FRONT SPRINGS REMOVAL (estimated 40-60 minutes each side):

You'll need the following tools: 14mm deep-well socket, 12mm socket, 17mm box wrench, 17mm socket (preferably ½ drive), torque wrench, wheel lug wrench, socket to fit the bolt on the spring compressor, and a flathead screwdriver.

2)      Jack up the front of the vehicle by the frame just inside the front wheel.  Insert a jackstand at the  seam under the car located at the intersection of the front door and front fender.  (This is where you would normally jack the car in the event of a flat tire).  Chock the rear wheels!

3)       Open the hood and locate the three upper strut mount bolts.

4)       Remove the front wheel.

5)       Remove the 12mm bolt holding the brake line bracket to the strut.

6)       If this is the passenger side, you'll need to remove the 10mm bolt holding the speed sensor to the strut.

7)      Remove the two strut-to-steering knuckle bolts.  Both nut and bolt are 17mm.  An air gun really helps here, otherwise strength and elbow grease will prevail.  When you remove the bolts, the knuckle will drop a little bit, but the swaybar will keep it from falling to the ground.

8)      Loosen the upper strut mount bolts (14mm).  The strut assembly will want to start dropping.  With one hand underneath, grasp the strut assembly and hold it up to remove the three upper strut bolts.  They will unscrew by hand once loosened, unless they are rusted.  Place the three bolts in small parts tray for easy access later.

9)      Once the strut assembly is free, angle the lower end inwards (towards the center of the car).  This will give you ample room to maneuver the assembly out of the fenderwell.

10)    Place the assembly on a comfortable working surface. 

11)   Attach the coil spring compressors 180-degrees apart from one another.  Heres the only tricky part:  Youll need to find out the optimum place to attach them so you have easy access to the compressors bolts.  From my experience, I placed them north-south (based on where they would be on the car), and on set was inverted from the other.  This allowed me to access both bolts with my impact wrench.  Also, I mounted the compressors on the inner most 3 coils, i.e. there was one coil between the compressors hooks.

12)   Tighten each side one inch at a time.   The front springs require quite a bit of compression to free themselves of their perches.  I had about 1 inch of thread showing between the compressor hooks before the springs were loose enough.

13)  MAKE SURE YOUVE RELIEVED THE TENSION ON THE SPRINGS BEFORE PROCEEDING!!!!

14)   Pry off the center strut bearing cap with a flathead screwdriver. The center shaft bolt is a 17mm, and I would highly recommend an air impact wrench at this point.  Otherwise, you'll have to use the Vise-Grip/socket wrench combo to remove it.

15)   Once the 17mm bolt is off, pull off the strut bearing (NOTE WHICH   WAY IS UP), upper perch, and remove the compressed springs.

16)   Slowly, decompress the spring one inch at a time, side to side.  Youll need the compressors to install the new sport springs.

17)   Locate your new H&R (or whatever flavor you bought) front spring   (VERY different from the back springs).  Attach the compressors again, 180 degrees from each other.  Begin the compression procedure again.  For the H&Rs, I only needed to compress them half as much (as the stock springs) to properly install them.

18)   Place the compressed assembly onto the lower strut perch.  Align the upper strut perch with the shaft and end of the coil spring.  Youll also notice the strut shaft has a D shape, and the perch has a corresponding D cutout.  Place the strut bearing on after that, noticing which way is up.

19)   Screw on the 17mm bolt as far as you can by hand.  Finish tightening by either your impact wrench  or ViseGrip/socket combo.

20)    Release the compression on the springs, making sure the coil ends align properly into the upper and lower spring perches.

21)    Go to Step 8, and work your way backwards to install!  Installation is EXACTLY the reverse of the removal!  NOTE: DO NOT OVERTORQUE THE THREE UPPER STRUT MOUNT BOLTS!  I set my torque to 35ft-lbs.

REAR SPRINGS REMOVAL (estimated 30-40 minutes each side):

You'll need the following tools:  14mm socket, 12mm socket, 17mm box wrench, 17mm socket (preferably ½ drive), torque wrench, wheel lug wrench, socket to fit the bolt on the spring compressor, and a flathead screwdriver, hammer.

