In terms of car modifications, lowering springs are among the most popular with car owners, with the benefits of lowered vehicles including a sleeker appearance and easier handling. At the same time, however, the benefits don’t come without a set of downsides—from possible discomfort during longer trips to a general rougher ride despite how well lowered vehicles hug the turns of twisting roads. If this is a modification you’re interested in, check out our installation guide below for lowering springs.
Springs Without Struts and Shocks
For car owners with enough of a mechanical background to install their own lowering springs, it’s important to remember that installing lowering springs on top of worn out or blown struts and shocks can be harmful for the vehicle or even dangerous, depending on when and how owners drive their vehicles. Before installing lowering springs, closely inspect the state of your struts and shocks. Check for leaks as well as whether they bounce when absorbing bumps. If any case like this, pick up some new struts and shocks before installing the lowering springs.
Tools for Installing Lowering Springs
Before starting the installation process, run through the tools you have and ensure you have the right ones, which should include the following:
- Essential hand tools, such as pry bars, screwdrivers, fractional and metric wrenches, fractional and metric sockets, extensions, and ratchets.
- Pneumatic or electric impact wrench.
- Spring compressors.
- Floor jack with jack stands.
How to Install Lowering Springs
The process of installing lowering springs into a vehicle is much like installing new struts and shocks, and the steps include the following:
- Jack the car up, supporting it using jack stands.
- Take out the first strut/shock. This may require loosening or removing the bottom ball joint in order to provide enough room for swinging the strut/shock free.
- Once the first strut is off, use spring compressors for compressing the stock spring.
- With the impact wrench, remove the top cap and nut from the strut/shock.
- With the compressors attached, remove the spring, and then the compressors from the spring.
- Slide your new spring over the strut/shock.
- Refasten the top cap and nut, and then reinstall the strut/shock.
- Repeat the previous steps for the vehicle’s other corners.
For more detailed questions regarding the removal and replacement of a car’s springs, check workshop manuals for your car. No matter what, always make sure you compress the springs before removing the top cap and nut from the strut/shock. Failing to compress the springs correctly could result in severe injury.
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