Now that we have everything out of the car, let's take a look at the comparisons between old and new. As mentioned above, I am replacing the stock GXP springs with GXP-Z0K springs. Here is a comparison between them. One set is already swapped and rebuilt.
FRONT
REAR
REMOVING THE SPRINGS FROM THE SHOCKS:
THIS STEP IS DANGEROUS! PLEASE USE EXTREAME CAUTION!Start by gathering the following:
1. a 2X4 about 2 feet long
2. a large towel
3. 15mm ratchet wrench
4. #5 allen wrench
5. something to aim at (yes, you may have a projectile! make sure you know where you are aimed! Do not aim at the car, dog, window, wife / gf, or YOUR BEER!)
Set up as follows:
The nuts came loose fairly easily for me, but you may need a bit of penetrating oil. (hahahah... I used nuts and penetrating in the same sentence....)
As you approach the end of the stud, cover everything with the towel. Be very mindful of where your hands and feet are! I had one foot holding the lower end of the shock and my one hand BELOW the spring support ring on the shock. You do not want your hands to get in the way!
I do not have a spring compressor. Additionally, I have seen these springs removed before, so I had a good idea of how much tension I would be dealing with. Even so, the first one still startled me. Be prepared and take every precaution you can. I am not responsible for your injuries! Also, this is not the "right" way to do this, so don't do it this way. ok, now that that's over with. Here is what you get once they are apart:
Take this time to clean everything. I found that a scrub brush in the kitchen sink with some dish soap worked best on the boot. Yes, I got yelled at. Yes, I bought a new scrub brush for the kitchen. The shock and spring clean up easily with some spray and wipe.
REASSEMBLY:
basically, it's the reverse. The new springs are shorter than the stock versions. I was able to compress them enough by hand to start the nut on the top. Then it's the same set up with the #5 and the 15mm. Tighten them till stop.
Put them back in the car. I had to twist them a bit to get all the mounting points to line up, but it's not tough. Use the jack to raise and lower as needed to reconnect the sway bar, upper ball joint and in the rear the (part to be named later)
Once you think you have everything back together, go over it all again. Make sure you have tightened everything to it's appropriate torque levels. A wise young man told me over the phone as I was begining that the LOWER SHOCK BOLTS DO NOT LIKE TO BE OVER TIGHTENED! Thanks DDM Dave for the tip. I did not use any air tools or any power tools at all. The job could be done with power tools, but as this was my first go round, I prefer to use hand tools to be sure I know how much pressure I'm putting on. I didn't use a torque wrench. My arms have built in gagues in my elbows, so I know exactly how much pressure I'm applying.
Now that you think you are done, before putting the wheels back on (you did clean them right?) go back and check EVERY NUT AND BOLT again. You do not want to gloss over this step. Don't forget to reconnect the 2wire electrical plug. I think this is a wheel speed sensor, but I'm not sure. Now, while the car is up on jack stands, check the bolts on your DDM Backbone. Just in case. Also, take pictures of your rear diff, the bottoms of your fenders, and anything else you find interesting while under there.
RESULTS:
The results are unclear at this point. I belive it will take a little while for the springs to settle in. I was expecting some change in before and after ride height, but the truth is, they were EXACTLY the same. I actually went and checked to make sure I didn't reinstall the original springs after I measured the first corner. I will give it 500 miles or so and remeasure.
OK, after almost 100 miles, here are the pics and info:
Measurements:
Corner Before After Change
Left Front 28" 27.5" -0.5"
Right Front 28.25" 27.375" -0.875
Left Rear 29" 28.5" -0.5
Right Rear 29" 28.5" -0.5
I can only assume the Right Front measurements have as much to do with the driveway as the springs. I will recheck again in a few hundred miles.
AFTER PICS:
You can see all my photos from this project here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/116869345911340124876/SpringInstallationPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmlk5n7m_nILg#For anyone that has done this job, if I missed anything or you know of a better way / faster way / safer way please let me know!
Hope this helps someone down the road.
GJ
(finally... now that that's done, can I go test drive the car?????)
