Fancy lowering your car but not sure how to do it? This guide will hopefully this guide
will help you to accomplish the rear end of your car.
In this guide we will show you how to remove your suspension strut,
then the spring and how to refit it so your car sits lower.
Tools Needed:
Torque Wrench
Rubber Hammer
Trolley Jack
Axle Stands
Spring Compressors
Block of wood
Parts Needed:
Lowering springs or replacement springs
Replacement shock absorbers (Optional)
Bolts (Optional)
Brake Cleaner
Rags
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Low!
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Springy
Bounce!
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Firstly you will need to make some blocks to spread the load when the car is put on axle stands,
These need to be made out of a hefty bit of wood big enough to cover the head of the stand.
Next you need to score a groove into the wood to allow the sill lip to fit into.
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You will now need to remove the wheel trims if fitted then slacken the rear wheel
nuts on both sides of the car then chock the front wheels to stop it from rolling
away whilst you jack it up. Place the trolley jack under the rear of the car
on the torsion beam and proceed to jack up the rear of the car just enough
so the jack is tight but the car doesn't leave the ground. ,
you may notice that the car will drift slightly, this is normal so don't worry too much,
but as always keep your hands and feet well clear just in case.
Lay under the back of the car and spray the lower mounting nuts with
plenty of WD40 then go for a brew, or a fag etc….
When you come back proceed to slacken the nuts but not removing them.
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Now open the boot lid and remove the turret carpets and caps if fitted.
Slacken to two small nuts only at this point,
DO NOT REMOVE THE BIG NUT AND BOLT.
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Now start to jack the rear of the car up. With the rear in the air you will need to support the weight
of the car with the axle stands for safety.
Place these under the edge of the sills with the block of wood between them and the car,
where the normal jacking points are.
Slowly lower the car down onto the stands, make sure they are secure and the car wont fall.
Now that the rear of the car is in the air you can completely undo the wheel nuts and remove the wheels.
Place these under the car.
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Jack the beam up slightly to take the strain off bolts, and start to remove the lower bolts fully.
When both sides are fully removed, lower your jack slightly to free the bottom of the shocks from the beam,
Take care not to lower it too far or you will put stress on the brake pipes.
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To get the rest of the shock out, simply undo the two bolts on the turret and the shock should now become free.
There you have it a complete shock unit.
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To remove the springs you will need to use a set of spring compressors,
these are not too expensive and save a lot of time and injury.
Position these one at each side of the spring and start to tighten
them up in a diagonal pattern. Only do this until you can feel the spring move on its mount.
With the spring slack you can now undo the top retaining nut and bolt, this will make the set up come to pieces.
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From the picture below you can see that the shock is made up of
The strut/shock absorber, spring, dust cover, spring cap/ top mount, and a nylock nut and bolt.
Clean all the parts with brake cleaner or something similar.
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Reassemble the shocks with the new springs, you may not need the spring compressors
on this bit as the springs are shorter,
taking note that the bottom of the spring must fit into its lip.
We recommend if you are lowering your car you upgrade the shock absorbers
to get a more comfy ride. Refit the completed strut back to the car
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Reassembly is the above but in reverse,
but replacing the lower bolts as they may be damaged,
taking note of the following torque values.
| Part |
Torque Value |
| Upper suspension strut spring retaining nut |
41 to 58NM |
| Lower suspension strut to axle retaining nut |
102 to 138NM |
| Upper suspension strut to turret top-bolts |
28 to 40NM |
Make sure your torque wrench is a good one as the lower mounts need to be tightened up to a high torque value.
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Reassemble the shocks with the new springs, you may not need the spring compressors
Refit the road wheel and lower the car to the ground, tighten the wheel nuts up
fully and the car may appear to sit higher now,
but this is due to the new springs/shocks, allow them to settle over time.
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That's it, job done, and hope this guide is some help
Guide Written and © On 24 Dec 2007 by Andrew Whiteman (AW3K)
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