rhoover2

Just got the car back from the installer and the Steeda springs dropped my car about 1 1/8" all the way around. Love the ride now. It is a lot stiffer now. I live in a very rural community and the roads that go from my house to the interstate make a very good test of the ride quality. My thumb is way up for these mods. When I launch now there is no more wheel bounce. Can't wait for the local strips to open up around here now!

Sport Springs, X5 Ball Joint, Steeda Bumpsteer Kit, Street Panhard Bar, Billet Camber Adjusters, Control Arm Relocation Kit, Billet Lower Trailing Arm

adrenalin

Hey Ron if you don't mind me asking, how much did all of that run you?

MilStang

When you get the chance, and if you can please post some pictures. Would love to see the stance on the car now.

adrenalin

I will take pics before and after, but I gotta warn you, the car is going to be filthy because it just keeps on snowing around here lately. Driving me nuts.

acadian

I wish I could say I know what you mean... but it's probably snowed twice in 20 years down here in Louisiana. Don't worry about the car being dirty. Down here, we have a lot of pollen though. The car around this time of year is always covered in a yellow powder and then when it rains (like it did yesterday) it looks like someone took a pi$$ all over it. But before/after pics would be great, dirty or not.

adrenalin

I finally realized how to post multiple pics...my other file sizes were toooo darn big.

Anyway...

I installed the Eibach pro kit today. Took me 1 1/2 hours. Back was easy, took less than 30 minutes. Overall it lowered the car by 1 1/4" give or take a 16th. Handling...who knows, it is a blizzard out right now so no sharp curves for me.

Ride Quality - not bad but as expected you can tell the difference in the back end when going over bumps. Not as rough feeling as my Cavalier was. I am going to wait a week before getting an alignment done but I may install the steeda bumpsteer kit.

Anywho...here are the before and after pics and like I said, the car is very very dirty

DADS05

It's amazing how lowering just 1 1/4 inch makes the car look so much better. Looks Great

acadian

John... looks awesome! I am sold on Eibach. So, you installed them yourself 100%? You didn't bring the strut to a shop or did you rent a compressor?

adrenalin

I rented a compressor from the place I bought the kit from. When I return the compressor they refund the deposit. Pretty cool deal

Installation is not bad, just make sure you have jack stands and a floor jack, or in my case I used 2 just to make it easier. The fronts of course are the hardest but not that bad at all. I am use to lifting trucks versus lowering cars.

Lowering is definately easier. Also as I said, I have not had an alignment done yet. I am just going to wait until I get my new tires on and then get it done. Even without an alignment it still drives straight but I know the toe is off a bit just by looking at the car.

LLG05

John, can you give a quick how-to description of setps? I'd like to do the kit myself. Never done one, but I'm very handy with tools.

Thanks,
Dave...

adrenalin

ok, I'll give this a try but I don't know all the techie terms so bare with me. Easier if you have 2 people.

Lets start with the rear. Raise the car up and put it on jack stands. Now place the jack under one of the rear A-arms (if that is what you call it. Remove the bolt from the lower shock. Slowly lower the jack. Shock should now be only connected at the top. Have a buddy push down on the tire with his foot. You can now pull the spring out and pop in the new one. Raise the A-arm back up and re-attach the shock. Repeat on the other side. Rear springs are now installed

Front - this will be harder to explain. Put the front of the car on jack stands. Place jack under A-arm. Remove bolts that hold bottom strut in place. Remove bolt from top ball joint (A-frame). Lower jack. Bottom assembly should now be loose and the only thing holding the strut in place are the 4 bolts under the hood. When you remove them make sure you are holding the strut so you don't drop it. Remove the strut from the car. Now you just need to compress the spring and remove the top strut plate, remove the spring install the new one and put everything back together.

1 trick I use is liquid paper. I mark area that I will be removing bolts from to make sure everything lines back up again when I am done.

Again, I am not a mechanic, I am a computer guy, or geek as my wife would say so I don't know the proper terminology for the parts.

You'll see what I mean when you get into it. It was pretty easy.

MilStang

Excellent John! Looks great and I too am sold on the Eibach springs as well. Will definitely add these to my list of "must have mods."

brjohnso281

Does anyone know how this effects the Ford's Warrantee? Thank you

adrenalin

According to the service manager at my location it will only affect the suspension warranty "IF" something breaks and they can "PROVE" that the Eibach springs was the cause. At most it only will affect the suspension warranty and nothing else. I am not worried about it. I had a lift kit in my Jeep Liberty and after a year had a suspension problem and the dealer covered it under warranty.

adrenalin

Well day 2 after the spring install. Went for a 2 hour drive today. I wish the roads around here were better. If you are going over a long stretch of bumps you can definately feel them now compared to before. Sure, it was never a smooth ride to begin with but it is definately further from it now. Don't worry, I don't plan on taking them back out.

Can't wait for it to warm up and put my new rims on. Gotta see how they will fill up the wheel well. I may need to put my 1" spacers on to see if it looks better. Now that the car is lowered you can really see that the tires are set in by about an inch from the fender. Lots of room for play.

38special

adrenalin

Good job!

My next two mods are going to be pullies and springs. Your posts make me think that I can do the springs myself.

adrenalin

If you are mechanically inclined than you should have no problem. Look at it this way, I know lots of people that tear apart front brakes all the time yet I have never touched them. The same guys that swap out the brakes are afraid to install a spring kit, while I am afraid to mess with the brakes.

I didn't find it that hard at all.

Hey, anyone know how to change the topic of this post? It either that or I start a new thread on how to replace the springs.

acadian

John, thanks for all the advice. I'll definitely look back on this thread when I go to install my springs.

Hopefully one of the moderators will see this and can add "installing springs" or something like that to the topic.

adrenalin

I posted a new topic with more install instructions so it will be easier for you guys to find.

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/index.php?sh...ndpost&p=267734