installing shocks myself

[rody084]

i have a 1990 integra GS and my rear shocks are giving out, so I am thinking of buying some tokico shocks and installing them myself.
I am a car newbie, most i have ever done is change the brakes, how hard of a task is it to install suspension?
also, do you think i should just wait till i save up money and get shocks and springs all at once?
are springs sold with different lowering amounts? i dont want to lower my car much... but i never see any specs saying how much it lowers the car.
I am thinking of some tokico shocks for now because they fit my price range.

any thoughts?

[loesch8102]

Hey man, sounds like you got some fun ahead of ya. Well, a friend of mine and I were in the same predicament about a year ago. Only we were installing springs instead of struts, but it's basically the same procedure. It definitely wasn't fun, but it was well worth saving 200 bucks. It took us, (being our first time at anything like this), all day and into the night! We had no idea what we were doing.

The procedure itself is hard to explain without showing you or with the help of pictures, but once you take the wheel off and start looking at all that is involved in holding the strut assembly in place, you can kind of get the idea. I'm not too sure how much the suspension has changed from the 1990 model to the 1994, but I doubt it is too much so here is a basic list of what needs to be removed...

There are 2 bolts that hold the brake line to the strut
There is one (pain in the bum) bolt that holds the strut assembly to the wheel part of the car
There is one bolt that holds the actual strut to the Y shaped piece at the bottom
And there are the bolts that hold the top of the strut in place, (under the hood for the front), (behind the back seat in the rear).

Being that your car is 13 years old I'm not sure how much luck you'll have though. When we did my car the front was easy, but when we got to the back the huge bolt at the bottom wouldn't go anywhere. We broke 2 sockets trying to get it off. Eventually I had to go to my uncle's garage and knock it out with a torch and an air chisel.

I'd say give it a shot, and get a friend to help you out, but don't expect to be completely successful.

As far as the lowering springs are concerned, it would definitely be easiest to do both at the same time. If you post some pictures, or e-mail me some pictures of what you want your car to look like, I can suggest some good lowering springs for you.

[xlosinghopex]

Don't take anything off till you know what you're doing. If you take it apart and then can't get it together you're screwed and it'll cost you lots. Get Haynes and Chilton manuals for your car, they'll tell you how to do all of this kind of stuff. Lots of things look simple enough on cars but once you start working on it you'll always run into a few problems especially on an older car. Considering that give yourself the whole day to figure it all out. Good luck.

[jcxcr4000]

here check out this link this might help you http://www.bseries.net/html/garage/spring.php that is what i used for some help on my car but my car is a 97 civic so i dont know if it is any diffrent from yours and you might also want to soak the bolts in some wd 40 for a day or so before you do it i did that and it help a good bit and if you can get a impact wrench that would help more

[rody084]

i checked out that link that jc posted, really helpful, but i am not sure as to whether I am going to have to adjust it to a certain height (that i am supposed to figure out) or if there is only one height that it can be adjusted to.
"use the jack to raise the suspension into place " is there only one place it will fit into? or do i have to determine it myself?

[jcxcr4000]

there is only one place that you can mount it to

[hondaman-iac]

make sure you have a car available in case you unscrew a bushing with how old your car is. other than that the install is pretty straight forward. i am able to do it in 2 hrs all 4 corners

[HYPR DRV]

I just had a set of Neuspeed Sport Springs installed on my '01 Civic. I had the same concerns about lowering it TOO MUCH, but had them thrown on anyway. I'll tell ya, they lower it a PERFECT 1.75" in the front and 1.5" in the back. Not too low, but low enough. I threw a JDM style front lip on there too just to add that super sporty look and it definitely brings out the lowered stance that the springs provide. Check out an online auction site to buy. They're cheaper. Now, I just gotta find some shocks before my suspension goes to hell.

[loesch8102]

Sounds nice man. With some work those 7th gen Civics can look sick, (as long as it's the coupe).

[HYPR DRV]

Yeah, it's the coupe. Originally, just wanted some Alteezas to give it a little something extra out of the lot, but found myself getting more and more sucked into the import scene. (Too easy). So now I'm hooking it up with as much as I can. Exhaust, Springs, kits, and a FREE GTR-style wing from my sister's '02 Celica GTS. (Phat bonus!!!) So it seems I've gone above and beyond my orignal goal of making it look like no other 7th gen on the streets. It's definitely a work in progress. Like an investment. Ha ha, at least, that's what I keep telling my fiancee.