gubo22

<FONT SIZE="5">EDIT don't use this metod if you need to reuse your stock shocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I broke mine good!</FONT>
<u>How to: </u>
Remove stock springs from shocks
Install aftermarket springs to shocks

USUALLY you need to pay somebody to compress the stock springs to remove them.
Or do it this way for free!

1st) Remove the shock assembly from car
2nd) Clamp vice grip onto metal shaft of shock

3rd) Use 2 tires and sandwich the shock against a wall
4th) Put a large piece of wood to stabilize top tire
5th) Stand behind or on top of the wood
6th) Loosen the nut slowly
7th) Once the nut is close to the end prepare for slight POP
8th) Take care when removing the vice grip as there is slight load in the springs below it
9th) Install aftermarket spings, no need to compress it
10th) Install complete shock assembly back into car

On a scale from 1 to 10, this is a 6 in my opinion.
If you do it the same way I did you shouldn't loose an eyball or crack your head open.
And the fact you are doing it yourself rocks.

Modified by gubo22 at 6:41 AM 10/8/2003


Modified by gubo22 at 10:38 AM 10/13/2003

civickidd99

just my $.02, but wouldn't clamping vise grips on the shaft wear ou the o-ring in the strut after a while? also, in my experience, most auto parts stores have rental spring compressors, and they give your deposit back. I don't do everything by the book, but better safe than sorry!

tonyxcom

yeah, you just ruind your shock by putting the vice grip on the shaft.

what we do..

Lay Shock on ground.
Face shock towards a cardboard box (not a tire, it will bounce off that)
Put foot on spring.
Take airtool of your choice and loosen nut.
Nut comes off, shock smashes into box, spring under your foot.

Tad

dude WTF

you cant clamp onto the "metal shaft" of the shock like that! if you damage it you will cause the shock to leak and die.

also you can rent a springcompressor that was designed specificially to do this safely, from many places, autozone for example lets you rent them FOR FREE

this is what I did.

thanks alot for trying to help ppl out n stuff man, but there are definetely better ways.
any way around using a spring compressor is just an excuse for ppl that are too lazy(not callin u lazy, but there are those) to go find a friggin autoparts store that rents one!!
not that its even hard

tonyxcom

LOL, we have spring compressors and we only use them for putting stock spring back on shocks.

Taking the springs off, we don't bother with it.

civickidd99

here is a run-down of how we do it:
first, get a spring compressor.
then, clamp one on each side of spring and run them both down,
undo the upper nut with impact, but if you're spinning the rod, DO NOT clamp on the rod with vise grips, use an allen wrench and a box end wrench the slow way.
Take off everything, but remember how it came off.
Put new spring on, install everything in reverse order of how you took it off,
sometimes you'll need an extra set of hands to press on the strut cap to get the threads started.
Last install back in the vehicle.
Make sure everything is torqued back down how it is supposed to be and sit back and enjoy a job well done. (get an allignment, too!)

ek four

this is too funny. u trying to build a see saw or something??? all i use is a TOWEL to wrap the whole thing from shooting out.

93EH6

Man the way i did it i just threw a couple towels over mine sat on it and used a impact wrench

Chris y0!

lmfao you just scored the shaft... now shock fluid can leak out.

NICE DIY!!!

BrynnTheSlut

bahahaha, just take two wheels and place the shcok assembly between the two and loosen the nut. When it releases it shoots into the wheels. to this DIY!

xvietxkhmerxboix

Haha wat a crack pot nice DIY, I'm pass the word around about HOW NOT TO DO THIS.

cxSHOE

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tad &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> also you can rent a springcompressor that was designed specificially to do this safely, from many places, autozone for example lets you rent them FOR FREE </TD></TR></TABLE>


yea go to autozone and you pay a 40.00 deposit and you rent it and if something breaks you dont pay anything and they give you another one to rent..

then when your finished bring it back and you get your deposit back...

phantom_sol

people here are harsh, even though i dont quite agree with this method, it doesnt mean you should just shoot him down, if it works then whats the big deal...

he didnt say DIY spring removal and saving your shock.

either way negative feedback like. "this sucks and what an idiot" doesnt say much about your level of thinking...

but yes. renting a spring copressor is a safer and easier method

even though it may be a little more tediou sthan the towel trick.

also if i'm looking incorrectly, isnt there a metal sleeve that sits up and over the bumpstop that extends its way down?

The Internet Tough Guy

tard most ghetto diy ive seen
go get a spring compressor

Chris y0!

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phantom_sol &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if it works then whats the big deal...</TD></TR></TABLE>

thats the point man it DOESN'T work. 1 scratch on that rod will wear down the o-ring, and also allow shock fluid to travel through the scratch and out of the shock body.

but yeah, instead of flaming the guy, just have a mod delete this post

phantom_sol

again, it works, it gets the spring off lol
but he never said it wouldnt damage the shock.

but we can all be a little mature about picking on him, either way we live and learn. mistakes are there so we will know what NOT to do next time. and in any case if he were putting some heavy duty aftermarket springs on his stock shocks, you'd think he'd have to replace his shocks in a given time anyways...

KOALA YUMMIES

This is awesome:

phantom_sol

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KOALA YUMMIES &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This is awesome: </TD></TR></TABLE>

agreed

tonyxcom

Yeah, this is the best DIY (Damage It Yourself) thread in a while.

4DRPIMPIN

Hey thats what I do..

AmginE

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KOALA YUMMIES &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This is awesome: </TD></TR></TABLE>



but i agree, it would have been simpler with a spring compressor. Also, at least this guy tried to come up with a DIY, unlike most of the people here. So he did it wrong, inform him and move on, no public insults/name calling/food throwing needed.

Smith Wise

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AmginE &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but i agree, it would have been simpler with a spring compressor. Also, at least this guy tried to come up with a DIY, unlike most of the people here. So he did it wrong, inform him and move on, no public insults/name calling/food throwing needed.</TD></TR></TABLE>

exactly..... educate, don't bash the guy because he made a mistake

JV

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tonyXcom &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeah, you just ruind your shock by putting the vice grip on the shaft.

what we do..

Lay Shock on ground.
Face shock towards a cardboard box (not a tire, it will bounce off that)
Put foot on spring.
Take airtool of your choice and loosen nut.
Nut comes off, shock smashes into box, spring under your foot.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Same here. One foot on the spring, one on the shock. Honda springs are super weak. No need for compressors or "ghetto fab" setups...

SLeePeR012

I donno if Im the only one but Ive installed like 5 sets of springs on multiple Honda/Acura/Mitsubishi cars and NOT ONCE did the strut bounce out, we compress it to put the spring on but never to take it off, so Im not sceered my eyes will be poked out.

KOALA YUMMIES

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SLeePeR012 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> we compress it to put the spring on but never to take it off</TD></TR></TABLE>

What kind of spring are you putting on that you need to compress it to PUT IT ON? I think you meant the other way. You have to COMPRESS to take off the OLD STOCK spring, but you dont have to do anything to put on the new spring.

BTW the method HE is showing is so you DONT have to use shitty spring compressors so what you said didnt have anything to do with what he said.