How To: apply adjustable coilovers...
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Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 261
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From: socal
How To: apply adjustable coilovers...
Today i put adjustable coilovers on my bb2 93 prelude front end and i took a couple of pics to show what i was doing... well i looked and looked for a forum to help me and i could't find one... so i just went about my buisness and did it...
First off here are some supplies you will need:
1. Breaker bar
2. Tool set with wrenches and sockets both (you will need both of them)
3. Floor jack
4. 2 Jackstands
5. 36mm Axle Socket or however big your axle nut is. Rent it from autozone for like $15 and when you return it you get your money back.
6. Hammer
7. Rags, old t-shirts, or old cloths. (this job can get messy)
7. Last but not least, Strut Compressors (for the front) and Coilover compressors (for the back) Rent both of them from Autozone for like $105 and when you return it you get all that money back...
*Also it helps out a alot if you have somebody else that doesn't mind getting dirty to help. Unfortunatly I did everything by myself.
*This is also i great opportunity to replace any worn or torn bushings. If your car old like mine your struts will more likely be blown to... an easy way to tell is if there is grease all over the strut and if the strut does not spring back up...lol another trick you could do is change your tranny fluid while your down there abecause alot of things are out of the way...make sure you keep all your nuts and bolts together and stay as neat as possible when you are doing this it helps out alot... oh yea if you are doing this by yourself you might want to wake up at 6:30 in the morning to get a headstart!
Well first step is to get all your supplies ready and make sure your on sturdy ground and is clean. (mine wasn't)
Secondly, break your axle not off. This is one of the hardest parts because i had to extend my breaker bar and i stood on the end of it and bounced up and down... after awhile it came loose, but it takes awhile. If you can not reach your axle not from the outside of your rim, then you will have to take your tire off and have somebody hold the brakes while you break it loose.
Next take the tire off (loosen the nuts before you jack it up)
Now you can take off the Brake caliper. !Do not take the brake line off, because you will have to rebleed the brakes!!! There should be to 15mm bolts, one on top and one on the bottom. As in the picture I made my own breaker bar because the original would not fit in that tight space. It works as an just as good if not better. once the caliper is off set it on something so it does not hang (I had heard that it was bad for it to hang) I put mine on another jack stand.
Now the main thing that we are trying to do is take the hub assembly off the cv axle. So first we come to Ball Joint #1. *Make sure you do this one first because the rest of the joints and rod need pressure to come loose. So take the pin out and the bolt off. Now the ball joint is wedged in there so you have to smack it out with a hammer. !!!Do not, i repeat Do not smack the ball joint thread or you will have to rethread it or buy a new one!!! Just keep hitting the hub assembly where the ball joint lies in and it will eventually pop out.
The lower ball joint is a little bit harder to get out. There is a little trick i use to get this baby out... first i take the pin out and the bolt off. Then i use the floor jack to jack up the lower control arm. (I jacked the jack as high as it would go) Then i smacked the lower control arm and it popped out. Remember to not hit the ball joint threads!!! Next you can take the hub assembly off the cv axle. Lift the lower control arm up and then pull the hub assembly off the cv axle, sorta push the cv axle with your thumbs. Once it is off set it to the side and it should look like the picture below this one.
Now comes the rod that holds the lower control arm together with the strut. Take the bolt off with two 15mm wrenches or sockets. The rod might take a little elbow grease to get it out... hit it with a hammer and screw driver, or push down on the lower control arm and pull it out. Now every thing is loose, now you get to pop your hood.
Make sure you ONLY loosen the top bolt you don not want to take it off for the spring will shoot downward and it will be harder than ever to take the strut out. So now take the three bolts that hold the strut assembly off (do not worry, these three bolts only hold the strut assembly up, so no springs will shoot out or anything) Now you may have to take the cv axle out depending on if the strut can wiggle it self out. Whatever you do, do not pull the cv axle by the opposing end or the bearings on the inside will come out and it is a pain to put it all back in...
Now that the strut assembly is out, you have to use whatever type of spring compressor you have. Just make sure you take your time when doing it. Remember this can be and is very dangerous. So be careful.
* Do not forget to use a Hex, or allen wrench on the top of the strut, when the spring is fully compressed, to take off the nut.*
Adjust your coilovers to what ever drop or rise you want, and just follow your steps backwards exactly how you took it apart. Make sure that all nuts are as tight as they can get and all pins are put back in. If there is something left over do not disregard it find out were it goes and put it there.
Well, sorry I do not have any pics of it finished. It was becoming dark and i was running out of time. I will have more pics soon of the finishing touches. I wil add to this thread as soon as I do my rear coilovers. If anybody needs any help, advice, or extra pictures i do not be afraid to ask. Anybody can put in there two cents and anything i had forgotten.
*I am not responsible for any injuries that may occur.*
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:52 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:54 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:55 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:56 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:57 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:58 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 10:03 PM 8/29/2008
First off here are some supplies you will need:
1. Breaker bar
2. Tool set with wrenches and sockets both (you will need both of them)
3. Floor jack
4. 2 Jackstands
5. 36mm Axle Socket or however big your axle nut is. Rent it from autozone for like $15 and when you return it you get your money back.
6. Hammer
7. Rags, old t-shirts, or old cloths. (this job can get messy)
7. Last but not least, Strut Compressors (for the front) and Coilover compressors (for the back) Rent both of them from Autozone for like $105 and when you return it you get all that money back...
*Also it helps out a alot if you have somebody else that doesn't mind getting dirty to help. Unfortunatly I did everything by myself.
