backyard DIY spring install
03-06-2011 | 01:46 AM
#61
ok Quick Question? I decided to try this out this week end, I dont have a compressor orand impact wrench so I used a lot of the PB blast had it soaked overnight and tried my 24" breaker bar, F**K I rounded the nut!! so how do I get that off now, and where do I get a replacement nut and what size? PLEASE HELP??
03-06-2011 | 11:11 AM
#63
DeWalt DW059 18-Volt Cordless 1/2-inch Impact Wrench
this thing works wonders on DIY jobs. you should pick up a set of Impact Sockets too.
also, what suspension were you trying to install? if springs, don't think about without a compressor. you'll end up getting stuck without one.
03-06-2011 | 12:03 PM
#64
Cool that's some great info. I don't have the cash now to purchase the impact driver. But I guess I could go with 18mm. And as for what I'm
Doing is installing ao
E eibachs springs abd my buddy had a set of spring compressor that would work with the eibachs since they are tightly wound together.
Doing is installing ao
E eibachs springs abd my buddy had a set of spring compressor that would work with the eibachs since they are tightly wound together.
03-10-2011 | 11:35 PM
#66
ok Quick Question? I decided to try this out this week end, I dont have a compressor orand impact wrench so I used a lot of the PB blast had it soaked overnight and tried my 24" breaker bar, F**K I rounded the nut!! so how do I get that off now, and where do I get a replacement nut and what size? PLEASE HELP??
03-11-2011 | 12:14 AM
#68
I got my passenger side off after a few days of soaking it with pb blaster. I used a 24" breaker bar a a 6 point socket and it was really really tuff an finally I could feel it start turning. I realized later that you have to hold te other end of the endlink with a 21mm open wrench to hold it I place until it came really loose. And VOILA! 1:20 hr later. As for my driver side that nut need to be cut since it was ruined.
03-11-2011 | 12:43 AM
#69
I got my passenger side off after a few days of soaking it with pb blaster. I used a 24" breaker bar a a 6 point socket and it was really really tuff an finally I could feel it start turning. I realized later that you have to hold te other end of the endlink with a 21mm open wrench to hold it I place until it came really loose. And VOILA! 1:20 hr later. As for my driver side that nut need to be cut since it was ruined.
08-15-2011 | 10:45 AM
#73
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 1
Reviving this thread. First off, to the op, THANK you for the best DIY out there on doing this. I'm definitely having a real pain doing this on my 07X- the drivesft sits above the lower control arm and doesn't let me lower or rotate the lower strut perch as much as I would like, especially for these very-tightly wrapped Eibachs I bought.
Wow, definitely thinking about that! Already called a Firestone and they want to charge me $50 though... need to keep calling around.
Like others I started stripping bolts attaching to the lower control arm until I switched to a good solid 6-point from the 12-point I had started using. My cheesy little impact wrench helped a lot too! I'm definitely learning how to use my tools properly with this project
Will definitely try raising the other side of the car to change the geometry if I need to...
Still thinking of trying to compress the springs myself using this method, but it sounds like a major PITA... if you have to hammer the clamps up the coil, how are you supposed to get them off once you reinstall the assembly in the car?
I think I'm going to attempt to just compress the bottom part of the spring to get the 2" of clearance I need to reinstall the shock at max extension back in there, then let the car compress it the rest of the way... and if that doesn't work take it in to a shop to have them compress the springs and reattach the top plates, then carefully drive them home and install them in there.
I sure wish they made thinner compressor clamps for these Eibachs!
If you got rounded head bolts, you could buy Craftman BOLTS-OUT
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
Thanks to Black Betty for the tips
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
Thanks to Black Betty for the tips
i had the same problem with this bolt
used a breaker bar=fail
impact wrench=fail
breaker bar with wd-40=fail
impact wrench with wd-40=fail
stronger impact wrench=DING DING DING worked like a charm
i also had a hard time compressing the eibach springs. i got the spring compressor from autozone and like someone mentioned it was to thick to fit between the coils. went to kragen and it was still to thick. took it to a little auto shop where my friend did his tl and they said it was to much to compress. so my last resort was to take it to a shop where my i know they charge up the **** and got it swapped out for 40 bucks =(. the front springs altogether were a PITA. but the rear was a relief took maybe about 20 ot 30 mins for the rear.
