DIY Coilovers for Sports Compact
- 1). Loosen the wheel nuts with a torque wrench, just enough to "break" the stiffness: they should still be holding the wheels on tightly. Place a jack stand under each axle and jack the car off the ground.
- 2). Loosen the wheel nuts all the way and remove them. Lift off the wheels and set them aside. Loosen and remove the axle hub nut in the center of the disc, holding the assembly to the axle.
- 3). Locate the lower control arm leading from the suspension strut and follow it to the rear of the hub. Loosen and remove the bolt connecting the arm to the hub. Follow the lower control arm back into the wheel arch and locate the point where it meets the shock assembly and the spring is housed.
- 4). Remove the bolt holding the lower control arm to the shock assembly. Follow the shock assembly into the engine bay, where it is anchored by two small bolts. Raise the hood and remove the two bolts from the engine-bay side.Carefully remove the hub and the shock assembly through the car's small wheel arches: this will require careful maneuvering.
- 5). Lift the hub upward, compressing the spring. Pull it toward yourself to remove it from the axle. You may need to tap it from the back with the rubber mallet in order to remove it. Once it is clear, push the control arm and shock assembly downward, releasing tension from the shock, and lift it out of the car.
- 6). Release the clamp holding the old shock to the assembly and slide it out -- the rubber mallet may be helpful here if joints are seized. Slide the new shock into the assembly clamp and tighten it with the torque wrench to the value specified in the manufacturer's literature.
- 7). Apply the spring compressor to the standard spring and tighten the adjuster until the spring is compressed, allowing the top-hat to move freely. Loosen the locking bolt holding the top-hat down. Lift it off the spring assembly.
- 8). Remove the top-hat, taking care to note the order of the washers and locking nuts above it. They must be replaced in the correct order. Gently release the spring compressor from the old shock and apply it to the new one. Compress the spring. Place the top-hat and fittings onto the new spring and tighten them with the torque wrench to the value specified in the manufacturer's literature. Release the spring compressor.
- 9). Insert the new shock assembly into the wheel well of the car. Reconnect the lower control arm and the bolts in the engine bay. Place the hub back onto the axle and tighten the hub nuts. Finally replace the wheels.
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