springs & Shocks How To

[Mark]

After changing the shocks and springs all round i thought it would be of use to do a how to for the peeps I only thought of it halfway through doing the rears so some the pics look out of sequence but they serve the purpose of an illustration

Rears

Tools required - Jack, Axel Stands, Wheel brace or 21mm Socket, 19mm Socket, 14mm Socket, 14mm Swan neck spanner, Molegrips, 1/2" Rachet, 1/2" Knuckle bar

1) Jack the back up and place on stands, remove wheel



2) Crack off bolt at bottom of shock



3) Remove rear shelf and enough interior rear trim panels to gain access to strut top


4) Whilst holding the part with the flats with molegrips or similar undo the strut top nut (centre) with a 14mm spanner (access is pants and movement limited) Leave the nut on the last few threads.



5) Remove the strut off the bottom bush (support hub with jack)



6) Remove top nut and extract strut and spring

7) Remove plate and rubber bush from top of old shock and fit to new



8) Assemble spring losely in position



9) Locate spring in top cup and fit top nut on losely

10) Using the jack guide the bottom of the strut on to the bush



11) Fit bottom bolt and tighten to spec 98-118Nm

12) Nip top nut up, replace wheel and drop car down. Torque top nut to 18-24Nm

13) Repeat for otherside

The manual says to remove the strut and spring as an assembly and use spring clamps but i did it this way with no problems. Like this....

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=90153


Fronts

Tools required - Jack, Axel Stands, Wheel brace or 21mm Socket, 19mm Socket, 14mm Socket, 12mm Socket, 17mm Socket, 1/2" Rachet, 1/2" Knuckle bar, Mallet, Large Flat Screwdriver, Springclamps.

1) Jack the front up and place on stands, remove wheel

2) Undo the 2 bottom strut bolts (17mm bolthead, 19mm nut)



3) Undo ABS Sensor wire bracket (12mm, under 'n' shape loop) and remove brakeline clip (mallet and screwdriver)



4) Crack off 3 top mount nuts



5) Remove strut and spring assembly



6) Using springclamps compress spring and crack off top nut, remove top mount.



7) Fit new spring to new shock (if applicable), compress spring and fit top mount (take care of orrientation). Fit top nut, torque to 59-78Nm



8) Locate assembly in position and losely fir top mount nuts.

9) Locate strut back into hub and fit bolts

10) Fit ABS sensor bracket bolt and brake line clip

11) Torque hub bolts/nuts to 123-152NM

12) Refit wheel, drop car back on ground and torque top mount bolts to 39-54NM

13) Repeat for other side



Cheers to Chil for the other write up and pics

[Dave_S]

Nice one mate

Dave

[Matt.Wild]

Cheers dude - doing mine in the next couple of months and that'll be king

[hadyn]

you've surpassed yourself again marky, ill be using this guide when i do my springs in the next few weeks

[Cluck]

Fronts

Tools required - Jack, Axel Stands, Wheel brace or 21mm Socket, 19mm Socket, 14mm Socket, 12mm Socket, 17mm Socket, 1/2" Rachet, 1/2" Knuckle bar, Mallet, Large Flat Screwdriver, Springclamps.

1) Jack the back up and place on stands, remove wheel



Are you sure you want to jack the "BACK" up to sort out the front suspension. It seems to me that this might make it a little difficult.

Yours pedantically

Nice guide though mate. I'm replacing my suspension just as soon as the insurance company tells me it's not going to cripple my premiums.

Here's looking forward to a long weekend of rain, so that I can make sure my RLTC is working properly. Sorry all you sun loving peeps

[Mark]

Are you sure you want to jack the "BACK" up to sort out the front suspension. It seems to me that this might make it a little difficult.

Yours pedantically

Well done in spotting the deliberate mistake

[Phil L]

hard as it may seem since your guide (and Chils) have pictures and words , I'm a little confused...

For the rears:
do you need spring clamps or not?
I know you say you didn't but then how did you get the top plate back on top of the spring? Chil says he used spring clamps...

[Mark]

if you dont use clamps you just undo the centre nut and not the 2 outer ones, the top plate then stays attached to the car

[Phil L]

aah, I see now...I was thinking about asking why you didn't mention taking off the 2 top nuts...

well, looks like I'll have to get spring clamps or swan neck spanners, depending on which way I do it...

[dexteruk]

can you do the same trick with the front? undo the centre nut and leave the top mount attached to the car?

[Vez]

[dan_t]

Please help!!!

I have just started the rears following @Nismo Marks instructions but have come across a problem!!

The top stut bolt is hidden under some kind of cover!! ???

All i can see are the 2 outer bolts....

Please help, car is stranded without fitting these today!

[antony]

you will have to unbolt the whole thing and use spring compressors to take the top moiunt and spring off

[GrahamB]

I take it you have a 14a? In which case you will have to remove the whole unit cause the cover is fitted over the top of the rear shock. You will have to use the conventional method taking off the top mount also Just undo the two bolts and drop the whole lot off

[dan_t]

bloody hell... not a job I can do then.

[GrahamB]

bloody hell... not a job I can do then.

Why ever not??? Its a shed load easier than the front

[dan_t]

I dont have spring compressers... basicly.

Its a late S14... not the A but I guess they must have started to merge things...

[purplepower]

I dont have spring compressers... basicly.

Its a late S14... not the A but I guess they must have started to merge things...

Get yourself down your local motorfactors, spring compressors are only a few quid. Mine were under a tenner iirc, and are very easy to use


Excellent how to mark and just in time for the barrage of sets of coilovers waiting to be fitted

[ELORTO]

Olé! Great guide. It'll be very usefull to me soon. Thx.

[A14LN C]

ace had a wee search for this and this has done a world of good...u make it look so simple