j3st3r

iTrader: (1)

Not sure if one of these has been posted yet, did not see any in the tech section. If it has then moderators just go ahead and delete it...otherwise...here we go!

What we are installing: Tein Basic Coilovers
Front:


Rear:


Spring Rate (kgf-mm/lbs-in) (Fr)7/392 (R)10/559
Ride Height Drop (in.) (Fr)-2.4 (R)-2.1
Min Ride Height Adjustment Range (in.) (Fr)-2.7 (R)-2.6
Max Ride Height Adjustment Range (in.) (Fr)-1.4 (R)-1.4
Upper Mount Type (Fr)OEM (R)OEM
Individual Spring Part Number (Fr)SB070-01200 (R)SW100-01175
EDFC - N/A

Tools:
Floor Jack
Jack Stands
Flat Blade Screw Driver
Phillips Head Screw Driver
Breaker Bar, or High Torque Impact Wrench
Spring Compressor
Torque Wrench
Tape Measure
Bench Vise
Pencil & Paper

Sockets:
10mm,12mm,14mm,17mm,19mm,22mm,24mm

Wrenches:
10mm Open End Wrench
14mm Open End Wrench
17mm Open End Wrench
19mm Open End Wrench

1) Put car on jack stands


2) Remove wheels


3) Remove black plastic wiper cowl, start by using a small flat blade screwdriver to carefully pry off the black plastic cap on wiper arms


4)Remove the 14mm nuts from the wiper arm assembly


5) Before removing wiper arms, I always mark the wiper arm location/ orientation with some tape before removing




6) Remove the 12 plastic clips that are holding the cowl in place



7) You can now remove the cowl, be careful however the cowl is two pieces, split in the middle, so be sure to support both sides


Its now time to start removing the front strut assembly. Remove the 17mm nut from the sway bar link, 12mm bolt from the brake line bracket, and the 2 22mm strut bolts.


9) You should now be able to separate the spindle assembly from the strut


10) Now remove the 3 14mm nuts from the upper strut mount, making sure to support the strut assembly from below


11) Remove strut assembly


12) The Tein Basic's utilize the factory upper mount, so this will have to be removed from the factory strut. To do this remove the 17mm nut. This is were a bench vise will come in handy. **You do NOT need a spring compressor for this**



13) Once removed you will use the upper mount and the small washer


Those pieces will go on the top of the Tein coilover


14) Remove the nut that came on the coilover, and install the washer that came off the factory strut


15) Then install the factory upper mount plate, using the nut you took off in step 14. Torque the nut to 35 ft/lbs. *You can just hand tighten this and tighten later when in the vehicle to make it easier*


16) Install the coilover into the upper strut mount in the car, and finger tighten the 3 14mm nuts


17) Connect the sway bar link to the coilover and finger tighten the 17mm nut


1 Using a floor jack underneath the control arm, slowly jack the control arm/spindle assembly up until the mounting holes in the the coilover, and spindle assembly align. Once aligned using a little bit of anti-seize, insert the 22mm strut bolts into holes.


19) Reattach the brake line bracket and tighten 12mm bolt. Torque the other nuts/bolts as shown


20) Now torque the 3 14mm upper mount nuts to 38ft/lbs. **If you did not torque the center nut to specification from step 15, now is the time to do that as well**


21) Now its time to set the initial ride height of the Tein Basic coilovers. Tein recommends a value of 0.79in(20mm)


22) To make this measurement, I use a 6in rule and a set of calipers, and make a mark at the recommended value on the 6in rule. You could probably also try to use a tape measure....but I guess I am way to picky for that...lol


23) Where to measure from is shown in step 21(which is the installation manual that comes with coilovers), and you adjust the coilovers, using the wrenches that came with them, until you have the recommended value


24) Once you have the ride height adjusted to the recommended value go ahead and tighten the top adjustment nut against the bottom lock nut, again using the wrenches that came with coilovers(Only turn the top adjustment nut, hold the bottom nut stationary)


One front done!


25) Now repeat steps 8-24 for the other front coilover.