1)      Interior Preparation removing the rear deck, rear seat side bolsters, and rear plastic speaker covers.

a)      Open hatch and unclip the rear deck from the hatch door (strings), and from the plastic speaker covers.  Place rear deck in a safe, clean area.

b)      Open the driver side rear door, and follow the door edge all the way down.  Lift the felt covering at the bottom of the side bolster to reveal a 12mm bolt holding the bolster in.  Remove this bolt.  Push the bolster up about 2 inches, and pull out to remove.  Place in a safe, clean area. 

c)       Repeat b) for passenger side rear seat bolster.

d)      Behind the drivers side seat bolsters, locate a #2 Philips screw on the plastic speaker covers.  Remove this screw.  Locate three 10mm bolts holding the plastic cover to the interior.  One will be just under the clip for the rear deck hinge, the other two will be towards the back of the vehicle underneath the plastic speaker cover.  Remove all three bolts.

e)       Repeat d) for the passenger side rear speaker cover.

f)        Locate the three upper mounting bolts for the rear struts.  The bolts are 12mm.

2)      Jack up the rear of the vehicle by the center of the rear axle.  Insert a jackstand at the seam under the car located at the intersection of the rear door and rear fender.  (This is where you would normally jack the car in the event of a flat tire).  Chock the front wheels!

3)       Remove the rear wheel.

4)      Using a flathead screwdriver and a hammer, gently tap off the spring clip holding the rear brake line to the strut.

5)      Place another small secondary jack under the rear axle-hub assembly and slow jack it up.  This is to remove the tension placed on the swaybar endlink so you can easily remove it.  When you reach the point of no tension, you should be able to wiggle/twist the endlink with no resistance, i.e. the balljoints will swivel easily.

6)      Remove the 14mm nut holding the endlink to the strut.  Swing the endlink down and out of the way.  Lower the hub-axle again by lowering the small secondary jack.

7)      Go back inside the car, and loosen (but do not remove) the three 12mm upper strut bolts located under the rear speakers.  These bolts will unscrew by hand later.

8)      Go back to the lower strut assembly and remove the 17mm bolts holding the strut to the hub-axle.  Again, an impact wrench will greatly aid in the process here.

9)       With the lower assembly free and loose, hold the strut assembly in one hand and apply upward pressure.  With the other hand, reach into the car and start unscrewing the three 12mm bolts by hand.  Place the bolts in a small parts try for easy access later.

10)   Similarly to the front strut assembly, angle the bottom of the rear strut assembly inwards toward the centerline of the car.  Maneuver the entire assembly out of the fenderwell and place it on a comfortable working surface.

11)   Note the conical shape of the rear springs.  The wider end is located at the bottom of the assembly.

12)   Attach your spring compressors 180 degrees from each other on the springs.  This time, there were 2 coils between the compressor hooks.

13)   Tighten the compressors one inch at a time.  For the rear springs, you'll find they compress quite easily, and they will be relieved of tension with only about 1.5 of compression.

14)   MAKE SURE YOUVE RELIEVED THE TENSION ON THE SPRINGS BEFORE PROCEEDING!!!!

15)   Using an impact wrench (or the ViseGrip/socket combo), remove the 17mm center shaft bolt holding the spring assembly together.

16)   Pull the parts from the shaft; noting which side is up for the upper spring perch.  Also, BE SURE NOT TO MISPLACE THE ½ SPACER LOCATED BETWEEN THE BOLT AND THE UPPER SPRING PERCH!

17)   Decompress the springs one inch at a time.  You will most likely NOT need the compressors to install the rear lowering springs.

18)    Locate your new H&R rear spring.  Place the spring onto the shaft and align the bottom coil end with the lower perch.

19)   Place the upper spring perch on the shaft.  Similar to the front strut, you'll notice the D cut in the upper perch center hole for alignment.

20)    Using your body weight (you won't need much), press down on the upper spring perch and place the spacer and the bolt on the shaft.  Screw the bolt down as tight as you can by hand.  You should be able to get it on most of the way.

22)    Finish tightening by either your impact wrench or ViseGrip/socket combo.

23)   Go to Step 10, and work your way backwards to install!  Again, installation is EXACTLY the reverse of the removal!  NOTE: DO NOT OVERTORQUE THE THREE UPPER STRUT MOUNT BOLTS!  I set my torque to 25 ft-lbs.  Don't forget to reattach the rear swaybar endlinks to the rear strut!

You will definitely need an alignment afterwards.  The front tie rods will be angled upwards (vs. level with stock springs).  This will cause the front end to have toe-out by about a degree or so.  Also, the rear tie rods will lose a little of their downward angle, causing the rear end to have toe-in.  The factory specs require toe-out in the rear, toe-in in the front.

- Al