H&R Spring Install Procedure (Quick and Cheap!)

[Pbalias]

Ok everyone...

First, this procedure is QUICK and CHEAP if and only if you have access to 1)Car Lift 2)Transmission jack 3)metric sockets 4)impact wrench 5)small sledge hammer 6)pry bar.

REAR SPRINGS: (10 minutes per side)

Lift the car. Under the lower control arm, position the transmission jack so it supports the arm just under the inner most bolt (the only bolt towards the middle of the car.) After you support the arm, with the impact wrench take out the nut and bolt. (I think it's a #15) The bolt should slide out easily, maybe a little light tapping will help. Now, lower the transmission jack all the way, slowly. The spring will just hang there. Pull it down, take off the spring pad (on my car smallest pads were already installed). Put the spring pad on the new spring. Be careful because there is a groove in both the spring pad and the control arm for the last coil of the spring. With the spring pad on the top of the new spring, stick it in the upper spring support. It should just dangle there. Now, jack up the control arm until you align the hole back up (you might have t play with this for a few minutes), stick in the bolt, and tighten the nut. Do the same for the other side.

Fronts: (about 30 minutes per side)

These are a little more complicated. First, you need to remove the sway bar bracket, to let the control arm fall when you take the bolts out. The sway bar bracket has to nuts, #13. ake those off, remove the half moon bracket and the bar comes free from there. Next, position your transmission jack agan under the middle of the control arm. Loosen both control arm nuts, and (again you're gonna have to play with them) tap the bolts out. CAUTION!!! Make sure that damn control arm is supported with the jack or it will come done with pressure from the spring and could probably kill you! (Ask me how I know hehehe) Let the jack all the way down, pull out the spring, put the pad on the new spring, stick the new spring in the support. Raise the jack, align the holes for the bolts, and put the bolts in, re-align the car and thats it!!! The trickiest part is aligning those darn holes and getting the sping to sit just right. Thats what you may ned the hammer and prybar for. Anyway, thats all...good luck!

Peter

[Ashman]

hehe DOH!

I was thinking, a couple of jack stands, a spring compressor, and a floor jack to compress the spring for the compressor. hehe

Though removing the compressor from the springs would probably be very dangerous if done too quickly, but I have no clue.

So the instructions are easy to follow, but I don't have access to a Lift, Trans Jack, or impact wrench.

So possibly I can still do it my way, on a weekend if I do it slowly or should I just bite the bullet and pay my mechanic to do it...

He wants $250 which isn't too bad, kind of right in the ball park of most of the others I have talked to on here.

I might just have him do it. Though I still am very interested in trying it myself, if only to save the money. hehe

Alon

[Edited by Ashman on 02-14-2001 at 08:34 PM]