Hello,

I just ordered some TXW springs and need a good shop in San Diego to do the install. Does anyone have any recommendations? I will also post in the locations based SoCal forum to see if I can get local support as well.

Thanks,
John

 

I use "Lutz tire". There on market street just above downtown. Talk to Mike. They have a guy there by the name of Terry who's a great guy and will do you right. I don't remember what it cost me but I'm sure it's not that expensive.

 

dropping the strut takes a bit of creativity, but if you can use hand tools, you can do the job. For a first timer, think most of a day. The rears are easy.

Matt

 

I'm in the same boat. The Miata guys recommend Lutz for alignments. Don't know any other place for spring installs though.

 

When I lived in SD (born and raised) The only place I, or any of my racer-type friends (including the old-timer hot-rod guys) would take our cars was True-Line. There are two locations, one is in El Cajon, the other is further North, I think it was in Kearny Mesa or Clairmont.

These guys do everything the old-school way when they align, using hand-tools and no computer jig. I had them install a set of Bilsteins on my 300zx a few years back.

Anyway, I highly recommend them and can't stress highly enough. Used them for a few alignment fixes. By that I mean to re-do alignments that were botched by "computer align" joints that offered lifetime guarantee. Tires wore funny and the computer joints swear the car is "within spec."

True-line ftw. They will put the alignment EXACTLY where you want it, not within some arbitrary BS range of "acceptability."

blah blah blah.

Anyway I just put the TSW springs on my JCW and it took all of 2.5 hours with the help of a friend. We are both mechanically inclined and highly experienced though.

Good luck and have fun :D

 

i recomend not doing it yourself! sure we are physicaly capable of replacing parts but do we know how to adjust camber ad toe after the drop. Talk to Rick or Gary at ZWHIZZ on Aero drive. They have a great 4 wheel alignment setup and have 30 plus years experience.

 

Are you saying they do the install as well as alignment?

 

All it takes as money.

But if you do it yourself, you put it all together, set the camber plates at about stock, and go to an alignment shop. When I put in my coil-overs, I got the diagonal weights within 2 tenths of a percent just with a tape measure and guess work. While it still needed an alignement, I shaved a bunch of expensive time off the bill.

Matt

 

Yes!
give'm a call and get an estimate, trueline is also a great shop, when i worked for ZWHIZZ before they got the alignment equipment we sent most of the work to them.
I am strictly an airplane mechanic these days and recognise that the "experts" have the tools and skills to do specialized work properly. Plus when the work is done buy a shop there is some "implied " warranty for the workmanship, if you supply the parts warranty for those parts falls on you.

 

Yeah dont zip tie the springs together with 30 zip ties like me and a another *ahem* *Kalbone *ahem* did cause we didnt want to go rent a spring compressor. Let me just say it was a duck and cover event...

 

Damn dude, I thought I was bad for using a tie down strap
Spring Compressor FTW

 

Ok, I am going to consider doing the install myself. I have done a coilover install on my old M3 a few years back, so this shouldn't be too much different.

Matt, these are only springs, so I don't have adjustable camber plates yet. That said, installing them and taking to an alignment shop is about all I need to worry about right?

Thanks again for everyones help on this. I'll take pics if I end up doing it myself. And yeah, I will rent spring compressors.

 

You don't need spring compressors if you can have a friend help. Read this thread:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...spring+install

I used a friend to use his body weight to compress the springs, they aren't that powerful of a spring.

Unless you have to do it alone, I guess.

 

You can buy cheap spring compressors for $25. No need to risk injury over $25. Be safe.

Drop a line if you need a hand. I'd be happy to help if I have the time. Never done springs on the Mini but have done other cars.

 

That worked fine for getting things apart... but I had a hard time getting the TSW springs compressed enough to put it all back together. My "buddy" and I combine for just about 400 lbs

 

and to release them when they were off the strut, I laid them down on the ground and hit the release with a bar. If the spring is lying along the ground, it just bounces around a bit. If it's verticle, WATCH OUT!

Matt

 

I don't know then. I weigh 138 and my buddy weighs about 165. We had absolutely no trouble at all removing or re-installing.


I guess everyone is different, do whatever you are comfortable with.

 

Agreed, no need to risk injury. However, I've done it and from experience, there is little to no risk of injury. In fact, when I took the first one apart I forgot to have my friend put weight on it. It didn't spring apart or anything, just a nice gentle release.

I've done springs on other vehicles as well and those springs were MUCH beefier and indeed dangerous... The springs on MY mini, however, were a far cry from a risk.

This of course is for informational purposes only and does not constitute expert advice. Use at your own risk :P

 

no word from the OP today,I hope his head injury is not too severe!

 

haha

 

You don't need a spring compressor, I was able to preform the entire task with just good old fashioned arm strength. None of the springs blew apart with any force when disassembled, and as a precaution just don't point anything at a person when pulling em apart. I was able to do the whole install in just under 2 hours with a jack some hand tools and a pneumatic impact gun. But, then again, i refuse to pay someone to do something that i can do myself. Just stubborn like that.

 

i did mine by myself with no spring compressors, simple as can be

 

No head injury (yet). I am still waiting on the springs from TXW. Once they are in I will probably look to do the install the following weekend.

Thanks again for everyone's assistance in this thread. I'll post up pics when I am done.

 

JUST KIDDING ABOUT THE HEAD INJURY! HOPE ALL GOES WELL

 

Well, I started the install tonight.

First thing is that the stock springs and these TXW's look identical side by side. I honestly cannot tell a difference.

Second, I got the driver front completed. Broke my Super Palo Uber star lug tool so I can't do any more until I get a new one. Peice of @#$@#$

Now, I did get that drivers front done, and then decided to go for a short cruie to see how things might settle down. First pulling ou tof the driveway, I hear some creaking when I stear left or right at the slow speed. I think this is just the spring seating in the hat. It didn't fit real well in the hat when I was putting it on as it was too tight to sit perfectly in there. After some slow driving and turning, the squeaking stopped. Again, I assume it settled finally.

So, I decided to go and drive a bit to settle it some more, and then come back to see how the drop may be. I drove for maybe 2 miles, and then came back to the garage.

I pull out my large level and check the stock side. It is sitting right at 25 inches from the floor to the bottom of the front fender at center of the wheel.

I then go check the new "lowered" side and measure the same way wit the same level at wheel center. And take a wild guess what the height was...
24 15/16ths inches.

WHAT??? I realize that the fronts will settle, but are you telling me they will settle an inch as the TXW drop is supposed to be? Did I screw something up?

I don't think so, as averything seems to have gone just fine.

Any ideas?