want to lower my car

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

i read somewhere i think it was on this forum on how to check if you need new shocks, and i'm pretty sure i do. Anyway, while i'm in there, might as well get lowering springs. So i was first wondering if this job is possible to be done at home. I have my dad to help me, he's been around cars his whole life, and i've replaced shocks before, it's not so much the shocks i'm worried about, more the springs. I heard you have to have some special tools for the job?

How much would it be to pay someone to install new shocks/springs?

Can i do it myself?

If someone could hook me up with a link to some cheap but acceptable springs that lower the car 1-1.5 inches that would be awesome.

how much are bilsteins? and could i have a link to those too?

[notsonic]

Re: want to lower my car

my friend and i have done springs/shocks twice so far. once on my camaro and once on his t/a.

its really pretty easy.

take a look over the guides at www.ls1howto.com

you can rent spring compressors from autozone for free, which is great. other than maybe a torque wrench (which everyone should have :D)thats the only uncommon tool youll need.

the rears are very easy. the springs literally drop out. when you raise the car remember to raise it from the subframe and not the lcas or axle. just make sure you line up the coil with the mount so its flush.

the shocks are just a simple nut on the top inside the car and a nut on the axle.

the nut inside the car is infinitely easeir if you have a ratcheting wrench. you need to hold the shaft of the shock with a hex key to keep it from spinning while you tighten the nut.

the front is a little more complicated since you need to remove the wheels and upper a arm and all.

under the hood youll need to move the loosen the bolts on the brake reservior so you can get it out of the way and get to the 4 bolts/nuts on the top of the shock tower.

on the bottom of the shock theres two bolts that hold it in. take note of the angle of the base of the shock in relation to its position in the whole assembly. it can be a pita to rotate that little bit to line up the holes.

theres a castle nut at the top of the spindle that attaches it to the upper a arm. so dont forget to have new cotter pins handy.

once you get the assembly out make sure you remember to put the upper a arm back in. we forgot that once.

make sure you have the spring compressed before you go taking off the nut on the top of the shock (jesus nut).

when putting it back together with the new spring its possible to have someone push down and compress the spring while you get the jesus nut goin. saves time but its probably a stupid thing to do.

dont forget to reuse the dust boot/bumpstop from your front shocks as well as the spring seat. if you can get new ones id reccomend it.

and yeah. its definitely possible to do the rear by yourself no problem, but the fronts are much much easier with two people.

also dont forget to support the spindle when you undo it from the upper a arm. itll be hangin by the brake line otherwise.

i dunno how much the cost is to have it done but its easy enough to do yourself i think. if i can do it with almost no experience, there shouldnt be a problem.

i went with the eibach prokit and bilstein shocks. a popular combo but the bilsteins arent the perfect shocks to go with the springs. if i could do it again i think i wouldve gone for the kyb agx shocks since theyre adjustable.

i think that covers everything

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: want to lower my car

Thanks very much. I don't need an estimate on the cost of getting it installed i guess. I'm sure my dad and I can tackle this one. He built a lincoln continental from the ground up after he striped it down. Nice restoration looks great. Anyway, he's knows a whole lot about cars, and this should go smoothly.

How much were your springs/shocks?

[notsonic]

Re: want to lower my car

i got all my stuff from summitracing. they ship super fast and tend to have the best prices.

the shocks should run you around $400 for the 4, and the springs i think are $230.

i think the kyb's are a little more money but they are adjustable. and a lot of people here like em.