*This is also i great opportunity to replace any worn or torn bushings. If your car old like mine your struts will more likely be blown to... an easy way to tell is if there is grease all over the strut and if the strut does not spring back up...lol another trick you could do is change your tranny fluid while your down there abecause alot of things are out of the way...make sure you keep all your nuts and bolts together and stay as neat as possible when you are doing this it helps out alot... oh yea if you are doing this by yourself you might want to wake up at 6:30 in the morning to get a headstart!
Well first step is to get all your supplies ready and make sure your on sturdy ground and is clean. (mine wasn't)
Secondly, break your axle not off. This is one of the hardest parts because i had to extend my breaker bar and i stood on the end of it and bounced up and down... after awhile it came loose, but it takes awhile. If you can not reach your axle not from the outside of your rim, then you will have to take your tire off and have somebody hold the brakes while you break it loose.
Next take the tire off (loosen the nuts before you jack it up)
Now you can take off the Brake caliper. !Do not take the brake line off, because you will have to rebleed the brakes!!! There should be to 15mm bolts, one on top and one on the bottom. As in the picture I made my own breaker bar because the original would not fit in that tight space. It works as an just as good if not better. once the caliper is off set it on something so it does not hang (I had heard that it was bad for it to hang) I put mine on another jack stand.
Now the main thing that we are trying to do is take the hub assembly off the cv axle. So first we come to Ball Joint #1. *Make sure you do this one first because the rest of the joints and rod need pressure to come loose. So take the pin out and the bolt off. Now the ball joint is wedged in there so you have to smack it out with a hammer. !!!Do not, i repeat Do not smack the ball joint thread or you will have to rethread it or buy a new one!!! Just keep hitting the hub assembly where the ball joint lies in and it will eventually pop out.
The lower ball joint is a little bit harder to get out. There is a little trick i use to get this baby out... first i take the pin out and the bolt off. Then i use the floor jack to jack up the lower control arm. (I jacked the jack as high as it would go) Then i smacked the lower control arm and it popped out. Remember to not hit the ball joint threads!!! Next you can take the hub assembly off the cv axle. Lift the lower control arm up and then pull the hub assembly off the cv axle, sorta push the cv axle with your thumbs. Once it is off set it to the side and it should look like the picture below this one.
Now comes the rod that holds the lower control arm together with the strut. Take the bolt off with two 15mm wrenches or sockets. The rod might take a little elbow grease to get it out... hit it with a hammer and screw driver, or push down on the lower control arm and pull it out. Now every thing is loose, now you get to pop your hood.
Make sure you ONLY loosen the top bolt you don not want to take it off for the spring will shoot downward and it will be harder than ever to take the strut out. So now take the three bolts that hold the strut assembly off (do not worry, these three bolts only hold the strut assembly up, so no springs will shoot out or anything) Now you may have to take the cv axle out depending on if the strut can wiggle it self out. Whatever you do, do not pull the cv axle by the opposing end or the bearings on the inside will come out and it is a pain to put it all back in...
Now that the strut assembly is out, you have to use whatever type of spring compressor you have. Just make sure you take your time when doing it. Remember this can be and is very dangerous. So be careful.
* Do not forget to use a Hex, or allen wrench on the top of the strut, when the spring is fully compressed, to take off the nut.*
Adjust your coilovers to what ever drop or rise you want, and just follow your steps backwards exactly how you took it apart. Make sure that all nuts are as tight as they can get and all pins are put back in. If there is something left over do not disregard it find out were it goes and put it there.
Well, sorry I do not have any pics of it finished. It was becoming dark and i was running out of time. I will have more pics soon of the finishing touches. I wil add to this thread as soon as I do my rear coilovers. If anybody needs any help, advice, or extra pictures i do not be afraid to ask. Anybody can put in there two cents and anything i had forgotten.
*I am not responsible for any injuries that may occur.*
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:52 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:54 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:55 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:56 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:57 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 9:58 PM 8/29/2008
Modified by pkolaboy at 10:03 PM 8/29/2008
Master H Technician
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 819
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Re: How To: apply adjustable coilovers... (pkolaboy)
You did this the super hard way... You dont need to remove the lower ball joint or any of that... The brake calipers can stay on... It looks like you wasted two hours or more taking off all kinds of things.. You only have to take out 3 top mount bolts, the lower shock nut and bolt, the brake line bolton the shock, and it doesnt hurt to pull the shock out of the fork for the fronts..
Theres also several writeups out there for the prelude..
Congrats on getting the fronts done though..
Modified by JTCdudeman at 1:00 AM 8/30/2008
Master H Technician
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 819
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Re: How To: apply adjustable coilovers... (pkolaboy)
This writeup is not so great.. But, it shows you what needs to be done..
http://www.preludezone.com/printthread.php?t=7828
http://www.preludezone.com/printthread.php?t=7828
moderator emeritus
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,357
Likes: 6
From: Cantonment, FL
Re: How To: apply adjustable coilovers... (pkolaboy)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pkolaboy »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it wont let me just go ahead and delete this forum</TD></TR></TABLE>
i cant delete the "forum"
forum = honda-tech
prelude section = section
this topic = thread
no worries man, just find some time to resize the pictures through photoshop or something or ask someone to resize them for you.
i cant delete the "forum"
forum = honda-tech
prelude section = section
this topic = thread
no worries man, just find some time to resize the pictures through photoshop or something or ask someone to resize them for you.
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