DIY - Front Lowering Spring Install

[Diy Guy]

This is a how-to for installing front lowering springs on an 02-06 Rsx or a 02-05 Honda Civic Si.

As with all of my DIY guides this is only a GUIDE it is not an INSTRUCTION MANUAL. Do not hold me responsible for injuries or damages. If you have input on how this guide can be improved or if something is incorrect pm me or post below the text/pictures. Thank you.

Ok, let me start by saying this installation is not a beginner install. I would rank this as an intermediate level install. The front spring install is more difficult than the rear spring install. I did this install on an 02 RSX base with my friend. Neither of us have installed lowering springs before. As for skill level he was a beginner I am much more experienced. It took us around 5 hours total and that is with plenty of stops for taking pictures for this diy and consulting the shop manual on the laptop.

There are two main methods to removing the shock from the spring. 1 with a special tool called a spring compressor and the 2nd, by hand. This guide shows how to remove the shock by hand. The by-hand method without the spring compressor has risks... Choose wisely. Read below for more information.

Tools. The right tools make a hard job easy. The wrong tools make a easy job needlessly hard. I cannot stress that enough. You need the following to completely remove your old springs and reinstall your new lowering springs:

(FYI the "drive" is the opposite side of the socket. It is what your ratchet hooks into. 3/8, and 1/2 Drives will be used)

Some Kind of Pole For Leverage (you will need it)
Large 1/2 Inch Drive Breaker Bar
Large 1/2 Inch Drive Ratchet
Medium 3/8 Inch Drive Ratchet
Torque Wrench 1/2 Inch Drive
Short Extension 1/2 Inch Drive (optional)
10mm Socket 3/8 Inch Drive
12mm Socket 3/8 Inch Drive
14mm Deep Socket 3/8 Inch Drive
19mm Socket 1/2 Inch Drive
22mm Socket 1/2 Inch Drive
22mm Combo Wrench (3/4 Inch will do also)
17mm Combo Wrench
14mm Combo Wrench
6mm Alen Wrench
Jack
2 Jack Stands
Hacksaw
Gear/Pulley Puller 2 prong or 3
Crescent Wrench
Pliers (needle nose)
Chock or Piece of Wood
WD-40
Brake Kleen or some type of cleaner
Rag

Parts:

2 Brand New Cotter Pins (1 pictured below)



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His springs of choice were Tein S-Techs.

Lets get started. Start by losening the lug nuts on the front wheels with the 1/2 inch drive breaker bar, the 1/2 inch drive extension, and the 1/2 drive 19mm socket. Do not take the lug nuts off just loosen them so they can be removed once the car is in the air. It is important to follow a star pattern losening process. Do not losen one lug that is right next to another that you have already losened for example. Here is a picture for reference:



Next. Pull the e-brake all the way up. Place the block of wood or chock behind one of the rear tires to prevent rolling. Jack the front of the car up on the front designated jacking point which is incorporated into the subframe. Place both jack stands in the correct locations located on the seam welds on either side of the car. Make sure the car is high enough so that you have plenty of clearance underneath it. I usually jack it up as high as my jack will possibly go. *** Do not max out your jack stands *** Here are some pictures for reference:







Ok the front of the car should now be in the air. Make sure that it is properly supported. Now it is time to remove the lug nuts and both wheels. Place the wheels and the lug nuts aside out of the way. Pictures:





Ok time to start the removal of the stock shock/spring assembly. Start by popping the hood. Find the two strut towers located on either side of the car almost directly above the fender well. The struts are held on by 3 14mm nuts. Remove them with your 3/8 inch drive ratchet and 3/8 drive 14mm deep socket. Set the nuts aside some where you will not loose them. They will be reused later. Pictures:







Ok you are done up top. Now it is time to move underneath the car. For reference here are the front coil spring/shock mounting points on the bottom. The strut is held in by two large 22mm bolts/nuts and is torqued down extremely tight. Spray the bolts generously with WD-40. Here are some pictures for reference on what the bolts look like and where they are:

[Diy Guy]

What turns the strut effectively turning the car are the tie rods. The tie rod ends have large joints in them like balls in a socket that allow movement. The tie rod is held on by a 19mm nut and the threads that this nut connects too have 4 holes drilled through them to put a cotter pin through. Here are some pictures for reference. Spray down the nut gererously with WD-40.







Ok so now you know where the tie rod end bolts are and where the large 22mm bolts are that hold the strut to the rest of the suspension. Let the nuts soak in the WD-40 as we tackle a few little things before we start on the larger parts.

