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How-To: Swap out coilovers / struts / shocks & springs

paggers
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Posts: 616
Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:42 am
Location: Warrington, Cheshire

How-To: Swap out coilovers / struts / shocks & springs

Postby paggers » Sun Aug 11, 2013 12:23 pm

I'm posting this here as it doesn't fit comfortably into any of the maintenance sections. It's not model specific (in fact the pictures are from both a Mk1 and a Mk2) and I guess if it's of sufficient value it should ideally be moved into the 'How To' section.

Okay, so you want to swap out the suspension struts on your car. Also referred to as coilover units, and made up of a damper (also referred to as a shock absorber), a spring and a top mount, these are the bits of your car that most directly influences how it rides. I'm going to cover both the Mk1 and the Mk2 as while the suspension is virtually the same there is an issue with the drop links on the Mk2 which is worth covering.

Note: if you are making changes to your struts - replacing them entirely or just swapping out dampers or springs - you must always do both sides to ensure the car remains stable. You can do the fronts, the rears or both, but never just one side. The other thing you must never do is attempt to disassemble the strut while it is on the car. This 'how to' will not cover how to disassemble the strut (I may well do another on that later) but it will show you how to remove and refit the entire unit.

We will start with the Mk1 by removing the replacing the front struts. Start by jacking the car and placing it securely on axle stands. This is covered elsewhere so I will assume you know how to do this and move on. (If not please take a break and read the relevant advice on jacking and axle stands.) Once the car is jacked up remove the front wheels. You should have something that looks broadly like the image below (this is the front suspension from a Mk2 but aside from the drop link it is the same).

Image

The first thing we are going to do is free up the drop links. This next image is from a Mk1 and shows the top bolt removed so that the link is separated from the ARB (Anti-Roll Bar, also referred to as a 'Sway Bar' by Americans and MM). You should loosen off the lower bolt also as this will make it easier to refit but don't remove it unless you plan to renew the drop links.

Image

The next step is to remove the bolt that holds the upper wishbone to the front subframe. This is a very long bolt and access is a bit tight but with a bit of effort you should be able to free it up. You need to remove the bolt through the ARB mounting bracket at the front - on my car I had to wind the rear ARB mounting screw out around halfway as the wishbone bolt was catching on it. Once you have removed the bolt the lower swingarm and upright are free to drop down to release the strut. Here is a picture of the suspension with the upper wishbone bolt removed (it will make more sense when you compare it with your suspension).

Image

Now you need to remove the bolt that holds the strut to the lower wishbone and then from inside the bonnet remove the two nuts that hold the top mount in place. The whole strut should now drop free and you should be left with something like this.

Image

Next we will fit the replacement struts. This is pretty much a case of doing the reverse of what I just described. Put the strut in place and start by bolting it to the lower wishbone. Note: just do everything up finger tight at this stage, we'll tighten everything properly later - it's important to do it this way as you will see later. Next use a jack under the lower wishbone to lift the strut into position so you can get the nuts on the top mount - not forgetting to make sure the plastic gasket is fitted! After that refit the bolt that holds the upper wishbone in place and then refit the bolt that connects the drop link to the ARB. If you loosened off one of the ARB bolts for access to get the wishbone bolt in and out don't forget to nip that back up (but again don't fully tighten it yet).

Okay, so at this point we should have everything back together and it should look something like this.

Image

Now we need to tighten everything to the correct torque settings. The reason why we didn't do it before is that the suspension all needs to be under compression (i.e. have the weight of the car on it) when you torque everything up. So, as with the picture below, place a jack under the lower wishbone and jack it up until you are starting to take the weight off the axle stand on that side.

Image

Now torque up everything to the correct values (I'm assuming you have a manual of some variety with the settings in it) then you can drop the jack and job is done! Finish up the other side then you can take the car off the axle stands and drop it back onto its wheels.

Now we need to tackle the back. Getting access to the top mounts is the biggest hassle as they are buried in the back of the boot and in the case of the n/s are hidden behind the fuel filler pipes. So to start off with you need to strip everything out of the boot and remove the cover place over the fuel filler pipes. You should end up with something that looks like this (ignore the fact that I have removed the breather pipe, you shouldn't do that).

Image

Undo the bolt at the bottom that holds the pipe in place and then undo the four screws that sit around the filler mouth as shown in this next picture.

Image

You can then work the whole assembly free and just push it into the boot. Make sure you refit the filler cap as otherwise the boot will fill up with petrol fumes and I promise you will end up with a nasty headache as you work (experience talking). You also wouldn't want to be smoking at this point!

Here's the filler pipes moved out of the way. Again ignore the fact that I have removed the breather pipe, I replaced it when I realised I was gassing myself (along with the filler pipe cap).

Image

So, here's a shot of the n/s side suspension. The easiest way to remove the strut is to remove the bolt that connects the upper wishbone to the upright (central in the image below). That allows the upright and lower wishbone to drop away, releasing the strut. You also need to free up the drop link but unfortunately with this being a Mk2 they are completely rusted up - as always - but that was fine as I planned to replace them anyway.

Image

Here's a shot of me removing the bolt securing the upper wishbone to the upright. A ring spanner on one end secures the nut while a socket and breaker bar followed by a ratchet on the other end finishes the job. You may need to tap the bolt out but remember to use a centre punch to avoid damaging the thread on the bolt.

Image

In this shot the bolt is removed (tucked back through the upright so I don't lose it - I always like to stick screws and bolts where they came from so I don't lose track) and the wishbone and upright are separated. You can also see that I have removed the bolt holding the shock to the lower wishbone.

Image

All I need to do now is cut through the drop link with my trusty angle grinder. Note that I have supported the lower wishbone with a jack, this is to stop it dropping away when I cut through the link. Cutting through the drop link while it is under tension may not be dangerous but it certainly is alarming when it goes and I would not recommend it.

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And here's a shot of the drop link after I cut through it. I will be removing both the ARB and the wishbones so I will grind the ends off away from the car.

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I'll pause here for a brief message. I'm not a big fan of our modern health and safety culture, but if you are using an angle grinder then please make sure you use protective gear! I wear plastic glasses, ear defenders, and gloves. If I'm under the car when I am cutting I wear a woollen 'beanie' hat as well! You only get one set of eyes and ears so don't mess about with them.

Image

Intermission over. All that was left to do was remove the top mount bolts then push down on the lower wishbone and lift the strut out. It should come out with a plastic gasket which you don't want to lose. Sometimes the gasket sticks to the car so make sure you recover it as you will need it (or a replacement) when you refit the strut - unless you want the top mount seizing to the car that is. Here is the removed strut and the gaping hole in the suspension where it used to be.

Image

In terms of refitting, again it is the reverse of removal. If you had to cut the drop link then obviously your first job is to grind off the two ends so you can fit a new one. Fit everything together finger tight then once again jack the car up before tightening all the bolts to the correct torque setting.

I think that's everything. If I find I have missed anything then I will amend the post later.
Niall


1997 1.8i Roadster in Black
- Induction kit, Stainless Exhaust System, Lowered Springs
1998 1.8i S MX-5 in Silver
- Under restoration

Also into taking a few pictures - check out my website.

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