[AlvinHuyN]

Hey guys,
Well, I was putting eibach pro kits on my car and this happen. We were compressing the stock springs, once we compressed it fully, I took it out of the stock shock and was decompressing it when one of the spring compressor slided over to the other side. At this point the spring is only compressed on 1 side by 2 compressors. My friend and I were trying to loosen up one side in other to slide it back then compress both side evenly again when the spring sprung out and hit two of my fingers...trust me it hurts like no other!
Anyhow, I'm trying to think of another alternative to lower the rear without using a compressor (yeah I know its bad) but if it's safer I might want to do it.
I heard this and was thinking if it would work.

Loosen all 3 bolts from the top of the rear shocks
Jack up the car
Spring uncompress themselves from the car being jacked up
Remove the last two bolts frm the suspension
Remove rear shocks/springs assembly

I already know using spring compressors is the best way but to be this other alternative sounds a bit safer since I wont have to even touch the spring when it's compressing therefore lessen the risk of injury. Let me know if you guys think this is a bad idea or not. I'm not trying to find short cuts, I'm jsut afraid to use spring compressors again

...and trust me if you had a spring that was holding your 2700 bls car pounding into your fingers you'd feel the same way.

 

[ilubdonutz]

Ouch, looks like you got one of those compressors that have two pieces.

I think this one would be a safer buy.

Item 43753 At harbor freight

 

[justYncredible]

i do this and i have done this:
pocket
your foot
and someone to hold the pocket

once you take out the whole strut with spring. put your foot on the top securly. next put the pocket at the other end of the strut while someone is holding it. next untighten the nut on top. once the nut becomes lose to the point where the spring is going to spring. get ready for the spring to shoot out. the spring will only shoot out into the pocket. ive done this crazy "trick" on a few of my friends cars and i havent had a problem, except my friends saying im nuts for doing it

 

[98integraLs]

you can take off the shock and then remove the nut w/o a spring compressor. leave the hex wrench in the top of the shock tho so when the nut shoots off it wont go as far

. it really isnt as bad as people make it sound. just make sure that it is not pointing at anyone.

i usually stand on the bottom of the shock (where it connects to the lca) and then use a long 14mm wrench and use the floor to keep the hex wrench from turning so i dont have to have my hands infront of the upper mount/path of the nut.

good luck!

 

[98integraLs]

Loosen all 3 bolts from the top of the rear shocks
Jack up the car
Spring uncompress themselves from the car being jacked up
Remove the last two bolts frm the suspension
Remove rear shocks/springs assembly

this will work once you get shorter springs on there. however, if you are taking off the stock springs they are long eunf that they will still be exerting force on the shock/upper mount so you wont be able to remove the shock.

 

[Justateg]

98 integra ls is right the spring decompress to much to take the strut out. I tried it for sh*ts and giggles. Althought you you could undo the outer LCA bolt and try that same method that might give you enough room to get it out. To take my springs apart I put the upper spring cup in a bench vise and take the nut off. THe struts pops out on to the floor. its not that bad. I had the same problem with the spring compressors. they are a waste of time.
Justin

 

[GS-Racer]

I agree with Justycrdible. I've done that a ton of times. If your doing a real big heavy car it would be suicide but on ours you'll not have a problem if you use an ounce of caution. I've had the same problem with those spring compressers... Not worth the hassle!

 

[timpac167]

I don't use spring compressors anymore to take off springs. I only use it to put on springs that I need to compress to put on the shock.

Here is my method for removing stock springs:

1. once the spring/shock assembly is removed from the car, find a large towel or t-shirt to work with.

2. Loosen the retaining nut almost to the point where it will come off the threads.

3. Wrap the top of the assemble where the retaining nut is with your towel/shirt.

4. Place your socket wrench or ratchet on the retaining bolt, making sure the towel/shirt is snuggly covering the retaining nut.

5. Place a foot on the spring and start to loosen the retaining nut. once it is removed, the spring will "pop" out with alot of force and may surprise you on your first try. The retaining nut will shoot into your towel/shirt so that it does not get lost.

 

[nospeedlimit143]

^good idea with the towel

 

[95db8GSR]

I forsee someone losing a finger or two.....

 

[TheFifthSpeed]

I didn't use a spring compresser when taking off my stock springs. Me and my freind aimed it at a fence and both stepped on it then turned the top bolt until it unsprung itslef. this may not seem like the most practical but it worked like a charm.

 

[98integraLs]

^good idea with the towel

i would suggest NOT standing on the spring tho. if it did shoot off that could mess up your ankle/groin lol.

 

[dwolsten]

i would suggest NOT standing on the spring tho. if it did shoot off that could mess up your ankle/groin lol.

Hey, that's just Natural Selection at work...

For the person who was decompressing the springs with them still on the car, you're supposed to take the spring/shock assembly OFF the car first.

I replaced my springs by myself just using some simple spring compressors I borrowed from the auto parts store and I had almost no problems, even though I had never done it before. The only problem I had was that the spring compressors were apparently designed for springs with the coils spaced farther apart (probably older American cars), so I had a difficult time getting them in between the coils.

 

[Hakamoto]

I had roughly the same thing happen, but I only had one spring compressor to work w/as autozone only had one. I used it on the front springs and then I realized it was taking me entirely too long for the spring to still pop out on the other side when I removed the bolts. The easiest way is the old towel trick that timpac posted.

 

[Hakamoto]

Anyone know any tricks for installing springs on new shocks?(ie without using spring compressors)

 

[Red Teg OBD1]

When I originally did my springs (Eibach Pro Kit)...I shot the spring off of the shock into a garbage can...works pretty well if you stand on one end of the shock.

 

[Hakamoto]

There are all kinds of ways to get it off, but has anyone figured out how to get them back on w/out spring compressors?

 

[Louse76]

the rears dont even need to be compressed. there is no danger. they are not compressed enough.

i speak from experience.

 

[Hakamoto]

I will be helping member Adamones install the eibach pro kit on some kyb shocks, I think, on Friday and I was just curious if we could sneak them in and then use the weight of the car to compress them. I used spring compressors when I installed my suspenion, but I was thinking this was a definite possibility.

 

[timpac167]

I will be helping member Adamones install the eibach pro kit on some kyb shocks, I think, on Friday and I was just curious if we could sneak them in and then use the weight of the car to compress them. I used spring compressors when I installed my suspenion, but I was thinking this was a definite possibility.

This is very difficult on some springs. I have never installed Eibach Pro-kits. I have worked on Eibach Sportlines, Nuespeed Race, and H&R Sports. The sportlines were quite shorter than the other two springs.

However, the problem lies in trying to fit the UNcompressed assembly on the car. You can either slide in the top portion into the engine bay, but you'd have a hard time bolting the LCA bolt on the front suspension forks.

Or you can bolt the fork onto the LCA, put you may have an ass of a time trying to fit the strut hat back into the engine bay. Either way, I say give it a try, some msucle, and if it still doesn't go in, then get the compressor.