To my understanding, civics have shocks in back and struts in front. correct me if i am wrong

I was wondering how hard it is to install new suspension. I bought my car with skunk2 coilovers and stock struts and schock, and it's pretty bouncy. Schwabs quoted me at 700 kyb agx's all around installed. I can get them for 350ish on ebay. So my question is how hard is it to put these in. I'm not certain i'm getting agx's yet, but I just want to know how hard this would be.

 

theyre not macphearson struts, if thats what you mean by struts... Through 00 theyre the same style of shock.

Its a straight bolt off bolt on affair, rust aside. If you have a half way decent (full decent is better) manual you could do it in a day.
Once youre familiar you could do all 4 in less than an hour

 

It's really simple, it's just a matter of jacking and securing the car up on stands/jacks. Then you unbolt a few bolts and nuts, and slap in the new shock. It's really easy

 

The Helms and the Haynes How To are excellent, i've done two changeovers now off the haynes guide.

 

obviously schwabs didn't want me doing it myself, but they said it was hard to get the springs/coilovers off of the stock shocks

 

Its not. Theyre just held down by the top hat - rent a spring compressor from autozone and pull them off once the whole assembly is removed from the car.
Without the compressor, "you'll shoot your eye out kid" with the nut at the top of the shock that holds it all together. Its a "duh" moment when you actually look at it

 

so the only special tool i will need is a spring compressor? even if i have coilovers?

 

alright, i wasnt thinking - youre changing everything out...you dont need a compressor, no.
However, skunk2 springs ARE bouncy and probably even more so on stock shocks... I doubt adding new shocks will really help

 

i changed my shocks without compressor, jack your car in the way that when you take of the wheel the springs are still compressed, place the tire under door in case it falls, gotta be carefull, leave the 2 nuts on under the hood/in trunk, then take the shock/strut nut off. VERY SLOWLY lower the car and let the car sit on the tire you placed. using your car weight you will decompress the springs. its way faster than playing with decompressor. changed the shocks/struts and to put them back is just do the opposite.

 

so skunk2 coilovers are bouncy in general? agx's or illumina's won't help that?

 

there bouncy, but your stock shocks were most likley blown, so agx's with your adjusted settin will deff help