Just installed the Tanabe df210's today... no problems at all! i did it in my dads driveway. I had just recently helped change springs on my buddy's Protege 5 and we ran into a lot of trouble cause of rusty bolts so i was pretty unsure at first. Sure my car only has like 2600 miles on it but still... it was really easy and if anyone needs any pointers please feel free to ask and i will see what i can do! If anyone wants me to post pics up just let me know!

 

nice, the only thing i didn't like about my spring install was it took a while, just to take it off, use the spring compressor, take it off...etc etc....haha....and then do it 3 more times...haha...just time consuming...especially the oversized bolts....but then again, it probably didn't help that i did it like at midnight in my garage with so-so light...haha

 

The only thing that was a somewhat issue what taking off the plastics and wiper blades in the front.. i work at a shop so i had one of the mechanics swap the springs with the compressor... i have never used a big compressor, only the dinky one that has the two clamps on each side, which i might add is not very safe

 

haha, yeah that dinky one can be really dangerous with all that built up pressure when releasing the clamps....had a few encounters doing other friends springs where random stuff would fly off randomly....luckily didn't happen when i did my own install

 

yea mine were really easy i did s techs... i didnt even use a spring compressor!!! i did it the "trick" way where u use a floor jack and compress it.

 

You guys should write a tech article on how to install springs and stuff. It would be very helpful, even for me. I'm kind of curious on how to install springs.

 

[quote="lookitsjeff"]You guys should write a tech article on how to install springs and stuff. It would be very helpful, even for me. I'm kind of curious on how to install springs.[/quote

hotchkis website has a diy... but they use spring compressors... its safer that way but faster without them

 

^^ HAHA!! how the hell did u use a floor jack to compress the spring??? im trying to picture it in my head but I don't know how u did it!

 

leave the spring and strut on the car but take apart everything else... use floorjack to compress and take off the nut on teh spring. then take out the pieces carfully put on new spring and put it on and compress and tighten the nut.

 

OOOO ya that's what I was thinking you did.. .. .... Good idea! it's a lot easier and quicker right?

 

yup

 

this makes me think i can do my nf210s lol

 

yeah honestly in the back there is one main bolt at the bottom and then the three bolts on the strut tower, and on the front are two main bolts on the bottom and the 3 main on the top... it helps to have atleast one other person there with you to help hold stuff in place and what not... but yeah its the easiet i have ever done before... ive done an svt focus, zx3 focus, s10, protege 5, and my tc and the others SUCKED! especially cause of rusty bolts

 

I have a question though... are the city lights hard to install? cause honestly, i havnt had my car enough for even an oil change so i havnt really looked much into the headlights at all and yeah... can anyone explain it to me? im sure its not that hard im just wondering

 

city lights? the parking ones? they are easy but your hand cant be too big or you wont be able to twist it out.

 

sweeeeeeeet!

 

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=161339 this is the technique. its near the middle of the thread

 

haha yeah thats the not so safe method... but it still works! im sure that you could put a jack below the shock and then jack it up (while the shock is still bolted in the car) and then clamp it and release the jack... if you know what im tryin to say

 

yeah, you've got to be careful if you're installing springs with a floor jack. There is a great amount of energy stored in a compressed spring. I worked at a shop back in h.s. and the spring compressor broke while we were installing some new struts on a custmoers car. The spring hit the ceiling, then hit the ground (taking out a big chunk of cement, hit the door of the customers car, and then hit a tech working on another car. The tech had to go to the hospital and the customers car door had to be repaired as well. All that to say...be very careful when hndeling those springs!!