26) Once that is done go ahead and put the front wheels back on


27) Now lets turn our attention to the rears. First remove the interior panels and rear carpet to gain access to the rear shock mounting bolts.(I am not going to post how to remove all the panels and carpet I am sure you can find a DIY on that)


2 Its much easier to get to the lower rear shock mounting bolt if you simply remove the rear sway bar link using the 14mm nut


29) Loosen the 19mm lower shock nut(this picture shows the Tein already installed...I forgot to take a picture of this area before disassemble, but its the same bolt)


30) To actually remove the bolt you will need to put pressure on the rear brake/control arm assembly


31) Now remove the 3 14mm upper shock mounting bolts


32) You can now remove the rear shock assembly(it will take a little bit of effort for this)


33) Similar to the fronts the rears also use the factory upper mounts. **YOU WILL need a spring compressor for this** To remove the upper mounts first compress the spring using a spring compressor, and then remove the 19mm nut at the top


34) Once the nut is removed you will need the following 4 pieces from the factory setup


35) This picture shows the assembly order of the pieces for the Tein Basic rear coilover


36) The next few pictures show the assembly of the rear coilover






37) Install rear coilover into upper mount, and finger tighten the 3 14mm nuts


3 Place the coilover into the lower mount and using a little bit of anti-seize insert the 19mm bolt in mounting hole


39) Torque lower mounting bolt to 103ft/lbs


40) Re-attach the rear sway bar link, and tighten the 14mm nut to 32ft/lbs

41) Now torque the 3 14mm upper mount nuts to 59ft/lbs


42) The center nut now needs to be tightened, to do this the coilover rod has a profile cut into it so that you can use a 10mm wrench to hold the rod from spinning while you tighten the 17mm nut


43) Its now time to set the initial ride height on the rear coilover. This is done the same as on the front, and is the same recommended value 0.79in(20mm)


44) Repeat steps 28-43 for the other rear

45) Once both are done go ahead and install rear wheels, and all the interior pieces




Now sit back get a drink and admire your work...BUT....don't get comfortable....we are not done!

46) The Tein ride height values are a general starting point, we now need to tune them to get the right look, and feel. So remove the car from the jack stands...as you can see ours looked a little low


47) Its now time to get out that pencil and paper and take measurements at all 4 corners. You will be measuring from the center of the wheel to the bottom of the fender, just as it shows in the Tein installation manual. Yes the picture shows a different tC...I again did not get any pictures of us measuring on Shane's car(the blue tC), so I just took a picture on mine


Our measurements were as follows:
LF 12 1/4
RF 12 3/4
LR 13 3/8
RR 13

After doing some evaluating we decided that 13 looked like a good setting.

4 So now its time to set all to 13, or whatever you decide on. To do this you will be jack up the car removing the wheel and then either raising or lowering the coilover, using the wrenches supplied by Tein. The picture below shows which way to turn the adjustment nut to either raise or lower the ride height. **Tein Basic's do not have damper adjustment so ride height is the only adjustment you will be making**


You are now done, I would recommend that after you drive around on these or any adjustable suspension that you recheck the heights again just to make sure after everything breaks in and settles that all four corners are again where you wanted them to be.















and the big test....even made it out of my steep driveway, and no rubbing or scrapping!!

Yanki01

good write up!

BlizZard

x2

davedavetC

iTrader: (4)

very nice write up but iirc this is a 19mm not a 17mm the rear is 17mm

rippintC

very nice write up

tCtCtC

Whole - E - Chit

mystik

iTrader: (1)

awsome job on the writeup.

StreetStarsTc

write up is superb

drop is perfect

awesome

should be stickied IMO

InfiniteVisi0n

Awesome

CRUZtc8

nice write up!

Sciontistical_One

iTrader: (2)

very thorough DIY, great job...

daffy12

iTrader: (4)

just bought these. should be coming in on friday...i guess ill be following this

daffy12

iTrader: (4)

just bought these. should be coming in on friday...i guess ill be following this

rosedaleny806

awesome write up!! i jsu wish i had coilovers to do it

j3st3r

iTrader: (1)

cool if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

paul_dezod

VERY technical writeup!!! Kudos

bmsciontc

ok first off great write up. i only have one question. what do you do about the rear wheels, my friend lowered his car with tien coilovers also and he set it so low that the tires did not sit right...he ended up burning through his rear tires in an unatural amount of time. is there a fix for that or do you just need to get an enlighnment? thank you

davedavetC

iTrader: (4)

what your friend should have done was taken the car for an Alignment, his toe/camber was off and thats why he was chewing threw his tires. the wheels sit right they just need to be aligned.

DonNguyen

why'd you list a 24mm socket?

saberz

I have one!! What wheels are on the blue tc? Love the write up though, I'm thinking about dropping my car some, but im not sure how it would look on stock wheels