Thread: Rear spring/shock swap

Tools Needed:

- Metric sockets
- 13/16" socket
- Metric wrenches
- 2 jack stands and floor jack
- T40 Torx bit (for 2000+ models)
- Vise grip pliers
- Flat head screwdriver
- Razor blade

Parts needed:

- 2 Shocks (I used Tokiko)
- 2 Springs (I used BMR springs but in this guide I only replaced shocks and kept stock height for drag racing purposes)

Put the car in stands, just the rear part and enough to get the tires out.



Start out by folding the rear seats down. Next, remove both plastic speaker panels from the rear of the hatch. The drivers side will just un-snap, and the passenger side has 3 plastic flathead-screws that allow it to come off. Disconnect the speaker wire harness from each side and place speaker sail panels away somewhere.



Now you need to start rolling back the carpet that covers the hatch area. If you have a 2000 model or up, you will have child seat hooks which you need to remove. A T-40 torx bit fit mine. You will find that the carpet goes under the remaining plastic panels a bit too much, so I used a razor to cut a bit of the carpet *BEHIND* the plastic panel. This allowed me to pull the carpet out from underneath the plastic and continue rolling it back.





Keep rolling it back until you see the 2 white foam covers covering the top of the shocks. The picture shows how far I pulled the carpet up to get to them.

Pull the foam pads off and place a 15 box wrench over the nut. To keep the shaft from spinning, put some vise grip pliers on the flat part of the shock shaft and hold it. Slowly, loosen the nut.

Pull the spring off its perch. It will just be sitting there with no pressure on it since the rear axle is hanging down. Remove the nut holding the bottom of the shock to the axle, and lower the shock out of place. The nut should be 13/16".



Now, remove the spring and shock from the other side of the car, and install the new shock just like we did on this side.

Place the provided rubber bushings and washers on the new shock as directed (or just like the stock shocks if yours came with no instructions), and slide the shock shaft up back through the hole and bolt the bottom to the rear axle. Inside the car, put the bushing, washer, and nut back on the shaft and tighten it down.



Once both new shocks are installed and both springs are removed, we can install the new springs. Move the rubber shoe off your stock springs and put them on the new ones. As you can see, my new springs are much shorter due to the fact that they came with adjustable spring perches. Since my springs were shorter, I jacked up the rear axle about 2 inches. I then placed both springs on their perches (or in my case, put the adjustible perches on the stock perch, and then placed the spring on that). Next I jacked the rear axle up again another inch or two and checked to make sure the springs were going up correctly (they just kinda flop around until load is put on them)....continue jacking/checking until there is load on the springs.



put the rear wheels back on, raise the car by the diff until its unloaded off the jacks, and lower the car down onto the ground. Put your foam shock stud covers back on, fold the carpet back into place, reconnect rear speakers, reinstall sail panels, fold seats back up and you're done!

cheers
Chris___