Howdy All,
I've got Eibach springs and Bilstein struts on the way. I can't figure out the service manual or Chilton's for installation. Do I have to use a special compressor to assemble the two together or can I use an over the counter compressor? Any body got any links to "walk throughs"?
Thanks,
Gabe

 

Our cars use a coil over fron suspension. So there are no struts. Its is springs and shocks. You will have to use a spring compressor that mounts on the outside of the spring, not on the inside like for struts. Auto Zone and Checkers rent's them.

You will have to take the coil over assembly off the car. Remove the upper rubber shock mount and assemble the new setup with your old shock mounts. Just remember how everything came apart and assembly will be reverse. Also, the upper a arm, shock, spring, etc is all one assembly and can be removed as an assembly without using the spring comressor. THen once it is off the car, use the spring compressor to compress the spring, take the nut off the top of the shock, remove shock mount and seperate shock from spring. THen slowly release the spring tension. Be very carefull with the compressor becuase if you don't compress both sides evenly, or it slips, or other things the spring will shoot out and kill you. I hope i explained this kinda ok.

 

Just installed new springs, shocks, ball joints and poly bushings. Shocks and springs weren't too bad actually, ball joints and bushings were a pain mainly because I decided to press them in and out myself. Next time I'll take everything to a machine shop with a hydraulic press.

I bought a Sears spring compressor and it worked great but you can actually rent pretty much the same thing for free at autozone. I did find some links to some decent install sites and have the material in MS Word docs that I would be happy to mail to you if you send me your email address. Install is actuall pretty straightforward. I would recommend removing the calipers and hanging them and the brake line out of the way. Then you just unbolt the shock at the top, then the bottom and pull it out over the LCA to the rear. Note that drivers side requires removal or loosening of the master cylinder and two of the bolts are torx. Use your spring compressors carefully noting which parts goes where and you should be O.K. The passenger side bolt on the top of the shock will probably be a PITA. I had to eventually cut mine with a die grinder, just be careful not to damage the top mounting bracket. You might get lucky and have one that will come off with some liquid wrench.

Good luck but it's really not that bad of a job.

 

Just pulled my front suspension apart. Not too bad.
I took all my stuff up to a shop that I really like and they will be changing the springs and putting the ball joints and bushings in the control arms. My upper spring seat was really rusted bad, I got some new ones from the dealership, you want to reuse yours if possible cause they are expensive pieces.

 

I have an online procedure for the install of HAL shocks and Eibach Pro-Kit springs. Includes a model number of a Lisle "strut" (yes, that's what Lisle calls it) compressor.

Lisle Strut Compressor

It does help to have an air impact gun to crank the bolts down.

HAL/Pro-Kit Install

 

I second that cause your arm gets mighty tired turning those things.