If you are observant you noticed that there are two lines attached to the strut near the large 22mm bolts. One is the brake line and the other is a ABS wheel speed sensor. We need to remove both. The brake line bracket bolt is 12mm while the abs wheel sensor bracket bolt is only 10mm. Remove them with your 3/8 inch drive ratchet and 10mm & 12mm sockets. Here are some pictures the red circle is the 10mm ABS bracket bolt the yellow is the 12mm brake line bracket bolt:





Ok so now you should have all the little shit out of the way. All that you need to do is take off 2 large bolts on each side and the tie rod ends... Its harder than it looks I know many of you guys have heard or have experienced horror stories of the half-shafts poping out of the tranny. Ive never experienced it but I heard it takes hours to get the spinles on the ends of the half-shafts to match up correctly and mesh... Hopefully by following this guide you will never experience it as well

In order to keep everything together you need to support the lower front control arm. You can do this quite easily with a spare jack stand. Simply turn the rotor and place the jack stand on the studs. Here is a picture:



Ok so you have all your stuff supported. It is time to remove the strut assembly from the car. Lets start by removing the tie rod bolt/cotter pin so we can remove it from the strut. In order to remove the bolt you must remove the cotter pin first. With your pliers straighten out the pin and then push it out the opposite side to remove it. It is not difficult. Discard the old pin we will not reuse it. Picture:



Now we need to remove the 19mm nut from the tie rod. Find your breaker bar and the 19mm socket. Remove the nut and set it aside. It wil lbe used again. Pictures:







Ok the cotter pin and the nut are now removed but you will notice that the tie rod end will not come out of the strut. This is where the you need to use your 2 or 3 prong PULLER. It is very important that you use a puller or the special honda tool. *** DO NOT USE A FORK *** as it will tear the rubber tie rod boot. We used a fork on accident and tore the boot releasing alot of the grease.

First off here is a picture of the puller. I recomend a puller that has a flat base rather than a pointed tip. If you do use a puller with a pointed tip on the bottom the tip must be centered EXACTLY. There is 0 room for error. Either use the right parts or dont do this at all. We used one with a pointed tip and didnt have it centered all the way and ended up messing up enough threads to have serious difficulty when we tried to re-install the 19mm nut. It took about 200 pounds of force, a hammer, and an impact gun to get it past the messed up threads. Do not understimate the pullers power as it will put a hole in the bottom of the tie rod end. Circled in red is the tip (ours was pointed) that you will place underneath the tie rod end.



Ok. With that said manipulate the puller adjusting it by hand till you have the arms on the actual strut and the tip on the bottom of the tie rod. Once everything is centered take your crescent wrench and slowly turn the puller, tightening it. Go very slowly and watch the end of the tie rod arm an the threads to make sure they are not disturbed or distorted in any way. ***CAUTION*** the tie rod end will pop out of the strut with considerable force. Gloves are recommened and stay clear of the top of the tie rod end. Here are some pictues:











Ok the tie rod is now removed from the strut and you are ready to tackle the large 22mm bolts that are holding the strut from the bottom. This is where people have their half-shafts pop out on them so watch out. I suggest getting a couple friends in there to help you out. Always have some one watching the angle of the rotor/hub assembly and applying inward pressure so it does not fall down bringing the axle out with it causing a gigantic headache.

Find your large breaker bar with the 1/2 inch drive and the 22mm socket that is also 1/2 inch drive. Make sure you have the right tools because you will break other tools without the right parts. These 22mm bolts are torqued on with 116 foot pounds. Take your pole that I specified earlier in the tools list and stick it into the breaker bar to gain more leverage. Use your 22mm combo wrench to hold the bolt on the other side of the nut in case it turns. Slowly turn the 22mm nut. Keep loosening one bolt a little then the other a little till you feel they are loose enough to just concentrate on one. Some pictures:





The strut should come out now rather easily. Careful it is heavy and beware of the brake lines that are close by. Here are some pictures of what it looks like once the strut is removed from the car and also some pictures of the strut itself fully assembled.

[Diy Guy]

Ok you have now removed a front strut good job. Now we need to dismantle this beast and put the new spring on.

In order to get your new lowering springs onto the stock shocks the strut (shock/spring combo) must be dismantled. There are basically two ways to do this... Some people say you should use a spring compressor and some say you should just do it by hand. This is a touchy subject since the spring has potential energy behind it and could fly off causing damage, injuries, or death. Bottom line the professional way to do it is with a spring compressor. Remember that.

I would recommend the spring compressor for safety... but I did this by hand. There was 0 tension on the spring but that doesnt mean that there will be 0 tension for you. Choose wisely. Do not hold me responsible for injuries/damages if you do this by hand and the spring launches...

The following is for removing the shock from the spring (dismantling the strut) by hand. If you do it this way be aware of the risks and use EXTREME CAUTION. Gloves are recommended.

Move to an area that is clear of all people and valuables in case the spring does decide to recoil. Place the strut (shock/spring assembly) on the gound and support it with something. I used a small gutter, rocks, and my foot. Insert the 6mm allen wrench into the top of the strut and hold it with your hand... Use your 17mm combo wrench to loosen the small nut. Use caution and loosen it slowly. Both of mine came off with no problem and no dangerous spring rebound whatsoever but every strut is different so again... use extreme caution. Here are some pictures. I am aware that some of these pix are for the rear struts but removal is the same and I felt that these pix came out better than the 1s for the fronts so I will use these:











Once the 17mm nut is removed from the strut you will be able to dismantle it. Here are more pictures for clarification:









Remove each part. One by one... First remove the 16mm nut and the upper mount that has the studs. Next, remove the spring cover and then the spring. Then remove the large black bumpstop/dust cover. Remove all parts and clean them with your cleaner. DO NOT get any of the cleaner or any oils on the shock shaft. ***IMPORTANT*** do not do both struts at the same time. Leave one of the struts intact or partly intact as a reference guide as to how every part works and to what orders they go in.

