How-to: Rear spring install without a spring compressor
How-to: Rear spring install without a spring compressor
Disclaimer: I assume no responsibility for injury or death by following these instructions.
Installing rear drop springs on your Neon is fairly simple assuming that you have some knowledge in automotive maintenence and repairs. You will not need a spring compressor in order to install springs on the rear.
Tools you will need:
- car lift jack and safety stand
- spark plug socket
- 10mm socket, 1/4 drive
- 1/4 drive extension
- 1/4 drive ratchet
- a wrench or vise grip pliers
- ratchet and socket to remove your rear tires
- torque wrench
- WD-40
Overview:
We are going to use the weight of the car to our advantage in order to remove the rear springs. First we will remove the nut that holds the strut to the strut top hat. Next we'll remove the tire, jack the car up and let the spring decompress which will force the suspension down. Then we will remove the old spring and replace it with the new one. Finally we will do the above in reverse order to complete the install.
Start by pulling the trunk carpet back to expose the rear strut towers.
These are the tools you will need to remove the nut that holds the strut to the top hat.
Remove the rubber piece from the spark plug socket if it contains one. Insert the 1/4 drive extension into the spark plug socket.
Attach the 10mm socket to the drive extension.
Now using the socket setup and the wrench or vise grip pliers, remove the nut. Give the nut and threads a shot of WD-40 first to help it come off easier.
Jack up your car and remove the tire. Your strut and spring should still be connected at this point.
Now step on your rear suspension setup to decompress the spring and lower your suspension. BE CAREFUL!! Dont place your fingers anywhere inside the wheel well or under the suspension when you do this! It should look something like this when it finally releases.
In order to remove the spring, you will need to compress the strut plunger (correct term?) with your hands. Keeping the strut plunger compressed, you'll need to twist the spring out of place.
I recommend placing a safety stand somewhere under the car just in case the jack slips off the car. Use common sense and be careful!
STOP. Now is a real good time to clean your strut and wheel well. If you want to spay some rust proofing in your wheel well, do it now!
Installing the new spring is the exact opposite of removing. Installing the strut plunger back into the strut top hat will require a lot of force. You'll need to compress the plunger some and just keep pushing until it finally lines up with the hole. Make sure the spring is sitting in the rubber spring bushings correctly.
Now just tighten the strut nut, re-install your wheel, torque your lug nuts, and you're done
I installed used SRT-4 springs. Here are the before and after results. Didn't really drop the car that much. I'm hoping it will settle some with time.
Before:
After:
Stock and SRT-4 springs.
Comments and corrections are welcome
Installing rear drop springs on your Neon is fairly simple assuming that you have some knowledge in automotive maintenence and repairs. You will not need a spring compressor in order to install springs on the rear.
Tools you will need:
- car lift jack and safety stand
- spark plug socket
- 10mm socket, 1/4 drive
- 1/4 drive extension
- 1/4 drive ratchet
- a wrench or vise grip pliers
- ratchet and socket to remove your rear tires
- torque wrench
- WD-40
Overview:
We are going to use the weight of the car to our advantage in order to remove the rear springs. First we will remove the nut that holds the strut to the strut top hat. Next we'll remove the tire, jack the car up and let the spring decompress which will force the suspension down. Then we will remove the old spring and replace it with the new one. Finally we will do the above in reverse order to complete the install.
Start by pulling the trunk carpet back to expose the rear strut towers.
These are the tools you will need to remove the nut that holds the strut to the top hat.
Remove the rubber piece from the spark plug socket if it contains one. Insert the 1/4 drive extension into the spark plug socket.
Attach the 10mm socket to the drive extension.
Now using the socket setup and the wrench or vise grip pliers, remove the nut. Give the nut and threads a shot of WD-40 first to help it come off easier.
Jack up your car and remove the tire. Your strut and spring should still be connected at this point.
Now step on your rear suspension setup to decompress the spring and lower your suspension. BE CAREFUL!! Dont place your fingers anywhere inside the wheel well or under the suspension when you do this! It should look something like this when it finally releases.
In order to remove the spring, you will need to compress the strut plunger (correct term?) with your hands. Keeping the strut plunger compressed, you'll need to twist the spring out of place.
I recommend placing a safety stand somewhere under the car just in case the jack slips off the car. Use common sense and be careful!
STOP. Now is a real good time to clean your strut and wheel well. If you want to spay some rust proofing in your wheel well, do it now!
Installing the new spring is the exact opposite of removing. Installing the strut plunger back into the strut top hat will require a lot of force. You'll need to compress the plunger some and just keep pushing until it finally lines up with the hole. Make sure the spring is sitting in the rubber spring bushings correctly.
Now just tighten the strut nut, re-install your wheel, torque your lug nuts, and you're done
I installed used SRT-4 springs. Here are the before and after results. Didn't really drop the car that much. I'm hoping it will settle some with time.
Before:
After:
Stock and SRT-4 springs.
Comments and corrections are welcome
Last edited by daaboots on Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:20 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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- Nick Drake
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Why not just take the strut out? Just incase, I mean your way works but I could see someone scratching the paint trying to get my new spring in there.
kc2002acr wrote:because if I was racing you at a 60 roll, I would have been in second for a second till I hit 3rd, then I would have called you on my cell phone and asked you if my taillights were all working.