i also scraped a little comming out of the driveway we were working in cause i was used to being so high and didnt think the drop was that drastic
used a breaker bar=fail
impact wrench=fail
breaker bar with wd-40=fail
impact wrench with wd-40=fail
stronger impact wrench=DING DING DING worked like a charm
i also had a hard time compressing the eibach springs. i got the spring compressor from autozone and like someone mentioned it was to thick to fit between the coils. went to kragen and it was still to thick. took it to a little auto shop where my friend did his tl and they said it was to much to compress. so my last resort was to take it to a shop where my i know they charge up the **** and got it swapped out for 40 bucks =(. the front springs altogether were a PITA. but the rear was a relief took maybe about 20 ot 30 mins for the rear.
i also scraped a little comming out of the driveway we were working in cause i was used to being so high and didnt think the drop was that drastic
Did this myself this weekend without a buddy or an impact wrench. Got a dude at Sears to mount the spring on the shocks for a $20 tip. I already owned a set of coil spring compressors which didn't work. I borrowed from autozone also wouldn't work so I wasted a lot of time trying to get it to work.
Blue nut was a PITA and I broke a heavy duty socket wrench on it before going out to buy a 24" breaker bar which I extended with some piping to a good 5 feet and it broke loose with me bouncing on the end of it.
All said and done I spent a good 10 hours trying to get them installed. 3 hours of that was messing around with the springs (Sears guy had them on in under 5 minutes.) 2 hours of that was messing around with the blue bolts before sucking it up and going to the store.
One tip that might be useful, I couldn't get the passenger shock to line up with the bottom bolt. I was like 3 inches away and couldn't bounce it into place. I ended up raising the driver side of the car which for some reason lowered the wheel assembly on the passenger side and let me slide it in there.
A 21mm wrench is needed as mentioned above for the blue bolt. (Extra trip to auto zone for that sucker
)
For those of you on the fence about doing this yourself I've prepared this simple flow chart to help you decide.
I must say the car looks so much better.
Blue nut was a PITA and I broke a heavy duty socket wrench on it before going out to buy a 24" breaker bar which I extended with some piping to a good 5 feet and it broke loose with me bouncing on the end of it.
All said and done I spent a good 10 hours trying to get them installed. 3 hours of that was messing around with the springs (Sears guy had them on in under 5 minutes.) 2 hours of that was messing around with the blue bolts before sucking it up and going to the store.
One tip that might be useful, I couldn't get the passenger shock to line up with the bottom bolt. I was like 3 inches away and couldn't bounce it into place. I ended up raising the driver side of the car which for some reason lowered the wheel assembly on the passenger side and let me slide it in there.
A 21mm wrench is needed as mentioned above for the blue bolt. (Extra trip to auto zone for that sucker
)For those of you on the fence about doing this yourself I've prepared this simple flow chart to help you decide.
I must say the car looks so much better.
I unbolted the upper ball joint, and that one bolt going through the bottom of the strut. My impact didnt work, so i put a long pipe on my wrench and it came off (thats approx 5 feet of leverage and shoulder strength). I then removed the other end of the sway bar end link.
I never came across a bolt that my wrench and a long pipe could not tackle.
to compress the eibach springs. I removed the bolts from the spring compressor clamps. I then attached the top clamps on the spring, and hammered them around and up the tightly wound coils. That worked really well, and I got them all the way to the top before I reattached the clamps and compressed the spring. Using lithium grease, or any lubricant on the spring compressors makes them 10x easier to compress.
there is no strut bearing on these cars. when you are assembling the strut, make sure the strut mount is facing the right direction so it goes in the bolt holes on the strut tower correctly
I never came across a bolt that my wrench and a long pipe could not tackle.
to compress the eibach springs. I removed the bolts from the spring compressor clamps. I then attached the top clamps on the spring, and hammered them around and up the tightly wound coils. That worked really well, and I got them all the way to the top before I reattached the clamps and compressed the spring. Using lithium grease, or any lubricant on the spring compressors makes them 10x easier to compress.
there is no strut bearing on these cars. when you are assembling the strut, make sure the strut mount is facing the right direction so it goes in the bolt holes on the strut tower correctly
I think I'm going to attempt to just compress the bottom part of the spring to get the 2" of clearance I need to reinstall the shock at max extension back in there, then let the car compress it the rest of the way... and if that doesn't work take it in to a shop to have them compress the springs and reattach the top plates, then carefully drive them home and install them in there.
