Ok...have the front of my car on stands and I understand the concept of what must be done and how. Am planning to install Hotchkis lowering springs tomorrow and looking for some pointers. I plan to support the suspension with a hydrolic jack while unbolting the nut at the top of the shock...here's my question: I don't have every tool under the sun...but have most all the basics. If I have to prevent the piston rod from turing while I loosen the nut on top of the shock....how the hell do I do this? There seems to be next to no room to accomplish this. Maybe if I take off the crossbar (front of car) I can get an open ended wrench on the nut while leaving the end of the piston rod exposed in order to hold from turning?

I have the directions from an ALLDATA program specifically giving instructions on removal/replacement of the springs, but they weren't written basic enough for me! Anyone care to give step by step for fronts and back? OR care to point me in the direction of such information? I should be having the new springs delivered tomorrow and was hoping to have the dissassembly already complete by the time they got here!
Thanks in advance.

 

OK...got that figured out...took the tower brace off and all I need is one of those closed ended 17mm wrenches with the bent neck. Found out I AM going to have to get an impact wrench however to get the mounting nut and bolt removed from under the shock for removal. Sucks...going to have to contend with everyone and their brother at Sears tomorrow! Anyone's got any suggestions on how to take any shortcuts...feel free, otherwise I'll let ya know how it goes.

 

DON'T remove the 17 mm at this point. That is the last thing to do and you can do it off the car witha regular 17 mm box end wrench. As far as the impact wrench, you don't need one, I used a socket with a breaker bar (about 18" long), but you can find a pipe that will fit around the ratchet and accomplish the same. You need to remove the either 10 or 12 mm nuts (three) (I can't remember the actual size) up on the strut bar, but what I did was remove two and just keep the third one on finger tight, this will prevent the spring from being a nuisance. Once you have the bottom end completley undone and the spring compressed, you will need to swing the spring housing forward to clear the axle. Then you can reach on top and remove the last nut holding the spring housing on. By the way, it is easier if you have some one to help. The rear is a piece of cake, remove the bolt holding the shock on the bottom and then pull down on the spring, that should take no more than 20 minutes. Good luck

 

Loosen it just a bit when its on the car makes it alot easier.

 

Well...thanks for the input...it definitely helped. I wasn't able to loosen the nuts on top of the shocks..so I guess I did it the hard way. Glad you told me I could get the one nut/bolt with a breaker bar...I would have been afraid to try otherwise...man were they torqued on there! Anyway, getting those front springs compressed far enough to get the arm past the axle was a total *****. Anyone that says changing your springs out on that car only takes 1 hour is either high...or moves much faster than me...well, I also didn't have a lift which would have made some of this project a bit easier. Just have the rears to do tomorrow...think I might even paint the calipers since I have the wheels off. Thanks guys.

 

Job done! Thanks again for the input...the fronts totally sucked compared to the rears...you were right...the rears were a snap! Glad I thought to put the jack under the loaded spring before I removed that bolt on the rears though...I either would have had a broken leg if I had mine sitting under there...or at the very least had a nice chip out of my concrete floor in the garage! Later.