Place each part on the ground just as you removed them to prevent frustration. Also refer to the other strut assembly for reference as well. I will put each part on one-by-one if you are unsure of how they go back together.

The black bumpstop/dust cover must be cut to accommodate the shorter spring. Take the bumpstop and cut it in half with a hacksaw. Here are some pictures. Before and after:







Keep the larger part of the bumpstop and discard of the other portion that will go unused. It is now time to reinstall all of the old parts with the new springs. Here are the pictures step by step follow closely.

Start by installing the spring. Turn it so the lower portion rests in the shock. O and make sure you dont install it upside down ok. That is why the other strut is still together... For reference.



Follow up next with the cut bumpstop:





Next is the metal spring cover. If you look closely it has small groves for the spring to fit into it. Snap it into place with a little pressure:







The upper shock mount is next. It is the part with the 14mm studs sticking out of it. Lower it onto the shock the best you can it will be slightly lop-sided...







Last but not least is the 17mm nut that holds everything together. Use the allen wrench to lock the strut as you tighten the nut down as best as you can. You will re-tighten it later on.







You are done with that one. Put a little pressure on it to make sure everything seated properly. Ok do that all again please Just to the other strut. Easier said then done huh.

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Ok its time to reinstall the struts again. The reinstall process should be just like the removal process with the sole exception of aligning the strut.

I will quote the Honda shop manual here for alignment procedures of the top strut tower mounting points. "Turn the damper mounting base so the DELTA L or DELTA R mark faces toward the outside of the vehicle"

Not sure if you guys got all that so ill make it more clear. If you look closely at the three studs you will se that they arent the same distance away from each other. They will only go in one way. Look at your mounting holes located on the car and then at the studs. Try your best to align them. It will take several tries but you will get it. REMEMBER when placing the strut back into the vehicle to have someone hold the brake/knuckle assembly so the half-shaft doesnt pop out.



Once you get the top portion of the strut installed and it is aligned loosely screw on the 3 nuts that hold it to the car on the strut towers. Move down below and loosely reinsert the large 22mm bolts with their nuts. Now is the time to tighten down the brake line and abs sensor brackets.

The brake line bracket bolt (12mm) should be tightened downed to 16 foot pounds while the abs sensor line bracket bolt (10mm) should be tightened down to 7.2 foot pounds.

Now, onto the more serious parts... Place the tie rod end into the strut. With your torque wrench tighten down the nut to 32 foot pounds. Then take a new cotter pin and slide it through the hole and bend it with your pliers just like how you saw the old one bent.

Ok the 22mm bolts are next. Torque them down to 116 foot pounds each holding the opposite side with the 22mm combo wrench to ensure it doesnt just slip and turn. When you torque these bolts work slowly and torque one then the other in steps. Upper-lower-upper-lower till you reach 116 pounds.

Now its time to move back up top and tighten the strut tower bolts down to 33 foot pounds with the torque wrench. Then tighten the 17mm strut bolt to 33 foot pounds.

Do this on the other side and you are done with the spring install. Reinstall the wheels and thread the lug nuts on. Jack the car up and remove the jack stands. Next lower the car to the ground slowly. Remove the chock(s) and inspect the front suspension.

After the install on the RSX we didnt get one single creak or pop at all but I would assume they would be normal as the suspension settles down during the first drop. It looks great too by the way Remember the suspension will drop a little more as it settles over the next few days and weeks.

Torque Specs:

- Upper Strut Mounting Nuts (14mm) = 33 Lb-Ft
- Lower Strut Mounting Nuts/Bolts (22mm) = 116 Lb-Ft
- Nut on Actual Strut (17mm) = 33 Lb-Ft
- Tie Rod End Nut (19mm) = 32 Lb-Ft
- Brake Line Bracket Bolt (12mm) = 16 Lb-Ft
- ABS Speed Sensor Bracket Bolt (10mm) = 7.2 LB-Ft

This concludes the DIY. You are done congratulate yourself, have a beer, enjoy a smoke whatever floats you boat lol. You just saved a shit load of money

Yea so thats my 11 page DIY (on microsoft word) with a grip of pictures (that I had to fucking resize and upload) that took me almost 3 damn hours.... totally worth it though if you guyz can use this to work on your Ep3s and Dc5s

Any ?s, suggestions, advice, or problems pm me or post below... aight L8r.

[aRz]

awesome... holy crap! theres like 10 more diy's you added!

[Big_Puddin44]

as a general rule you should never install lowering springs without also installing new struts that are designed with a shorter piston travel. if you dont and you go over a good sized bump. bye bye struts and you will be going through the whole process again anyways. its always better to do it the right way the first time. the only way you might be able to get away with it is by going with a stiffer spring that is also shorter, but with this option you sacrifice ride quality. its all about choice. i just dont like having to to do the same job twice if it isnt really necessary. but if you can do it without accidentally causing damage later down the road then props! overall a pretty good write up though