Removing old springs and replacing with coilovers

[mrxchan]

i have a 95 Mits Eclipse GS-T.. and my car has like really worn out lowered springs that i need to replace.. i was recommended coilovers.. do i need to compress the springs in order to take them out and add coilovers?.. can i just take them out with compression?

 

[boosted86]

do you have stock struts(shocks) if you do i wouldn't install coilovers, they will most likely blow your shock,your best best is to get lowering springs, there less stressful on your shocks, (if you put coilovers on your shocks will blow in 1 week 2 weeks top)you do not need a sring compressor to take the the spring off (becarful as when the top bolt comes off it spring up, becarful!) but you do need compressors to put the springs back on. if you decide to go with the coilover path, you will not need compressors,as the coilover assembly is much smaller than the "spring". if i was you spend a little extra money and get a tokico strut and coilover assembly,trust me itill be worth it!

 

[wret]

i have a 95 Mits Eclipse GS-T.. and my car has like really worn out lowered springs that i need to replace.. i was recommended coilovers.. do i need to compress the springs in order to take them out and add coilovers?.. can i just take them out with compression?

You will need to be a little more specific. The term "coilover" is typically used to describe a shock/spring combo with a threaded shock body to allow height adjustment of the spring perch. Some coilovers come complete with mounting hats so that disassembly of your old set is not required. Other kits, like ground control, add an ajustable perch to your stock style shocks and essentially turn them into coilovers.

In any case, disassembly of your stock shocks (or non non-coilover type shocks) without the aid of a spring compressor is NOT recommended. Sure, many have done it without injury but it is both easier and safer to use the proper tool, which can be borrowed from many parts stores or bought cheaply from Harbor Freight.

 

[4BangR-x]

At Autozone or similar, you cna pay a 20 dollar deposit on a spring compressor. Use it and return it, get your 20 dollars back.

Also, have you actually decided what you are going with yet?

 

[JayRolla]

Yea im confused coilover's include the shock, so how would it kill the shock. I bought my spring compressor from advanced because they say they didnt rent them. It only cost like $15 to buy.

 

[wret]

Yea im confused coilover's include the shock, so how would it kill the shock. I bought my spring compressor from advanced because they say they didnt rent them. It only cost like $15 to buy.

Lowering on stock shocks will shorten their life. They are not designed to control the higher spring rates.

 

[JayRolla]

Thats why im confused. Lowering springs yes will kill the stock strut. But when you buy coilovers dont they include the strut and spring all together. If not what makes them so damn expensive. If I bought a coilover set up I would still have to buy the struts. That makes no sense to me at all.

 

[wret]

Yes, coilovers typically come complete with springs. Many don't include hats though (the part at the top the bolts to the car. In this case the stock shocks must be disassembled to remove the hats.

 

[mitsugst97]

Thats why im confused. Lowering springs yes will kill the stock strut. But when you buy coilovers dont they include the strut and spring all together. If not what makes them so damn expensive. If I bought a coilover set up I would still have to buy the struts. That makes no sense to me at all.

Read the bolded text, he explained it. not all "coil-over" setups include the entire unit.
search ebay for eclipse + coilover and you will see what i mean.

You will need to be a little more specific. The term "coilover" is typically used to describe a shock/spring combo with a threaded shock body to allow height adjustment of the spring perch. Some coilovers come complete with mounting hats so that disassembly of your old set is not required. Other kits, like ground control, add an ajustable perch to your stock style shocks and essentially turn them into coilovers.

In any case, disassembly of your stock shocks (or non non-coilover type shocks) without the aid of a spring compressor is NOT recommended. Sure, many have done it without injury but it is both easier and safer to use the proper tool, which can be borrowed from many parts stores or bought cheaply from Harbor Freight.

 

[JayRolla]

Ohh ok sorry, I never knew that some do not come with shocks.

 

[wret]

This should help:

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Note the dramatic use of color on all aftermarket shocks and components. This greatly enhances their performance and anyone who sticks their head under you car will be duly impressed.

Here's an incredibly detailed documentation of a Ground Contol installation on a Miata with an appropriately complex web address:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...22+coilovers&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&sa=G

 

[JayRolla]

Thats what I was about to say. My friend has ground control kit on his prelude and I never really considered those coilovers. They only costed him about 400 bucks so I thought they where just adjustable coils and not coilover kit.

 

[boosted86]

most places will sale the coilover assembely(springs and perch) and the strut together, go to any performance website and chances are they sale the in pakages. ,even ebay, heres an example:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Eclipse-Talon-Struts-Coilovers-95-99-DropZone-Drop_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33586QQihZ018QQitemZ280004555103QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW#ebayphotohosting