I sure wish they made thinner compressor clamps for these Eibachs!
08-18-2011 | 07:24 AM
#74
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 1
Finally have mine on! Just a few tips I learned to help make this go 10x as fast:
- Don't try to compress Eibachs yourself unless you're a masochist. Take the spring/strut assemblies still assembled to a shop with a wall-mounted compressor and have them replace the springs for you. <30 minutes of work, usually will cost you $20-$40 and will save many hours of time, most of the frustration, and the chance of a spring killing you. Just make sure to line up the upper and lower strut perches as mentioned- mark them with a sharpie up and down the shock so you can realign everything.
- AWD models have a different lower strut perch than pictured here. It's more of a wishbone that fits over the driveline shaft, with the downside that you won't be able to push the rotor and lower control arm down all the way to remove the strut. You'll need to unbolt the lower strut perch and the metal bracket that keeps it from sliding down, then push the lower strut perch down against the driveshaft.
- To remove the strut easily, unbolt the single hinge on the upper A-arm.. the one that sticks in your face, NOT the two that connect the A-arm to the engine bay (For many springs such as Eibachs, there is not enough clearance between the coils to remove or reinstall the two bolts at the top of the upper A-arm, which can mean redoing a lot of work!). Once that's done simply push the upper A-arm up out of the way and rotate the spring/shock down partway down, then lift up out of the lower strut perch and pull out.
- Even a cheap impact wrench that comes in a kit with an air compressor, combined with a little PB blast and a reasonable breaker bar make this go 10x as fast. And like previous people have said, ONLY use 6-point sockets!!! I bought a $46 metric Husky-brand black impact wrench socket set from Home Depot (13mm to 27mm) and it will keep you from stripping those bolts. Trust me on this! Only use the 12-point sockets if you absolutely need to to turn bolts that are already completely loose.
Good luck to everyone, and thanks again to the OP and all previous comments for steering me in the right direction!!
- Don't try to compress Eibachs yourself unless you're a masochist. Take the spring/strut assemblies still assembled to a shop with a wall-mounted compressor and have them replace the springs for you. <30 minutes of work, usually will cost you $20-$40 and will save many hours of time, most of the frustration, and the chance of a spring killing you. Just make sure to line up the upper and lower strut perches as mentioned- mark them with a sharpie up and down the shock so you can realign everything.
- AWD models have a different lower strut perch than pictured here. It's more of a wishbone that fits over the driveline shaft, with the downside that you won't be able to push the rotor and lower control arm down all the way to remove the strut. You'll need to unbolt the lower strut perch and the metal bracket that keeps it from sliding down, then push the lower strut perch down against the driveshaft.
- To remove the strut easily, unbolt the single hinge on the upper A-arm.. the one that sticks in your face, NOT the two that connect the A-arm to the engine bay (For many springs such as Eibachs, there is not enough clearance between the coils to remove or reinstall the two bolts at the top of the upper A-arm, which can mean redoing a lot of work!). Once that's done simply push the upper A-arm up out of the way and rotate the spring/shock down partway down, then lift up out of the lower strut perch and pull out.
- Even a cheap impact wrench that comes in a kit with an air compressor, combined with a little PB blast and a reasonable breaker bar make this go 10x as fast. And like previous people have said, ONLY use 6-point sockets!!! I bought a $46 metric Husky-brand black impact wrench socket set from Home Depot (13mm to 27mm) and it will keep you from stripping those bolts. Trust me on this! Only use the 12-point sockets if you absolutely need to to turn bolts that are already completely loose.
Good luck to everyone, and thanks again to the OP and all previous comments for steering me in the right direction!!
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vamarris (06-30-2015)
08-21-2011 | 01:35 PM
#75
Awesome DIY and great feedback throughout the thread. I found a shop that'll do it all for $150 so I think reading about all the rounded bolt heads and spring compressor issues I think I'll just drop it off, pony up the $150, have a few brews and be thankful I read this thread before inventing a dozen new cusswords and having to take it to a shop to remove the rounded bolts and having them compress my springs anyway 
Cheers to those that sacrificed all the sweat & frustration to get this thread to us
Cheers to those that sacrificed all the sweat & frustration to get this thread to us