Hey guys I just got some new Eibachs and KYB GR2 struts and inserts. My question is how hard is it to install myself? I did it on my 89 Mustang Gt with no prob. I already have the spring compressor. Also does the back seat and rear deck have to come out for the rear?

Any and all help would be great! I really would like to do this myself. I dont like to pay a mech for something I can do.


And are stock SE springs worth anything?

I will have before and after pics so I can see if the 1.2 inch drop is noticable.

 

Just the upper part of seat. all easy except for big rear strut nut and that it is connected to different sus. arms.

 

The install isn't too hard, as long as you know what you're doing and you be extremely careful w/ the springs because they are under a lot of stress and are VERY dangerous! I would say that the stock SE springs are probably not worth anything? But, they may have a chance for Ebay? Ya never know?

 

I did this last fall, having never done a suspension install before. Some advice:

- The fronts are easy. I could probably do them in 1.5 hours now, as long as the spring compressors worked well.

- Make sure you have a breaker bar and a VERY large wrench for the rears. There are some 20+ mm nuts holding the rears together. The gland packing nut is a ***** to get off, I needed a large vice and a 16" pipe wrench to get it off.

- On the rears mark the upper spring seat? (plate that the top of the spring touches) so that the 3 threads that go into the strut housings line up when you are all done. I messed them up and had to compress the springs a 2nd time, realign them and so forth.

 

It's not that bad like the others said. If you bought new dust boots for the struts, remember to put them on before the top mounting plate

 

just spray a generous amount of PB Blaster, wd40, or liquid wrench in all of the bolts and nuts overnight. If you know someone who has an air wrench and compressor, try to borrow it from that person. It'll save you a lots of times and headaches. I say around 4hrs with the air tools.

 

beside all that was mentioned above. For the rear strut cartridge removal, you'll also need to have two large ~1.5-2" wide pipe or aligator wrenches.

 

it's not too bad

check the FAQs, there is a how-to for it

 

I replaced all my struts with KYB GR2s, having never done anything more than an oil change before that.

It took me quite a while but that's because I'm super-cautious and anytime I run into a situation where I'm afraid I'm gonna bust something I go quintuple check and make sure I'm doing it right.

In the end for me the toughest two parts were:

1) Front suspension bolts were frozen. Stripped a bolt. Finally got it off, took two breaker bars, two 3' steel pipes (to extend the breaker bars), lots of PB Blaster, and most importantly, 6 point sockets (no 12 points!). Then I had to wait for the dealership to get in a new suspension bolt which took forever.

2) The gland packing nut on the rears to release the cartridge. What a pain especially when you're not sure what the right tool for the job is. Ends up a pipe wrench works best. I don't have a vice or any place to lock one, but I was able to bolt the strut into a tire laying flat and use that as sort of a vice. Be careful though, it's easy to scratch up a rim this way. I used an old bent rim though.

Other than that it was pretty easy.

 

Hey this did it without any past experience. This should be a piece of cake for you. Here's the wriye-up I followed... Click here! and like everyone's sayong the fronts are alot easier than the rear.

 

Hey I knowticed your in Brooklyn. So am I. I like what you have done with your car. Maybe we can meet up one day so I can take a closer look at it. If you want the springs they are yours as soon as I get them off.

I guess I will be going to autozone and renting the spring compressor and doing this myself. I hope saturday isnt to cold. I

If anyone else is in the Brooklyn area and would like to meet up drop me a PM maybe we can have a meet.

I do know of 1 black 3rd gen in my area that cut me off a few days ago with a ORG sticker on the back windows. I will get you for that! LOL