Thursday I did the Install of my new Tokico Shocks and sport springs in my garage. It took a total of 3 hours and I had all the tools I needed before beginning which helped speed the process.
Car: 2001 Honda Prelude 5 speed (non-SH)
Suspension set-up: Tokico Performance (blue) shocks / Tokico sport (red) springs (1.5" drop)
Tools required:
1.) Strut Spring Compressor - got mine from Autozone for $40 and I can return it if I decide not to keep it.
2.) Large ratchet with extensions and sockets in 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm
3.) hydraulic floor jack (preferred) or another suitable jack
4.) at least two (2) jack stands to hold car once it is raised with jack.
5.) TORQUE WRENCH (a very good investment and required for safety)
Proceedures(pics at bottom of page):
1.) Break nuts free on front wheels
2.) Raise front end and place on jack stands
3.) remove front wheels
4.) Remove damper fork (wishbone), one bolt holding it to lower arm and one pinch bolt holding it to the stock shock assembly, once these bolts are removed the fork slides off the shock
5.) remove the 3 nuts holding the shock into the shock tower from the engine bay side
6.) work the shock assembly out of car (you may need to pry downward on the suspension upper arm to allow the shock to clear the lower arm and come out).
7.) use the spring compressor to release the tension on the springs and remove the end nuts on the assembly (you will need a 6mm? hex head and a 14mm closed end wrench to accomplish this). be sure the spring has no tension on the end cap before removing this nut!
8.) take apart the shock assembly and note the order of the bushings, washers.
9.) there are rubber bump stops on the shaft of the shock that you should shorten by an inch or so, these stops are what keep your car from bottoming out if you overcompress the springs on a large bump, etc.
10.) assemble the new spring on the correct shock and put the bump stop on the shaft and the dust cover (dust covers should also be shortened an inch). put the end cap back together on the new assembly (in the correct order) and snug the end nut as well as you can
11.) put the new assembly in the car and match up the lower fork grove on the shock with the orientation of the lower fork (you may need to rotate the spring slightly but since it was not under tension on my application I did this by hand)
12.) Once the shock is in tighten the 3 upper shock tower nuts by hand only. tighten the pinch bolt in the fork to 40 ft lbs torque (must use a torque wrench). tighten the lower through bolt (lower arm to fork bolt) to 47 ft lbs.
13.) lower the car and tighten the 3 upper shock nuts to 25 ft lbs
*Repeat proceedure for rear of car...(you will need to remove the bolt in the rear trailing arm and swing it down and back in order to remove and insert the shock assembly, otherwise it's about the same as the front except there is no fork, the shock attaches directly to the lower arm with a through bolt.
Pictures below with steps included (again)
Proceedures (with pics):
1.) Break nuts free on front wheels
2.) Raise front end and place on jack stands
3.) remove front wheels
4.) Remove damper fork (wishbone), one bolt holding it to lower arm and one pinch bolt holding it to the stock shock assembly, once these bolts are removed the fork slides off the shock (damper fork attached to shock(blue) note that the driveaxle goes through the fork)
5.) remove the 3 nuts holding the shock into the shock tower from the engine bay side
(front tower with nuts/shock removed)
6.) work the shock assembly out of car (you may need to pry downward on the suspension upper arm to allow the shock to clear the lower arm and come out).
7.) BEING VERY CAREFUL, use the spring compressor to release the tension on the springs and remove the end nuts on the assembly (you will need a 6mm? hex head and a 14mm closed end wrench to accomplish this). be sure the spring has no tension on the end cap before removing this nut!
(spring compressor)
(removing end cap nut)
8.) take apart the shock assembly and note the order of the bushings, washers.
9.) there are rubber bump stops on the shaft of the shock that you should shorten by an inch or so, these stops are what keep your car from bottoming out if you overcompress the springs on a large bump, etc.
10.) assemble the new spring on the correct shock and put the bump stop on the shaft and the dust cover (dust covers should also be shortened an inch). put the end cap back together on the new assembly (in the correct order) and snug the end nut as well as you can
11.) put the new assembly in the car and match up the lower fork grove on the shock with the orientation of the lower fork (you may need to rotate the spring slightly but since it was not under tension on my application I did this by hand)
12.) Once the shock is in tighten the 3 upper shock tower nuts by hand only. tighten the pinch bolt in the fork to 40 ft lbs torque (must use a torque wrench). tighten the lower through bolt (lower arm to fork bolt) to 47 ft lbs.
(front shock installed ready to lower car)
13.) lower the car and tighten the 3 upper shock nuts to 25 ft lbs
*Repeat procedure for rear of car...(you will need to remove the upper control arm, 2 nuts hold it from the trunk side, swing the arm down and around till the shock will clear, in order to remove and insert the shock assembly, otherwise it's about the same as the front except there is no fork, the shock attaches directly to the lower arm with a through bolt.
(rear shock tower bolt location)
(rear hub with rear trailing arm detached- DO NOT REMOVE THAT LOWER ARM, IT WILL EFFECT ALIGNMENT!)
