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How to Install Lowering Springs

Lowering springs are thick coil springs. When installed, they can significantly improve the performance, grip and feel of your automobile, especially if it's a sports car. Lowering springs reduce the car's center of gravity, thereby creating less resistance on the chassis when turning. This results in quicker steering response and a better feel of the road. Eliminating the air resistance by lowering the car will allow you to handle the corners and turns more easily, and will also lower your car's fuel consumption. Although lowering springs are installed in the front and back of the car, they lower the whole front end of the car, giving the car a somewhat aggressive look [source: Europarts]. Here's how to install lowering springs.

Front end springs

  1. Jack up the front of the car and put it on car stands.
  2. Remove both front wheels.
  3. Refer to the car manual and locate the front strut bolts, brake bolts and the front sway bar end links. These must all be removed.
  4. Remove the upper strut assemblies. Check the manual for directions how to remove them, as each car is different. You will probably have to reach down from inside the hood.
  5. Compress the spring which is around the strut. Remove the hat and the bump stop from the strut. You will now be able to remove the spring. Do this on both sides.
  6. Place the new spring around the strut on both sides. If your new springs didn't come with bump stops, shorten the old bump stops by cutting them with a hack saw. This is to accommodate the new, lowered spring.
  7. Compress the spring and reassemble the struts.
  8. Replace the tires.

Rear Springs

  1. Jack up the rear of the car and put it on car stands.
  2. Remove the rear wheels.
  3. Remove the shock nuts and bolts. (You can locate them by referring to the owner's manual.) This will let the suspension drop and give you access to the springs.
  4. Remove the springs.
  5. Install the new lowering springs.
  6. Replace the shock nuts and bolts.
  7. Replace the rear tires [source: Do It Yourself].

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