And it was a bear! I didn't have any hydraulic spring compressors or anything - I just had those clamp-on compressors that you twist a bolt to compress the spring. I needed 3 of them to get the spring compressed enough. Everything about it was awful.

It took me about 12 hours (!) - granted I am a novice - over 2 days to do the front and back (this included the changing the end links and doing a brake bleed [just because]). I used the instructions that came with the springs, the how-to's posted on NAM and at http://www.webbmotorsports.com . They were all very helpful. I would however recommend having a hydraulic spring compressor that could have easily saved me 8 hours!

And just so you know - The front springs were hard to get out but once out (and following some the hints posted on http://www.webbmotorsports.com) the spring change was easy and recompression was straight forward (but time consuming) which made reinsertion easier. The rear springs were easy to get out but compression was difficult especially with the new springs since the spacing between the coils was minimal and I could not fit the clamp grips in between them and ended up having to grip the lip of the shock absorber. But that wasn't really enough compression and I needed to lean on the top plate and compress it all a wee bit more to get the nut screwed back on. Also very time consuming and frustrating.

As I said, I also changed out the end-links (front and back) and was going to do the rear camber arms but saw that getting at the inboard bolt was going to be too much of a project. Maybe when I change my exhaust I will take care of that - or - dare I say it - I'll just pay someone to do it.

Anyway, I drove it around. It's definitely riding lower and handling a little tighter. However, I am hearing some creaking from the rear. It sounds like the springs. I already adjusted and tightened the end-links so it shouldn't be them. I also regreased the sway bar (the fat HSport one) so it shouldn't be that either. I am wondering if this will go away as the springs settle in or if there is something I should look at? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

I have a creak that I thought was coming from the back. Turns out it's the seats crying out in pain when I hit a decent-sized bump.

Listen carefully, especially if you're a bigger guy like me.

 

I'll listen for that. But I'm 160 lbs. so I'm not so sure about it. For what it's worth, it sounds noisier on smaller bumps at slower speeds than on small-to-big obvious ones at high speed. Does that make the sway bar a suspect?

 

Double check your rear spring seats first and make sure the spring is sitting in them correctly.

 

The seating looks good. Someone thought that the stock shocks are not stiff enough and the springs are too compressed. Is that a possibility? Anyone else have this issue? (Sounds like an expensive issue to fix). I have an MCSC which I understand has the same suspension as the MC with the sport package.

 

Answering myself, I think. I had a look at the rear springs and they appear nearly fully compressed at the top when the car is standing still. I suspect that is not the expected behavior and may be due to the shocks not being "right" for the new lower profile springs. It makes sense to me that that the sounds I hear are the springs' coils rubbing or bouncing off one another. Does that make sense to you - anybody?

 

Can you take a picture? I just installed springs on my MCS and I may be able to help.

 

I had H-Sport springs installed by Randy Webb (by hand, no less, and in 90 minutes!) with stock shocks, and there's absolutely no problems with ride height, response, compression, handling, etc. The rear camber has increased (of course it's more negative!) but the front camber is unaffected by the lowering of the ride height. There's a thread that says lower springs increase wear on stock shocks and they last 1 year at most, but I'm willing to accept that risk (be it real or otherwise) for the great look and better ride (the progressive springs are actually softer around town but harden up really well under hard cornering.)
From your outcome I'd guess something went wrong.

Best of luck,
philip

 

I just went through my suspension this weekend. Installed Koni coilovers and removed H-Sports. I've had squeaking from day one. This weekend I went through and tried to get all the rubber coating the factory puts on. The excess sits right on top of your sway bar. Since I've done that, I've gotten rid of about 75% of the squeaking. There were some spots I couldn't get to unless I removed the rear bar and drop the subframe. That is a job for another day!

It's not your springs.

 

this is normal on most (not some) progressive rate springs.

let's do a process of elimination. undo your endlink front and
rear and drive straight over bumps and dips. see if you hear that
creaking. if yes, then it's not your endlinks or swaybar. I kinda
got a feeling it's coming from the swaybar....maybe not, but
worth a try.

i installed my h-sports about 2 yrs ago. ive yet to get any noise
from my setup.

 

Man, I hate hearing of this stuff.
Makes me leary of screwing w/ the stock setup.
I hope you get it worked out.

 

Eric at Helix put my H sport springs in less than 2 hrs in between phone calls.I think they are great.

 

I have H Sport springs and did have stock shocks.
You will see even more drop in ride height as the springs "work in".

As long as the stock shocks don't top out or bottom out the valve doesn't know were it is in the chamber.
Your H Sports still keep the shock valve in an OK range.

I now run Koni adjustables with the H Sport
(OK ... end links, all controll arms, and wheel spacers as well)

 

So how would you compare the ride and performance differences between the stock shocks and the Koni's? I assume you have the yellows.

 

I have a picture here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...=18022&cat=500

Note that the top of the springs (the left) is rather compressed, the lower part is not.

Any comments or assistance would be appreciated.

 

like i posted above, this is normal for most progressive rate springs.

the top coils act as both a helper spring and also provides the soft initial bump rate.
did you try undoing the endlinks and driving straight while listening for the creak?

 

I guess that will be my next experiment. Thanks!

 

I replaced the stock shocks with Koni Yellows (set to 1 rotation firmer) and guess what - the sound is gone. I think the lesson is that with an MCSC, if you put in H Sport lowering springs, you had better upgrade the shocks, too.

...now if I could just get rid of that roof rattle...

 

I put the H-sport springs on 4 weeks ago. No rattles or squeaks. Love the ride and handling so far. I have the H-sport bar to put on now. I just got the bar for my birthday last weekend. It would have been easier to have done them at the sametime but the Sway Bar came as a surprise. Giving Randy webb's number to my family, as a nice place to get me gifts has been a great decision.

 

Just a clarification. The Cabrio S (which I have) has different stock shocks than the standard (i.e., non-Cabrio) S. I believe this is the source of my issue.

 

I don't have any sqeaking from my H-sports springs but after changing to 18' wheel's last week I noticed that there is close to a 1/4 inch or so difference in ride height on the passager side of the car front and back from the drivers side. I used a tape messure going from the floor to the lip of the fender. I've had the springs for about 6 months. Anyone know what it might be?

 

I dont know if it has been answered, but when i installed mine on the rear i did not tighten the nut on top of the housing enough, i did it with hands, then with air gun. It has to be relly tight. If not, the weight of the car will push down and the space it creates between the washer and nut will make noise.
An easy way to decomress the front is to lossen th top nut when the car is on the ground.

 

I have learned that the typical sources of noises in the suspension are:

1. Loose nuts connecting the end links to the sway bar.
2. Loose nuts connecting the end links to the sub frame.
3. Loose bolts connecting the shock housing to the chassis.
4. Loose bolts connecting shock to sub frame (I think its called a sub-frame, it's the long bolt that goes through the base of the shock).
5. Badly seated springs rubbing against housing.
6. Loose bolt at top of shocks.
7. Improperly positioned sway bar that hits or rubs against the subframe or inside wheel rim when traveling over bumps.
8. Improperly positioned brake cables rubbing against the sway bar, end links or ebrake cable.

The list is no particular order and it's probably not exhaustive but it certainly hits the main points.