Seeking How To How daunting is the work for lowering springs?

[Ulikefishsticks]

I really want to get my car lowered using the Eibach springs. My only issue is having to fork over the hundreds of dollars for a shop to do it and also get the alignment closest as possible. I would like to minimize how much more I spend on the car with the way things are right now. And I just spent 1400 on tires and 600 on a roof wrap. My GF aggro is nearly 100% hah. I would love to do this on my own however I think it might be to much of a headache. I live in an apartment complex so I would be doing it in the parking lot. I have done a bit to my car on my own. Changed the brake pads, installed JB4 and other smaller things. I have never attempted such a big task like swapping out springs. I hear the rears aren't bad. The fronts are where the issues are. Also I would need to acquire a few tools to help. I have a jack and jack stands and I guess I would need something to help compress the springs and possibly get the ball joints out? Has anyone here done this with as little experience as me and in an apartment complex? Thanks for any tips or suggestions!

 

[Aarvix]

Plan to pay for an alignment, there's no way around that part no matter how well you mark and reassemble stuff. Give the springs some time to settle though, I waited ~1 week.

I did mine on a friend’s lift, but there’s nothing that can’t be done with jackstands (just need tall enough stands in the front that you can get the strut assy in/out.
The rear is cake, the front can be a pain to get the old strut out.

Might want to ask @BertBert2019GT . It looks like he did @Luminary ’s springs on jackstands:
What did you do to your Kia Stinger today?

Assuming you have all the necessary sizes of ratchets/sockets/wrenches, I’d also plan to have:

· Hammers (deadblow, regular, BFH)
· Pry bar
· Wood blocks to support stuff
· Wire/rope to tie up the calipers
· The correct allen key/socket for sway bar endlinks
· Various u-joints/extensions (especially if doing rear sway)
· Some sort of long metal rod or jumbo screwdriver (helps when re-aligning the strut in the control arm)
· Spring compressors (I needed two sets, can be rented from vatozone, can probably be done with one set, but was kinda sketchy)
· Tape to protect your paint from scratches when you remove the strut.
· Transportation in case you need to go buy/rent some tool you forgot.
· Patience
· beer


I don’t recall needing a pickle fork, I think a few love taps unseated the TREs.

 

[Ulikefishsticks]

yeah I figured I would have to go somewhere for the alignment. I definitely want to do the rear sway bar. I luckily have a second car so I wont' have an issue if I have to go somewhere. Parts store is pretty close also. I feel like I can probably do this. It will just take me a long ass time as I can be meticulous with some things.

 

[NS_Stinger]

Also just want to mention that this kind of a job really varies on timing as it's directly related to how experienced and comfortable you are at doing this kind of stuff. If you're doing something like this for the first time and don't really know what you're doing and following a video online or something, it's going to be a fairly long job. I haven't swapped my springs on my Stinger and don't really plan to, but I'm speaking from experience having swapped springs on other cars somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10 times over the years. It's definitely one of those jobs that gets a lot easier the more times you've done it.

 

[Ulikefishsticks]

Yeah, well I don't mind if it takes a few days. I would rather do it slow and correct. Probably start with the rears and learn as much as I can. Then I'll probably take a day for each front wheel. I'm not worried if it goes on for a while. It's just hard to find a guide or video that shows everything really well. I might just take a day and pull off a front wheel and just take a look under there to get an idea of what is going on.

 

[NS_Stinger]

Have you seen this video yet?

 

[Aarvix]

ARK did a write-up for their springs (which works for any springs). It's quite good.

here's the link (search on this site is poo)
DIY: ARK Performance GT-F Lowering Springs Installation Guide

 

[Luminary]

Have you seen this video yet?

We did NOT cut the boot (whateveritiscalled) seen at 2:20. I have heard some people do, we decided not to. How do they know how much to cut off?

After install was complete:



I would say she has dropped maybe another quarter of an inch (probably over estimating a bit) since Saturday's install.

 

[Buzzrush]

Man...I would LOVE to do this but being in a snowy climate for 5 months outta the year, I don't think it's a good move for me. I barely cleared some of the plowed snow and ice last year as it is. I could hear the ice chunks lightly scraping against the bottom of the car driving through my alley. Softball size solid ice chunks. If she was a half inch lower...would've ripped her up real good. I guess for me it's either larger wheels and a rougher ride or suck it up and live with the gap. Just outta curiosity, how much have people been quoted to have these installed by a reputable shop?

