Searching for lowering springs (Eibach) diy advice

nojeebs

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So I've been looking at doing the install myself as I've done with most of my cars. But since this is a new platform I'm reaching out to the forums to see if anyone has done this install already and has any advice to give as I heard that the front disassembly is not as easy as other applications. Something about having to take apart the front knuckles to get the strut out?

Anyhow hope this can be a thread for others to look into for advice as I'm sure plenty of people might want to attempt the install themselves since Eibach just released their springs for the ctr.
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jonny7isa

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It is definitely going to be a challenge doing the springs yourself. My mechanic just got it done a couple weeks ago, but needed some help.
Rear could be done easily, but the front does take some time.
 
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nojeebs

nojeebs

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It is definitely going to be a challenge doing the springs yourself. My mechanic just got it done a couple weeks ago, but needed some help.
Rear could be done easily, but the front does take some time.
Yup I did enough research to determine it would be a pain the ass to do the fronts myself. :confused: Rears no problem at all but I'll skip on removing the knuckles just to do springs. Taking it to a shop to do the install is justified in this case. Haha.
 

tuxmonkey

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@jonnys_honda Can also fill you in more on Eibach parts. They used his car for R&D
 


MtoR

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Okay So I decided to try and tackle this install on Wednesday. For a quick background check, I've worked on cars my whole life from motor swaps to complete rebuilds. My friend who assisted me has also been working on cars for the last 20 years and holds a master ASE certification.

We usually work on cars at his house but decided to use another friends shop lift. We started on Wednesday around 4pm and the rears indeed were very simple and took all of 10 mins to complete. Now the true adventure began, another 2 hours passed and the feeling of resentment filled my soul thinking I would have to drive home with a half lowered car. I removed sway bar links, electronic dampener control, lower a arm ball link, strut flanged nuts, lower strut bolts and anticipated to be able to pull the strut assembly from the fork. This was all just a pipe dream. Off came the lower cowl, lower a arm rear mount, lower spindle mounting bolts, dust shields, ball joint transition bolts pretty much anything I could get a wrench on. And this is what I was left with, my car hung up on a lift overnight.

Honda Civic 10th gen Searching for lowering springs (Eibach) diy advice IMG_8058



So yesterday I decide to call JHPusa who forwarded me to Eibach, I spoke with one of their techs and he told me that doing the front was a major challenge and short of dropping the hub would lead me to failure. We came to an agreement that I needed to remove the lower a arm ball joint, but to let everyone know that three quarters of this cars suspension is made of aluminum and just looking at it funny will start to mushroom the metal lol.

Now I get a little smart and enlist the service of pros, I ask another master tuner with accolades of installing and fabricating a turbo F20c (s2000 motor) into a 1986 ae86 corolla to come and help me out. 5 seconds into removing the lower a arm ball joint and a healthy amount of massage rolling on the hub assembly, the strut breaks free of the fork. Putting the car back together is cake but trying to discern what components to remove was a pain. I had full intent on making a DIY on this but frustration on the 1st night got the better of me. I will do this all over again when I'm able to get my hands on a full coil over system and will document the install at that time.

Lessons learned in order of importance.

1. You're going to need a lift, breaking the fit of the lower a arm ball joint will be a nightmare with 2 feet of clearance if you're on jack stands.

2. You absolutely have to remove the lower a arm ball joint. The a arm is made of the most malleable aluminum know to man, so double hammer/mallet tap to shock the joint and us a pry bar and a sacrificial nut (where the castle nut mounts) and swing for the fences.

3. Bring a friend, this ain't your 92 civic si where you can solo win and get it done under 2 hours. The technology Honda employed to remove torque steer and extend pivot points is a technical marvel but wasn't intended for the weekend warrior to attack. Even if your mechanic skills are at god tier, atleast your friend can go on a bubble tea run.

4. Afford yourself some time, this is bleeding edge technology. Rome wasn't built in day. (but it was dissemble pretty quickly)

5. Wait for a full coilover system, unless the electronic dampening makes you happy. I know us guys would kill for an inch but cmon !!!

I'll wash the car and throw some pics up later this weekend. I in no way meant to discourage anyone from installing these fine springs but prepare your psyche to drive around town with the stance of a 85 regal on hydraulics if you can't get the fronts done.

Good Luck Everyone ! And happy 1st post to me !
 
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nojeebs

nojeebs

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^^^^ Really appreciate the detailed report on what you had to go through. I'm a seasoned weekend mechanic as well and once I heard knuckle removal I noped the fuck out on doing it myself in my garage. Going through a shop is the way to go even if it's just springs. Maybe when a good full coilover system comes into play I'll have air tools and such installed in the garage to get through it myself. Maybe me almost appreciate working on my m3. >_____<
 

hafadaze

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Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad you got it done. Definitely will bring to a shop should I choose to do this in the future. :popcorn:
 

r712

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Not to resurrect an old dead thread, but my go-to Honda mechanic friend and I can't for the life of us get the front knuckle to slide completely off the strut. The first day that he worked at it, the issue was that we didn't have a knuckle spreader in order to give the knuckle enough play to slide off. So fast forward a week and I have the knuckle spreader tool. Now there is enough play to move the knuckle but the new issue is that there isn't enough room to slide the knuckle completely off as the axle seems to be in the way. Basically, there was only enough room to slide the knuckle about half way off. I think we removed all the bolts that made sense (?) and I think he even disconnected the axle but the rod there is still in the way.

My friend has concluded that the only way to do this properly without hacking at it/bending things by accident is to lower the subframe itself and disconnect the lower control arm, but we're trying to do some research or get some criticism/feedback/insight into anyone else's experience before going to those extreme measures. When I contacted a dealership to inquire about an install they quoted 6.5 hours of work (just for the fronts), which he assumed from his time at working at the dealer in the past meant that they would most likely disconnect the subframe to create enough room. From all the DIYs we read/watched, it looks like nobody had to go that far but at the same time, all the videos we've watched seem to gloss over that removal step.

Please feel free to point out if we're missing something obvious. Lol

Edit: added an image for clarity to what he had disconnected.
Honda Civic 10th gen Searching for lowering springs (Eibach) diy advice 2018-10-31 10.16.45 2
 

HONDA X

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Follows Spoon Sports method, where they didn’t need to separate the balljoint from the lower control arm.
 

r712

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Funny you mention that cuz I forgot that DIY thread existed and I think step 7 in that write up might solve our problem. We never removed the undertray itself to access those bolts. I'm actually installing spoon springs too, smh :doh:. Thanks for the reminder.
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