A few pointeres with installation, please?

[Dylanamus]

Just received my BC Race Spec coilovers (CRX SiR [EF8] model) and it turns out I'll have access to a garage over the holidays, so I'm thinking about installing them myself.

I also have Whiteline front/rear swaybars to install and front/rear tie bars too.

Just wondering if there's any specific order that would make things easier? (I already have coilovers installed too, so I will at least have a guide there.)


This is not a DIY request (although feel free by all means :cool: ), just a few handy hints would be very welcomed. Maybe just a basic rundown of the steps and tools. Please PM me if this information requires disclaimers etc to be published.

I was suprised to not find any step by steps or DIYs on the subject, but if someone has more luck with the search tool, I would be greatful for a link!

Thanks :thumbsup:

edit: just thought I'd add, all the instructions are in japanese and the diagrams only show the actual coilover assembly, not installation.

[Mike B]

All of this is relatively easy. Air tools make the job faster. Floor jack and jackstands are a must. :)

If you were in Texas, I would help you. :thumbsup:

[Riced_Civic]

Where abouts r u in melbourne, i know sum ppl who specialise on civics who can give u a few pointers on how to install them.

[Slow96GSR]

Start with what is easiest, that way if it takes longer you won't be out of a car as long as the hardest part would make it. The coil overs are pretty easy as long as you have a spring compressor; unless it's a full strut assembly then it all slides out and the new parts in. Just make sure the stock spring is secure before you pull the cap nut off. We know a guy who is a one nutter now because of a mishap! The sway bars, are they upper or lower?

[Dylanamus]

Not in Texas, - not even in Melbourne atm. Thanks anyway!

The coilovers are a full strut assembly, so don't need the spring compressor at least. The existing setup is also a full strut assembly, so I guess I don't have my nuts to fear for either hehe.

Upper or lower sways? They're just replacements for the stock sways :/ Either I'm ignorant or you're refering to struts - of which I have all front/rear-upper/lower.

Don't have any air tools unfortunately. A guy I know said he jacked his car up from the sump and stomped the brakes to shake his springs out. Is this a normal thing to do? I was just gonna jack from the front and put axle stands in :/

[Dxs]

mr amus, mr amus, mr amus..

as you know i havent done any fresh sussy installs.. but here goes nothing..

*dont listen to your friend, sump jacking is bad.. and then stomp on brakes.. wtf



ok check this:
http://i12.tinypic.com/2ly6idd.jpg

This is how i would dissemble your SS tiens.. they are pillow tops yeah.. so i believe they all come out as one piece.

1) Undo the brake lines that are connected to the strut
2) Undo the bolt that goes from the fork to the LCA.. with my ride it only pushed down like 2cm when i removed the bolt (do it slow anyway)
3) Undo the two bolts (i believe) on the fork which clamps onto the strut and move the fork out of the way
4) Undo the two nuts in the engine bay that holds the whole coilover onto the chassis (do this slow and see if they spring is exapanding.. i doubt it would though)

*Should then be removable..

Install the buddy's in reverse order..
I dunno if you have to do anything to the buddy's before install. i have heard talk about pre tensioning the springs but i dont know what is involved in that regard.


Sways are a piece of piss.. put the car on ramps not jack stands.. basically the ends connect to the LCA's.. so undo them.. and undo the little clamps that have the bushings in them that holds the sway to the chassis.. easy

the rears coilover is the same as the front i presume.. just no forks.. the strut connects to the lca

[Slow96GSR]

^^ Pretty much what he said. In the front there should be a plate under the radiator support in the center to lift from, same in the rear. Then you can put all four corners on stands.

DO NOT---> "A guy I know said he jacked his car up from the sump and stomped the brakes to shake his springs out." <---DO NOT

If you want an actual manual page to uninstall/install let me know and I'll post one right up.

[Dylanamus]

Thank you gentlemen. When my friend mentioned sump jacking, my response was also wtf!? I wasn't going to do it either way, but thought it'd be interesting to know what the concensus was.

GSR: Ironically I only brought two stands to the garage (2 hour drive) this time hehe not to worry. And hey, if you want to compile a DIY, go for it. It's something many people could benefit from I believe. Although I don't think I'll have any troubles now thanks to Mr DXSs wonderful diagrams hehe

[Dylanamus]

Well I tried to do the rear sway and couldn't get the first nut off. It was extremely tight. I used some RP7 and after letting it settle in, gave the nut a whack around and it still didn't want to come loose. Haven't tried the coilovers yet. Is it normal for the nuts to be so tight?

[Zilli]

thats why you need airtools dude

are you using a normal ratchet or a breaker bar. You said you had access to a garage, is it a home garage or a workshop?

a breaker bar is longer and will give you more leverage, try soaking in WD40 or the lubricant you mentioned then hit it with a break bar

[Dylanamus]

The garage is not a workshop, but simply a home garage. I only have off street parking at my place...

Well I went on to do the front coilovers , while the rear sway wasn't budging and didn't have any trouble with the installation. However... The Buddy Club Racing Spec coilovers have a wider diameter just above the fork mount point, not allowing the stock brake mount bracket (as displayed above as point 1) to fit properly. I looped the brake lines around the shock as it was previously and just left it floating for now. I did a few tests to see how much movement full brake load provoked and it seemed inconsequential. Are cable ties or some Ghetto fix going to solve this problem, or is there something I am missing? Thanks

[Dxs]

pics?
i didnt have trouble with my rear sway removal..
if u are using a spanner it might be a bitch...
but u can get like a 1.5 metre metal pipe from bunnings for 15 bucks and cut that a bit.. and put it over some of ur socket wrench for a breaker bar..

also make sure u are undoing it the right way.. like look at the bolt and do it anti clockwise.. dont look behind the bolt and try to do it anti because it will actually be clockwise..

[Dylanamus]

I'll give the breaker bar a go and see what happens.

Anyone know anything about the consequences of the brake lines being afloat around the shocks?

I'll be onto the rear suspension today. Stay tuned.

[Dylanamus]

Well I improvised a breaker bar to the length of about 40cm (coldn't fit any longer on the available angles anyway), gave the nut a good whack, and it provided enough leverage for me to completely compress the springs and almost lift the car of the stands - yet still no movement from the nut.

All the nuts in the rear would have been tightened to high torque settings by the last workshop I had the bushings done at. Probably going to need air tools - which I don't have access to :(

Still haven't tried the front sway yet. I'll give that a shot while I give my muscles a rest!

[chef_32]

If you plan on doing more of this kind of stuff, get a cheap compressor and a good rattle gun. Sway bar isn't too bad but getting it around the exaust might be a bit interesting, and the bushes can get a bit funny. GL

[Dylanamus]

Ok the fronts were like DXS said. I would emphasise not removing the uppermost nuts (green) until last, as if the shocks drop, they will put stress on the rest of the assembly and everything will be a lot more difficult.

The rears don't have the brake assembly in the way at all, so that's one less step, but you will need to disconnect the LCA from the rear trailing arm (the red bolt) in order to allow the shock to drop low enough for you to pull the upper mount out of the chasis.

This may require you to put some vertical force (ie just push and shake or possibly bash) on the control arm, to swing it down out of the way. If you're "lucky" enough to have a shock with a housing diameter thinner than the LCA mount point (where the blue bolt is holding the shock end) then this task isn't necessary. Mine were way fatter.


http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/Dylanamus/rearsuspension.jpg

Putting it back together is just a case of doing the reverse, except you may need a jack to raise the control arm to align the bolt holes for the LCA and trailing arm and again with the LCA and strut mount point. Once they're almost aligned, slide in a screwdriver and twist it around until the holes are a perfect match-up, then bolt back up.

This isn't a DIY btw, this is just what I did. One thing I'd like to add is that having a 6 point 14mm socket will save you a lot of hassle if your nuts are on tight. All the larger bolts in the rear assembly were 14mm.

Thanks everyone for your contributions.

[muhhan]

Have you managed to install all your gear? From my experience with slipping a pipe over the end of a ratchet, it works great but if you have crappy tools then the ratchet mechanism will probably get damaged. I've already managed to freeze up my 3/8" driver and that was just from undoing the transmission drain bolt. So I would recommend the breaker bar with pipe over the end or a mallet to give it a good sudden whack to crack the tightness. You can substitute the mallet with a baseball bat ;) .

[Dylanamus]

You can substitute the mallet with a baseball bat ;) .

hahahaha

I got everything installed that fitted my car, which is everything except the front sway, although I did get the stock one off and am now getting a custom one built.

Custom pipe Breaker bar technique works a treat... I know I probably shouldn't, but I also used my torque wrench just for the first couple of rotations to break a couple of nuts where I couldn't fit the bar... and magically my old Sidchrome breaker bar (wrench) decided to reappear!

[panda[cRx]]

how u finding the BC's now? ride height? (pics?)

[Dylanamus]

http://www.redpepperracing.com/gallery/d/173549-2/autherseat+034.jpg

http://www.redpepperracing.com/gallery/d/173537-2/autherseat+030.jpg

Photos courtesy of Snoop G.

Ride height is too low for street hehe exhaust scrapes over normal driveways etc.... however, the stiffness is intense, so I never bottom out, even over crazy bumps.. it's only over road humps and driveways that it's a problem.

One thing to note is that (at least on my model car) the rear has WAY more height adjustability than the front... front at lowest setting is equal to rear on 50% more or less

Thought I might add.. handling is awesome.. and this is in comparison to Tien SS coilovers.. not stock.. the difference is not only measurable, but it's amazing...With some damper tweaking, I personally think these coilovers would make the perfect hill run setup.. other than that.. they're far too hard for daily driving and a bit to soft for high speed tracks... That's my 2c