R32/33: Replacing Shocks / Installing Coilovers

[Duke_R32]

Good write up.

one thing i want to add aswell is be extrememly careful when using the spring tensioners coz the spring will be under alot of tension and if one of those bastards come off just make sure your head isnt the 1st thing the spring can hit.

a good tip is to place them at 180 degrees apart when compacting the spring, just less chance of the tensioner coming off

[madaz R33]

awesome thread, I'm just about to undergo this myself and this will be a major help, is it reccomended/must to change bushes etc when u do this?

[madaz R33]

second notch on all 4.. 20mm down.. i measured again - it's 355mm front.. 345mm rear.. fairly close.

Here is a side pic.. the lowering is fairly subtle.. but with some 17" rims would sit nicely..

just a quick question the reason yuore height is different at front and rear because thats the closest you could get it/ near enough is good enough? or what? my ride is currently lowered front 333.5mm and rear 336, i am going to install coilovers very soon for handling and to raise the front a bit as i am having a new front bar put on and i want to look after it, what i am getting at is does it matter all that much if the front is slightly higher than the rear? I would like to keep my ride somewhat lowered after bar and coilovers are installed got some height setting reccomendations???

[Jax]

second notch on all 4.. 20mm down.. i measured again - it's 355mm front.. 345mm rear.. fairly close.

Here is a side pic.. the lowering is fairly subtle.. but with some 17" rims would sit nicely..

What's this about notches ?? Someone - Anyone?. My front suspension looks OK. Shocks ( Bilsteins ) feel right when pushing down on front of car. Quite firm with no rebound, BUT, even small irregulatites in road ( does'nt need anything resembling a pot-hole ) and it bottoms out on tha bump stops - HARD. R/H worse than L/H. Ride height - both sides Front 350mm. Can't see anything like 'notches' on shock absorber body, but was wondering what located the lower spring base on S/ Abs. What am I not seeing?. If there are height adjusting notches that I havent seen, can height be altered without removal of spring / shockers, etc.?

Just did more accurate ride height measurement R/H Front 350 - L/H Front 350.5 - R/H Rear 345.5 - L/H Rear 350.

Edited August 4, 2007 by Jax

[scottyRB]

hey good thread gonna try this tomorrow.

uhmmm where can i get spring compressors from? perth WA.

thanks you

[Taxi33]

Sweet, nice guide

[babyskyline]

Just about to do this myself on the weekend. Have given me a few ideas about how to do it the easy way

[Russcoe]

Just about to do this myself on the weekend. Have given me a few ideas about how to do it the easy way

I'm about to go from Jap spec Tein coilovers to standard shocks with lowered springs. I take it the metal caps that came with the set are for the rears? Just sit on top of shock with 'pimple' facing up?

[W0rp3D]

I'm about to go from Jap spec Tein coilovers to standard shocks with lowered springs. I take it the metal caps that came with the set are for the rears? Just sit on top of shock with 'pimple' facing up?

Just remember for an R33 you need to remove the parcel shelf to get to the top bolts of the rear struts, here is a guide for that bit.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/R3...l&hl=parcel

[mad082]

ummm, why would you remove the parcel shelf in a 33 when you can access the rear struts from the boot? i even rang me mechanic who recently pulled a set of hks coilvers out of his wrecked 33 to double check.

[W0rp3D]

ummm, why would you remove the parcel shelf in a 33 when you can access the rear struts from the boot? i even rang me mechanic who recently pulled a set of hks coilvers out of his wrecked 33 to double check.

A wrecked 33 with no parcel shelf???

the rear strut tops are apart of the metal parcel shelf section which is under the parcel shelf, go back and tell your mechanic he is a nufty tool, there is now way you can get to these with out taking the parcel shelf out.

32's i believe you dont need to, maybe he is confused between a 32 and a 33.

[Russcoe]

A wrecked 33 with no parcel shelf???

the rear strut tops are apart of the metal parcel shelf section which is under the parcel shelf, go back and tell your mechanic he is a nufty tool, there is now way you can get to these with out taking the parcel shelf out.

32's i believe you dont need to, maybe he is confused between a 32 and a 33.

Above is true about R33, thanks guys!

[mosquitocoils]

I'll just add a handy tip that someone else on these forums gave me on the weekend, when I was replacing my front shock.

If you're having trouble getting the wheel hub back down to slide the shock eyelut onto the lug, wedge a scissor jack in between the wishbone and the wheel guard, and slowly spread it apart... this will lower it as much as you need.

[hash87]

one thing i found:

getting the top strut nut off, make sure you wd40 it as if its rusty and tight, the top metal bit you put your shifter over WILL break off. As mine did . new shocks time.

[Cplus]

rattle gun is the go to get the top nuts off.

[limey]

Just finished putting gtr coilovers on a gts-t (r32).

WD40 is definatly your friend, and a breaker bar makes the whole thing alot easier.

Putting a scissor jack inbetween the wishbone and wheel guard was an absolute must in my situation.

Overall the ride height at the front is awesome now, the rear stock looks ridiculous though.

[V28VX37]

Thanks heaps for this tutorial predator, still spot on after five years and counting!

I did this on my R34 sedan over the weekend following these instructions and thought I'd add some tips for others:

Mark all struts for corner & direction before pulling them out! I put a piece of masking take on the strut top and another just beneath the spring facing the front of the car. I didn't have any problems with strut alignment at all.

The most problematic part was cracking the bottom nuts both front & rear. Holy crap they're tight! I found a 17 mm ring spanner extended with a scissor jack handle worked a treat. For the rears I realised my wheel brace also had a 17 mm socket and used that on the bolt end (rear side). Also as others have said WD40 is your friend.

Leave the front wheels on and just apply full lock each way for easy access. Fronts struts come off & new ones go on easy this way. Make sure you don't mess up the brake lines when sliding the struts out or back in.

The second top bolt on each front strut was quite tight because of the strut brace. After replacing I tightened all top bolts up, took the front end down, loosened again & retightened on level surface to get rid of any 'twist' that may have been caused by jacking the car up.

Fronts are heaps easier than rears, you need to pull out the rear seat & backrest to access the rear strut tops. You do NOT need to pull out the parcel shelf though, there are access holes for the strut tops just under each front corner of the shelf.

If you're doing this on jack stands you'll need to take the rear wheels off to get proper access. The spring will be slightly compressed due to lack of wheel weight. I used a long plank of wood between the control arms (?) for leverage to release the strut and to pop the new one back in.

I had trouble getting the two top bolts in on one of the rear struts. Turns out that if you push the top of the strut in and pull the middle out at the same time the whole thing 'bends' a little, which allows to the top to slide in just fine.

It's not a quick job if you're doing it for the first time, or perhaps I'm just slow. Took me the whole day and I didn't even have to change the springs as I had a second set of struts+springs preassembled. So don't start on Sunday evening and expect to drive to work early Monday morning

I probably forgot something but hopefully this helps!

[ClutchBurndout-:(]

im about to install some bc racing coilovers, to replace my tiens.

32 questions

-what exactly does the damper adjuster do? is this the return damper after bumps?

-is it possible to align the suspension without getting someone to do it?

-whats the best way to adjust the heights all round?

Edited January 17, 2011 by Clutch