You'd need a wheel alignment if you removed the strut. This way you dont.Nick Drake wrote:Why not just take the strut out? Just incase, I mean your way works but I could see someone scratching the paint trying to get my new spring in there.
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- Nick Drake
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Whenever you change the height of your car, your wheels will be tilted. So you still need an alignment...however small the change will be.daaboots wrote:You'd need a wheel alignment if you removed the strut. This way you dont.Nick Drake wrote:Why not just take the strut out? Just incase, I mean your way works but I could see someone scratching the paint trying to get my new spring in there.
kc2002acr wrote:because if I was racing you at a 60 roll, I would have been in second for a second till I hit 3rd, then I would have called you on my cell phone and asked you if my taillights were all working.
Whenever I took my car in for an alignment due to a pull to the right, the tech adjusted my rear camber by loosing the two rear strut bolts and then somehow adjusted the camber angle back to factory settings. This is why I feel that removing the strut completely will cause the rear camber to be out of alignment.
Yes I realize that lowering the car, even slightly, will throw the camber out. Since the SRT-4 springs only lower my car about 3/4", the negative effects should be very minimal, much less than if I had remove the entire strut in my opinion.
Whether my rear needs and alignment or not is really not an issue anyway. When I replace the front in a few days I'll be going in for a full alignment. This is the way I decided to install my springs, and in doing so, I thought I'd share it with everybody. If you don’t like it or disagree with the procedure, feel free to change your springs the way you want to.
Yes I realize that lowering the car, even slightly, will throw the camber out. Since the SRT-4 springs only lower my car about 3/4", the negative effects should be very minimal, much less than if I had remove the entire strut in my opinion.
Whether my rear needs and alignment or not is really not an issue anyway. When I replace the front in a few days I'll be going in for a full alignment. This is the way I decided to install my springs, and in doing so, I thought I'd share it with everybody. If you don’t like it or disagree with the procedure, feel free to change your springs the way you want to.
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I'll be putting my SRT-4 springs back on the car once the weather gets warmer. If you like, i'll take some pics a do a write up. There might already be one if you look around.SinfulNeon wrote:hmm cool thanks for the how to, I know it has been some time now but could you or anyone else do a how to on removing the front springs as well???
again thanks and nice how to
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ya I looked didnt really see one here but kinda foind one on neons.org and it had no pics so some of the things it ref. I didnt or at least wasnt sure what they were talking and its always nice to have pics to have a visual of what your doing to see if your doing it right. ^_^ and thanks
Also I have heard that you could use a bunch of industrial like heavy duty fat zip ties while the springs are compressed and put a bunch of zip ties to keep them compressed to make it easier to slide on and off the springs when you lower the suspension, I think it was a car show that I saw them do that and then they just cut the zip ties after they installed it once the spring was back under tension with the weight of the car so that it would recoil when you cut them? You think that could work?
Also I have heard that you could use a bunch of industrial like heavy duty fat zip ties while the springs are compressed and put a bunch of zip ties to keep them compressed to make it easier to slide on and off the springs when you lower the suspension, I think it was a car show that I saw them do that and then they just cut the zip ties after they installed it once the spring was back under tension with the weight of the car so that it would recoil when you cut them? You think that could work?
- kc2005ptgt
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OWE - do not use zip ties (industrial or not) - guys, this is great and all, but why not just rent a spring compressor? I see lots of problems with any other way than this.
I replaced my springs on all four corners in less than 5 hours, granted I did it in 90+ weather, and took my time... the rear 1gn RT springs dont even need to be compressed to put on.
Also, nice write up. I will never do it this way But good to know that someone tried it another way.
I replaced my springs on all four corners in less than 5 hours, granted I did it in 90+ weather, and took my time... the rear 1gn RT springs dont even need to be compressed to put on.
Also, nice write up. I will never do it this way But good to know that someone tried it another way.
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For your safety, please do not use zip ties. The amount of force it requires to compress the springs enough is tremendous. Just rent a spring compressor.SinfulNeon wrote:well I was planning on picking one up tomorrow, I was just wondering if the zip tie idea would work anyways just the want to know not the want to do lol just my curiosity.
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- flamingpinhead
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I recomend using a spring compressor for the front end. I'm pretty sure this method will not work.flamingpinhead wrote:given the front is much heavier duty springs, will this method work on the front end as well or will i need a spring compressor?
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I've replaced springs and struts on a Corolla this way. All I did was press down on the suspension with my foot while holding my strut/spring with one hand until the strut assembly was able to pull right out from under the fender.
If I'm not mistaken I had to jack the car up a little more in order to install new struts + lower springs. Once I bolted the bottom portion I raised the suspension up and aligned the piston with the strut mount hole.. then screwed the nut just enough to hold the assembly in place.
Anyways, this is an easy task.. even without the spring compressor. Think it took me around 45-60 minutes each wheel. After that, just go pay for an alignment.
If I'm not mistaken I had to jack the car up a little more in order to install new struts + lower springs. Once I bolted the bottom portion I raised the suspension up and aligned the piston with the strut mount hole.. then screwed the nut just enough to hold the assembly in place.
Anyways, this is an easy task.. even without the spring compressor. Think it took me around 45-60 minutes each wheel. After that, just go pay for an alignment.