I just started the installation of the hotchkis springs this evening. I did the rears tonight and just wanted to make sure I have them in correctly. I installed the hotchkis springs on the car to resemble how the stock ones were installed. Hard to explain, but I put the end of the spring with the flat portion on the top, where the winding of the spring gets closer together. This was the same way the stock ones were mounted when I pulled them off. I got the bottom part of the spring (winding is spaced farther apart) set in the groove of the rubber piece, didn't notice any groove on the top rubber piece where the spring sits. Anyway, just wanted to make sure this was correct. Im in question because with the new springs installed this way, the hotchkis name on the springs are upside down.

On another note, it sure didn't look like the new springs were that much shorter than stock. Didn't look anything like .75 inch difference to me with them sitting side by side on the bench. Im hoping they will settle in a bit.

I'll tackle the fronts tomorrow.....joy

 

You have to let them settle,take it for a drive. It should be all the way settled in a few days.

 

I installed the exact same way. I applied the same logic, but also wondered why the name ends up upside down, but not on the fronts. Unless my fronts are in wrong? Hum, let me know how you install the fronts.

They will settle a bit in a day or two. I had a 2 or 3 finger gap, now its down to 1 1/2 fingers. But the way let me know if the car sits flat in the rear and has the same gap on both sides. Mine has a tiny bit more gap on the right versus left side.


Thanks

 

I was recommened by a vendor to wait anywhere from 500-1000 miles or about a month for the springs to fully settle, although you will notice most of the settling will only take a couple days. Your install sounds correct to me. The fronts are a much longer install than the rears but not difficult, just takes some more time. Good luck

 

Thanks for the responses. Always good to have a confirmation ya know After thinking about it, I don't think it would have even worked the other way. That rubber piece on the bottom helps to flatten out the wide coil end and the flater shorter coil end would have to go up. Just the whole thing with the hotchkis writing upside down had me second guessing myself....

 

you got it right ... give it about 2 weeks (500 miles hwy) ... it will settle quite nicely, mine did

 

You've got it right..but I didn't notice the Hotchkis name upside down on the rears? I did notice them right side up on the fronts however. Good luck on the fronts...they are a super ***** by comparison to the rears...and speaking from experience, if you had given any thought at all to higher performance shocks...go get them cause your going to have the stock ones completely out anyway...no need to do this job twice, although the Hotchkis springs don't need to be compressed as far as the stock so it wouldn't be quite as bad the second time around....just trying to save you some time...wish I had done the same.

For those of you that installed these same springs...were you able to achieve stock specified alignment numbers? Post your numbers if you'd share...or PM me with them. I tried to stard a thread for this, but it was more general....not just Hotchkis specific. Thanks...and good luck Parboy

 

My numbers are all in spec, although rear camber is near max.

Ended up with fromt camber of -1.2/-1.2 and rear camber of -1.9/-1.9 front.

Front toe of .02/.01 and rear toe of .03/.02.

 

Got started on the front's last night, well got one side done anyway. Man what a pain! Oh well, the other side should go faster.

Not really interested in new shocks. Im really only doing this for the looks, not the handling gains anyway. I'll never track the car, hell it's more my wife's car than mine anyway and she never revs it higher than 3k

On the front's the name is right side up by the way.

 

Just finished the other front side. Man, what a difference it makes with having done it before! The first side took me probably 2 hours last night. After figuring out the little quirks about how to get the strut in and out it was a snap tonight. Got her done in about 45 minutes.

Overall im pretty pleased with how it looks right now. I took it for a spin tonight to get it to settle a little and im happy with the drop the hotchkis springs give. If it drops just a little more after settling in a bit that will be ok too. Ride feels just like stock, not more bumpy or anything like that. These hotchkis springs are quite a bit heavier than the stockers though!

Thanks for the help guys! I'll clean her up and take some new pics soon to show a before/after type thing.

 

Yup...my only real dissappointment was the increadible weight of them...maybe should have considered RSR Ti2000's instead...hindsight....but I think they would have dropped more than I would have wanted...someone should make those titanium springs but with less drop and I'd probably go out and get them and change em all over. I feel my car definitely rides stiffer over bumps and such, even a very little bump steer on bad bumps on the highway...but seems to have gotten rid of a little porpusing I had before. Overall quite happy. Kind of fun to have gotten those springs on myself...yes, the second side went ten times faster, but nothing beat how easy the rears were!

 

Did you use a spring compressor for the fronts?

 

Yes I used a spring compressor. I just used the "loan a tool" from autozone where you can use it for free.