ShinotakuX

hello, recently i purchased a set of kyb agx with h&r sportlines, should i do this myself or take it to a shop and do it? I read a lot of forums and topics on how to install them yourself or diy, and it seems not hard but the trouble is the rear because of the bolts get stuck in the lcas or something. If it happen to me i dont know what to do, thats why should i do it myself or take it to a shop? if i take it to a shop what is a reasonable price? thank you.

ShinotakuX

bump?

94c1v1cex

do it yourself bro... best way to learn is do it yourself. it's not hard at all. if you get stuck just post up here or read a writeup

blaze_125

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94c1v1cex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">do it yourself bro... best way to learn is do it yourself. it's not hard at all. if you get stuck just post up here or read a writeup</TD></TR></TABLE>

X2

instructor74

You are correct the rear shocks can be a pain in the a$$ if the bolts are rusted fast and if you have never had them apart I bet the are. The fronts aren't to bad to do but if you don't have a good spring compressor you are better off taking them to a shop and having them done for you. Word of advice the kyb agx comes with a small collar for the shock shaft (its in the bag with the adj screwdriver) Reuse the oem collar it is a much larger flat washer. I had the small collar push through the upper mount when I hit a pothole.

crazyguy

yeah..one of my rear lower control arm bolt got stuck and i have to torn it apart and ended up getting a new bushing and long bolt.do it yourself.and save some money.the shop normally charges from $100~$150 for labor only

jdm91CrxSi

hell yea do it yourself.. my first time ever i didn't know wtf i was doing i just knew to remove some bolts and use a spring compressor

ShinotakuX

wow, this definitely convince me enough to do this myself, ok i think ill start install them this weekend. Can i just rent a spring compressor at my local kragen? also, if the bolts in the rear lowr control arm get stuck and seized up. what is the first thing i should do? damaged the lca and take it out aggressively then get a new one? point me out to the right direction so i can learn something useful. thank you for all ur replies.

Archidictus

Keep this in mind -

You are most likely going to break one bolt on each side, if not two. I've never had the subframe-to-LCA bolts snap on me, but the shock-to-LCA and hub-to-LCA get fucked up all the time.

This isn't a problem for me because I've done hundreds of suspension jobs on Hondas and Acuras and I have a massive air compressor and every tool you can think of sitting in my garage. If you do not have access to such things, I suggest doing the job somewhere that does. If that means taking it to a shop, so be it.

The bushings from Honda - which you have to replace if a bolt seizes in them - are $15 a piece and the bolts are $9.25 a piece. That means you're looking at $50 AT LEAST in extra parts AND you probably don't have the wherewithal to press bushings in and out on your own. That's usually expensive as well because bush-league ************* at places like Goodyear don't want to be bothered if they can't log hours doing something huge.

Aftermarket LCAs from eBay can be had for about $80 shipped (or less). If you're going to spend $50 on OEM parts anyway, you might as well go the distance and get new LCAs with new bushings all around. You'll probably still have to get a couple bolts, but it gives you licence to utterly destroy the OEM pieces that get in your way. This sounds a bit dramatic, but after you do the job 125 times, you'll be happy when a customer brings LCAs, shocks, springs and bolts because it means if you get stuck you can sawzall a ************ to pieces without remorse.

Good luck, dude. It's not hard, but it will most likely frustrate you to the point of homicide the first time you do it

EDIT: if the bolts seize and you want to remove them yourself, I've had luck with three different methods.

1.) air cutter/angle grinder/pneumatic kevlar disc o' doom - this bastard spins at a bajillion RPM and can cut through the bushings and bolts in a matter of minutes. You'll have to cut off the welded nut on the hub if that's where the damage is as well as on either side of the control arm. That means cutting through bolt and bushing twice - once on each side - and through a bolt and welded nut. It's not fun and it's annoying trying to get the disc in there without binding it and without cutting into other suspension pieces, but practice makes perfect.

2.) sawzall/reciprocating saw/God's gift to the enraged - far more punishing to you because of the repeated hammering and binding, this technique is still viable. If you're careful and you have good upper body strength, you can cut through the aforementioned areas enough to break them with a prybar or something. I don't recommend trying to cut all the way through the bushing with a reciprocating saw because you'll end up tagging and maiming all kinds of other things because of the tiny amount of room in which you may work.

3.) air chisel/burp gun/robocock - this is usually an "in conjunction" technique that you use with the sawzall method or if you're a scrub, after you've made a dent with a hacksaw (ROFLCHOPS?). After you make a notch in the welded nut and/or bushings, you can use this uberviolent badass to literally tear through what remains. Use ear protection because the screaming hatred of this thing is unrivaled on this Earth. You will hurt afterward and it takes a special touch to wield robocock effectively.

EL Vap133

Spray the bolts with WD40 or PB Blaster the day before and let them soak. Spray them a couple times throughout the day and hope none of them get stuck.

midnitesol

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blaze_125 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

X2</TD></TR></TABLE>

jdm91CrxSi

i have never had bolts break on me.. yall must be standing on them bitches witha torque bar.. haha.. yea you can rent spring compressors or go buy them for 30-40 and have them forever..

mormonboy

do it yourself. its easy as a **** and it will help you learn more about your car.

i installed my own suspension on my EK hatch all alone. only trouble i had was after i had removed all the bolts in the rear, i had a hard time taking it out the springs/shocks because there was no one there to step on the wheel hub for me.

1992Si

My first thought is like Archidictus said.

Rota92 and I had the suspension changed by a local shop the first time 5 years ago. The guy said the right rear was the worst one he had ever seen. They had to cut the shock out with a torch.
But we live in the North East where they salt the roads in Winter.