 

[Ulikefishsticks]

Man...I would LOVE to do this but being in a snowy climate for 5 months outta the year, I don't think it's a good move for me. I barely cleared some of the plowed snow and ice last year as it is. I could hear the ice chunks lightly scraping against the bottom of the car driving through my alley. Softball size solid ice chunks. If she was a half inch lower...would've ripped her up real good. I guess for me it's either larger wheels and a rougher ride or suck it up and live with the gap. Just outta curiosity, how much have people been quoted to have these installed by a reputable shop?

I have been quoted 4 hours of work for just the fronts and 1.5 hours for the rear at $120/hour. Probably a bit over $700 after all is said and done just for the install. Includes the rear sway bar also. They have done a couple Stingers. I only checked out that one shop though. If I decide to go that route then I will see if I can get a more competitive quote elsewhere.

 

[Buzzrush]

WOW...yeah that settles it for me lol! Stock stance it is. No chance I could do this myself...I lack the equipment and the know how. Not to mention the patience.

 

[Aarvix]

Time seem right, but that rate....ouch.

Should be a $500 job.

 

[Ulikefishsticks]

Yeah, different areas will charge different prices. In my home town I could have it done for $300 probably haha. Again, this probably isn't the most competitive price I could get if I shopped around.

 

[BertBert2019GT]

Follow the ARK DIY it’s good for the minimal amount of steps to get the job done
DIY: ARK Performance GT-F Lowering Springs Installation Guide

use the kia tech guide for reference, you do not have to follow—more steps than is necessary and no special kia tools are required. I use this for torque specs. use the same website and refer to the rear lower arm for those torque values
http://www.kstinger.com/front_strut_assembly-552.html

tools needed:

spring compressors-set of two never ever use one spring compressor ever.

jack

two jackstands

two blocks of wood for lowering after installation (car will be LOWER lol depending in your jack it may not slide out afterwards)

torque wrench

10mm
13mm
14mm
17mm
19mm
21mm

sockets and wrenches

HW.6 allen key bit

needle nose pliers

big flat head screw driver

My two cents:

We did not trim the bump stop. There’s pros and cons with either way you choose

I didn’t end up using my pitman arm puller. The ball joins are still so new they came out with a little-wiggle.

If you have AWD, have fun with those axles... RWD for the win

4-8 hours depending on your experience

 

[Ulikefishsticks]

Yeah, I have the AWD haha. I hear it's a PITA more so than RWD. Thanks for the write-up. Still debating on whether I will do it or not.

 

[BertBert2019GT]

You can do it. The awd is just frustrating because the axle end slides out and then the splines dont line up and that shit is heavy and you better not scratch any paint while youre dancing with it...

BUT

the axle boots are tough - don’t panic be ready to exercise some patience, deep breaths and keep telling yourself idiots like me do this all the time and before you know it, you’ll be all done

 

[Frenchy_418]

The front on awd as stated above is a major pita. I ended up making a tiny hole in the axle booth that I managed to repair, but yeah, if the shaft drop like it did on my passenger side, you go ask for help to rotate and wiggle the shaft in the hole as you slowly raise the knuckle.

 

[SKStinger]

Yep it’s a pita with AWD. My comments are in that Ark DIY thread. Took me 6.5 hours and I’ve swapped springs before. Anyone who says this can be done in under 4 hours without a lift is lying.

My recommendation is if you don’t have the tools and you’re on a driveway, take it to a shop.

 

[Rakker]

It really wasn't that bad to be honest. The rear was a piece of cake. I rented some spring clamps from autozone (actually I borrowed them because they didn't charge me lol). Getting the front out and back in wasnt too difficult. The hardest part for me was getting those 2 bolts in the suspension to line back up just right after I had the new springs on. I probably did the second front spring in half the time that I did the first.

 

[SKStinger]

It really wasn't that bad to be honest. The rear was a piece of cake. I rented some spring clamps from autozone (actually I borrowed them because they didn't charge me lol). Getting the front out and back in wasnt too difficult. The hardest part for me was getting those 2 bolts in the suspension to line back up just right after I had the new springs on. I probably did the second front spring in half the time that I did the first.

On a RWD this is an easy DIY because you’re right, the rear is easy. The fronts on an AWD are a pain because you’re fighting the drive axles when removing the strut assembly. If it wasn’t for that, this would be a 3 to 4 hour job tops.