Upload some pictures to photobucket and post the [img][/img] tags here.

 

awesome write up. used it over this last weekend, worked out great, thanks a million for taking your time to help the reat of us out.

 

tyvm, 5yrs later and ppl like me still use your write up. I would never thought I could install spring by myself but after reading through your write up I said what the hell. And 3hrs later springs are on and car looks hot hot hot
I tried doing it myself buy could not get the "Big Bolt"back on when compressing the spring and strut, so had to wait for help to just scroll it on.
I used impact wrench and it saved me lots of time.

Thx again

 

Hi guys! I'll be installing tein s tech springs. They will be arriving tomorrow. My dampers are stock on my Xa. I couldn't wait for my coil compressors to arrive next week. I don't see coil spring compressors used in the photos. Will I be able to install the springs without the compressors? Thanks!

 

You shouldn't have a problem. Helps to have two sets of hands, one to compress the spring, and the other to start threading the top nut.

If you wanted to put the stocks back on for whatever reason, you will need compressors, but I've never had to use em with lowering springs and I've been on five different sets.

 

Used this write-up today along with other tips from the forum members to install my Sprint springs on my xB. Thanks to everyone's help and this tutorial, my friend and I finished the install in about 2 hours with hand tools. Very helpful and very informative. Thank you!

 

where do i place the jack if i wanna jack up the rear for the xa? also the 2 smaller springs go in the rear and the 2 bigger springs go in the front right?

 

Just use the jack on the pinch rail towards the rear wheels. The smaller, tapered springs are the rears and the larger ones are the fronts.

 

no clue what pinch rail is =\ i want the whole rear lifted. i looked under the car going in from the back i see the fuel tank and stuff. is the pinch rail the rail along the sides with the 2 indentations? cuz i think that's where the jack stands go.

 

They run along the sides of the car, best bet is to jack one side up, throw a stand under there and jack the other side up. You can put a jack in the center behind the back bumper, but unless it's a big jack, you're not going to get the car high enough to change the springs.

Honestly, you don't even need to remove the rear wheels to change the springs. Get the car in the air and have a friend apply downward pressure to the rear wheel, it should give you enough of a gap to yank the old spring and put the new one in.

 

thanks i did one side at a time, i was able to finish the rears. for the fronts i don't have to jack up the car?

 

bumps.

 

help i cannot put the strut back onto the axle part. i secured the bolts that go on the top, but i cant connect the 2 big holes with the other 2 big holes together for the bolt to go through. the strut holes are lower than the holes behind the roter and i'm unable to push it any higher up.

 

use a floor jack

 

wow i should have read this and done it earlier. i've had the rears on for 2 days, and i barely did one driver side, gonna do passenger tomorrow. idk the difference between the xa and xb but i did this on an xa.
some helpful suggestions, i don't know how much we gotta stress this.

1) take off wiper assembly. the guide is also in the tech section "strut bar alternative") if you need help PM me or give me a text 626 757 4079, don't call me if it's gonna give me roaming charges unless you got t-mobile

2) you gotta have BOTH sides jacked up while working on 1 side. i jacked up the other side after i removed the strut and put on the new spring. i was stuck for the longest time, i couldn't align the 2 holes on the strut bar with the other 2 holes.

3) for the rears, only problem was pulling the spring out and placing it back in. you gotta have someone push down on the rotor (i suggest taking off wheels) and pull out the springs from the bottom, not the top. when placing it back, put the top rubber on top of the new springs. BUT the bottom one not on the springs and where it is suppose to be, because the rubber thing will slide and not be align. just hold the rubber thing in place while pushing the spring back in.

i got megan racing springs with 15in rotas, i'll post pics up when i'm done. the back is more settled than the fronts. there's still gonna be a gap though since it's only 15 in. =[

 

Just installed my DF210's this morning.

Front springs took about 30 minutes each side, the only issue I had was the 12mm nuts on top of the strut, the most rearward nut that is tucked in the corner is a beotch to get loose I ended up rounding it a lil and had to use vice grips. The rear springs took 10 minutes total!! Did it the whole job by myself.

I love the drop and the car handles much nicer now, it feels much more twitchy when cornering and body roll is reduced 50%

Here are some pics the first is before and the rest are after, my tire size is 195/60/15. (the car is on an uphill incline in my driveway so the front my look a tad bit higher)

 

Those DFs will settle out a bit more too after a couple weeks.

 

I have a question...... How long will my stock struts and shocks last, and is there a particular strut and shock for my xa that goes well with the Tenabe drop? What's this I hear about Echo struts?

 

i don't know why my xA doesn't look like yours and i run 15s with standard tire so 185/60/15 i think but i got megan springs that "suppose" to give me 1.85" all around. i posted pics in the "pics of xA" and asked why are the rears higher than the fronts after installing? they told the rear had a bigger gap than the fronts with stock therefore mine still look uneven. can it be spring rates? idk

df210 fronts are 2" and rears are 1.8". why does your rear look lower than mines? right now i think you're even all around, but your fronts will drop soon.

as the the stocks and struts, not sure how long they last, but i've read people change their shocks first because struts last longer.

shocks - monroe 5870 , is what you want, it's for the Echo, cheaper and fits
struts - monroe 71575 gives you 1/2 drop in the front, monroe 72245 are the regular ones.
*i personally am not going to go this route because
1) i'm starting to get annoyed of dips/driveways LA roads suck
2) i got only about 3-3.5inch clearance until it hits the plastic protector thing under the front bumper
3) the fronts are a tad too low, back too high, no need to make the range even wider

Before and After Pic

 

I just installed Gabriel 69713 shocks for the rear of my xA they are a direct replacement for the Monroe 5870. (I am sitting on DF210's)

I would like to get struts as well but I dont want to go another 1/2" down with the 71575, my question is about the 72245.

Are the 72245 struts set up to be in the sweet spot and offer more range of travel than the stock struts while not lowering the front? Or are they just a direct replacement of the stock xA/xB struts and be in the "harsh" zone of the sensa trac since the car is 2" lower?

I am just trying to keep my shocks and struts in the sweet spot, to extend life and make the ride a little less jarring (I drive on I4 through Orlando everyday and it sucks)