The next time when we put the Progress Suspension on I think it took us 45 minutes. But yes we have all the air tools we need.

Make sure you use anti-seize compound on the bolts and nuts.

Is there much rust on your car ?

alphalanos

Its not that hard. Just make sure you collect some tools before you start. Best thing is to just stockpile parts and tools until you are totally ready. Ive been stuck several times without the right parts/tools and had to bum rides. it sucks.

ke98248

iTrader: (1)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Archidictus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Keep this in mind -

You are most likely going to break one bolt on each side, if not two. I've never had the subframe-to-LCA bolts snap on me, but the shock-to-LCA and hub-to-LCA get fucked up all the time.

This isn't a problem for me because I've done hundreds of suspension jobs on Hondas and Acuras and I have a massive air compressor and every tool you can think of sitting in my garage. If you do not have access to such things, I suggest doing the job somewhere that does. If that means taking it to a shop, so be it.

The bushings from Honda - which you have to replace if a bolt seizes in them - are $15 a piece and the bolts are $9.25 a piece. That means you're looking at $50 AT LEAST in extra parts AND you probably don't have the wherewithal to press bushings in and out on your own. That's usually expensive as well because bush-league ************* at places like Goodyear don't want to be bothered if they can't log hours doing something huge.

Aftermarket LCAs from eBay can be had for about $80 shipped (or less). If you're going to spend $50 on OEM parts anyway, you might as well go the distance and get new LCAs with new bushings all around. You'll probably still have to get a couple bolts, but it gives you licence to utterly destroy the OEM pieces that get in your way. This sounds a bit dramatic, but after you do the job 125 times, you'll be happy when a customer brings LCAs, shocks, springs and bolts because it means if you get stuck you can sawzall a ************ to pieces without remorse.

Good luck, dude. It's not hard, but it will most likely frustrate you to the point of homicide the first time you do it

EDIT: if the bolts seize and you want to remove them yourself, I've had luck with three different methods.

1.) air cutter/angle grinder/pneumatic kevlar disc o' doom - this bastard spins at a bajillion RPM and can cut through the bushings and bolts in a matter of minutes. You'll have to cut off the welded nut on the hub if that's where the damage is as well as on either side of the control arm. That means cutting through bolt and bushing twice - once on each side - and through a bolt and welded nut. It's not fun and it's annoying trying to get the disc in there without binding it and without cutting into other suspension pieces, but practice makes perfect.

2.) sawzall/reciprocating saw/God's gift to the enraged - far more punishing to you because of the repeated hammering and binding, this technique is still viable. If you're careful and you have good upper body strength, you can cut through the aforementioned areas enough to break them with a prybar or something. I don't recommend trying to cut all the way through the bushing with a reciprocating saw because you'll end up tagging and maiming all kinds of other things because of the tiny amount of room in which you may work.

3.) air chisel/burp gun/robocock - this is usually an "in conjunction" technique that you use with the sawzall method or if you're a scrub, after you've made a dent with a hacksaw (ROFLCHOPS?). After you make a notch in the welded nut and/or bushings, you can use this uberviolent badass to literally tear through what remains. Use ear protection because the screaming hatred of this thing is unrivaled on this Earth. You will hurt afterward and it takes a special touch to wield robocock effectively.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good information!

sleeper_civic_4dr

go to any auto parts store and get a spring compresser, they run about $60 but you can do the work yourself, or pay $200-$300 for someone else..

EK_B

Two local performance shops around my area drop it for $120, look around for the best prices. The seized bolts suck ***.

Malakai

i just went and picked up a set of ratcheting tie down straps. works great for me and they are cheap. u also get other uses out of it.

N more than likey the bolts with be frozen. That is the hardest part of the suspension install. Take the advise from Archidictus. probly the best methods if they are stuck.

Binx18

I would definitely be taking this advice from Archidictus if I was you! I myself am a mechanic and rarely do **** in my driveway anymore. If it's slightly a pain in the *** screw it, i take it to the performance shop i go to. They got the right tools and knowledge, and it's always a fair price. It's worth it for the frustration you're going to go through. Everytime I've said, "oh it'll only take an hour, it's easy," for a side job at my house...yea usually ends up taking double that. You run into stupid **** plain and simple.

I vote take it to a shop.

Rok_Stok

Yourself! I've heard of people being quoted like $850, so I told the guy I would do it for him for $65 because it's so easy, and he watched me do it all and now he can do it himself. I use spring compressors from O'Reilly and then get my money back when I return them.

Once you do it yourself, you'll realize there's only one way to do it, so why pay someone for something they would do the exact same way you could have done it yourself? JUST-DO-IT.

Libertariat

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EL Vap133 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Spray the bolts with WD40 or PB Blaster the day before and let them soak. Spray them a couple times throughout the day and hope none of them get stuck. </TD></TR></TABLE>

x2, any seized bolt I've come across has come out with pb blaster. You just have to use it right.

Make sure you let it soak for 20+ minutes. Multiple times won't hurt. It's a PENETRATING oil, not a magic spray that immediately lets you loose a seized bolt.

baeken

do it yourself! it'll be fun and you'll feel quite accomplished when u get it done

Rok_Stok

I don't know if it's been said, but put Anti-Seize on the bolt threads when you put everything back together, this will make taking them off down the road ALOT easier.

BlackoutVTi

Track down a write up, and figure out exactly what tools you'll need, get them, and devote a weekend to doing it yourself. You'll do fine if you're in any way a mechanical person, it's a great learning experience. But if you can't obtain these tools readily right away, you should just shop around for some quotes. Nothing's worse than starting off on a project, and then finding out you're missing a crucial tool to do the job.

Oh, don't forget to schedule an appointment to get your car aligned immediately, if you like your tires.