(rear shock assembly installed)
(the finished product, springs should still settle for a few weeks, drop in this pic measures 1" from stock height)
Compliments of JLUDE, 2003...all you Lude owners are welcome...for those with other cars the procedure is similar but not exact. I found that my steering wheel is slightly off center after the lowering but the car tracks perfect straight line with hands off the wheels still...I plan to have the alignment checked soon which is recommended after lowering anyway. :yea:
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anyone attempting this install themselves. However it is a very simple procedure for those with decent skills in working with cars.
questions/comments encouraged :wink:
Car: 2001 Honda Prelude 5 speed (non-SH)
Suspension set-up: Tokico Performance (blue) shocks / Tokico sport (red) springs (1.5" drop)
Tools required:
1.) Strut Spring Compressor - got mine from Autozone for $40 and I can return it if I decide not to keep it.
2.) Large ratchet with extensions and sockets in 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm
3.) hydraulic floor jack (preferred) or another suitable jack
4.) at least two (2) jack stands to hold car once it is raised with jack.
5.) TORQUE WRENCH (a very good investment and required for safety)
Proceedures(pics at bottom of page):
1.) Break nuts free on front wheels
2.) Raise front end and place on jack stands
3.) remove front wheels
4.) Remove damper fork (wishbone), one bolt holding it to lower arm and one pinch bolt holding it to the stock shock assembly, once these bolts are removed the fork slides off the shock
5.) remove the 3 nuts holding the shock into the shock tower from the engine bay side
6.) work the shock assembly out of car (you may need to pry downward on the suspension upper arm to allow the shock to clear the lower arm and come out).
7.) use the spring compressor to release the tension on the springs and remove the end nuts on the assembly (you will need a 6mm? hex head and a 14mm closed end wrench to accomplish this). be sure the spring has no tension on the end cap before removing this nut!
8.) take apart the shock assembly and note the order of the bushings, washers.
9.) there are rubber bump stops on the shaft of the shock that you should shorten by an inch or so, these stops are what keep your car from bottoming out if you overcompress the springs on a large bump, etc.
10.) assemble the new spring on the correct shock and put the bump stop on the shaft and the dust cover (dust covers should also be shortened an inch). put the end cap back together on the new assembly (in the correct order) and snug the end nut as well as you can
11.) put the new assembly in the car and match up the lower fork grove on the shock with the orientation of the lower fork (you may need to rotate the spring slightly but since it was not under tension on my application I did this by hand)
12.) Once the shock is in tighten the 3 upper shock tower nuts by hand only. tighten the pinch bolt in the fork to 40 ft lbs torque (must use a torque wrench). tighten the lower through bolt (lower arm to fork bolt) to 47 ft lbs.
13.) lower the car and tighten the 3 upper shock nuts to 25 ft lbs
*Repeat proceedure for rear of car...(you will need to remove the bolt in the rear trailing arm and swing it down and back in order to remove and insert the shock assembly, otherwise it's about the same as the front except there is no fork, the shock attaches directly to the lower arm with a through bolt.
Pictures below with steps included (again)
Proceedures (with pics):
1.) Break nuts free on front wheels
2.) Raise front end and place on jack stands
3.) remove front wheels
4.) Remove damper fork (wishbone), one bolt holding it to lower arm and one pinch bolt holding it to the stock shock assembly, once these bolts are removed the fork slides off the shock (damper fork attached to shock(blue) note that the driveaxle goes through the fork)
5.) remove the 3 nuts holding the shock into the shock tower from the engine bay side
6.) work the shock assembly out of car (you may need to pry downward on the suspension upper arm to allow the shock to clear the lower arm and come out).
7.) BEING VERY CAREFUL, use the spring compressor to release the tension on the springs and remove the end nuts on the assembly (you will need a 6mm? hex head and a 14mm closed end wrench to accomplish this). be sure the spring has no tension on the end cap before removing this nut!
8.) take apart the shock assembly and note the order of the bushings, washers.
9.) there are rubber bump stops on the shaft of the shock that you should shorten by an inch or so, these stops are what keep your car from bottoming out if you overcompress the springs on a large bump, etc.
10.) assemble the new spring on the correct shock and put the bump stop on the shaft and the dust cover (dust covers should also be shortened an inch). put the end cap back together on the new assembly (in the correct order) and snug the end nut as well as you can
11.) put the new assembly in the car and match up the lower fork grove on the shock with the orientation of the lower fork (you may need to rotate the spring slightly but since it was not under tension on my application I did this by hand)
12.) Once the shock is in tighten the 3 upper shock tower nuts by hand only. tighten the pinch bolt in the fork to 40 ft lbs torque (must use a torque wrench). tighten the lower through bolt (lower arm to fork bolt) to 47 ft lbs.
13.) lower the car and tighten the 3 upper shock nuts to 25 ft lbs
*Repeat procedure for rear of car...(you will need to remove the upper control arm, 2 nuts hold it from the trunk side, swing the arm down and around till the shock will clear, in order to remove and insert the shock assembly, otherwise it's about the same as the front except there is no fork, the shock attaches directly to the lower arm with a through bolt.
Compliments of JLUDE, 2003...all you Lude owners are welcome...for those with other cars the procedure is similar but not exact. I found that my steering wheel is slightly off center after the lowering but the car tracks perfect straight line with hands off the wheels still...I plan to have the alignment checked soon which is recommended after lowering anyway. :yea:
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anyone attempting this install themselves. However it is a very simple procedure for those with decent skills in working with cars.
questions/comments encouraged :wink: