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These steps are general guidelines that are applicable to most vehicles. With any particular vehicle, there may be procedures, specifications, settings, tolerances, components, etc. that are specific to that vehicle. There are also variations according to the type and brand of repair-kit you select. Always consult your vehicle's service manual when undertaking significant automotive repairs, and read and follow the manufacturer's directions and precautions that come with your kit or replacement parts.
Note:
- Always wear eye protection, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with power tools or pneumatic tools.
Materials Required:
In addition to standard auto-mechanic's tools (wrenches, ratchets, extenders, screwdrivers, nut-drivers, torque wrench, etc.), some of the specialty tools that will be needed for this project include small flat-head screwdriver, cordless drill and 2-1/8 hole saw, spring compressor, a jack and jack-stands. An air-compressor and set of pneumatic tools is optional, but may help speed the assembly process.
Procedure:
- Before installing the new suspension, measure the height of the ground clearance at the car's factory settings at all four corners. Record those measurements for later reference when the car is lowered.
- Before jacking the car and taking the weight off the tires, break the lug nuts loose using a hand wrench. This will make it easier to remove the wheels once the car is lifted onto the jack.
Note:
- Whenever jacking a car up for service or upgrades, always use jack stands. If you're not sure on where to mount the jack stands, call your local service center for help.
- The heart of this suspension upgrade is the adjustable coil-over kit. This particular kit has a spring rate specifically designed for our Civic.
- By adjusting the threaded perches, the height of the car can be raised or lowered.
- The new performance shocks are specifically designed for a lowered car. The dampening or resistance to free-suspension travel at each wheel is adjustable. On the back shock, the adjustment is made using an external knob.
- The front shock functions in a similar manner, but has an adjuster at the tip. The adjustment can be made using a small, flat-head screwdriver.
Tip:
- With adjustable dampening, you can soften your ride for daily driving, then dial 'em up for enhanced performance for track use.
- Jack the car high enough so that the wheels are well clear of the ground, but make sure it's low enough so that you can easily access the strut-tower bolts.
- Once the front wheels are removed and the car is secured in position, you can begin work on the front strut. The first bolt removed is the one that secures the lower part of the strut to the factory suspension piece.
- Use a 14-mm socket to remove the upper pinch bolt. Next, remove the lower securing nut and bolt to disconnect the strut from the lower control arm.
- In the engine bay, you'll next need to remove the two bolts holding the top of the factory strut.
Note:
- As you loosen the bolts, it's a good idea to have an assistant holding the strut so that it doesn't fall to the ground once it's released.
- With the stock front-struts removed from the 1996 Civic, the new struts can be prepped for installation. An O-ring slides over the new strut to prevent the threaded perches from rattling and wearing once they are installed onto the strut.
- You'll need to remove the factory strut-cap from the old struts. Removing the top nut from the strut will allow you to remove the cap, but you'll first need to secure the springs using spring compressors.
Note:
- Spring compressors (available for purchase or loan at most auto centers) are used to stabilize the springs before the nut at the top of the strut is removed. Without the spring compressors, the springs could break loose and cause injury once the tension is released.
- The bump-stops will also need to be removed from the old struts. But because the new suspension is lower, the bump-stops will need to be cut down to compensate for the adjusted height. Once it's cut to the proper size, slide the bump-stop into position on the new strut.
- Now, using the old bump-stop and strut-cap, you can assemble the new strut following the manufacturer's instructions. In our case, on top of the adjustable perch, we placed the spring followed by two washers, the original factory strut-cap, another flat washer, and the top nut.
- To install the new strut assembly, simply reverse the removal procedures used earlier. Position the strut assembly from below and secure it from above with nuts.
- For now, simply hand-tighten the nuts. Later in this project, we install a strut-tower bar at this location.
- The procedure for changing out the rear struts is basically similar to that for the front. In this case, there are two bolts that need to be removed. One connects the strut assembly to the control arm.
- The other connects the control arm to the hub assembly. Use a 14mm socket to remove each of the bolts.
- In the hatch (or trunk), it will likely be necessary to remove some of the plastic panels to access the top ends of the rear struts. Use caution when removing the panels, and place the fasteners and small pieces in a container to keep up with them for re-assembly. In our case, we also had to temporarily remove rear speakers to access the strut towers from above.
- Once you can access the strut, use a 14mm socket and extender to loosen the bolts. As on the front strut, as you loosen the bolts, have an assistant support the strut from below to prevent them from dropping to the floor.
Tip:
- In a situation like this, when working between an interior trim-panel and the body, first loosen the nuts part-way using the ratchet. Then loosen them the rest of the way by hand to prevent them from falling down inside the body panel where they would be hard to retrieve.
- Once the old struts are off the rear of the vehicle, you're ready to assemble and install the new strut assemblies. In our case, the adjustment ring was positioned about 1-1/2 inches from the cup. Once the assembly is installed on the vehicle, the height can be fine-tuned further.
- As you did in the front, position the assembled coil-over from below. Once the top of the strut is in proper alignment, secure it with the nuts. Then secure the lower portion of the strut below.
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