Well, my body aches but I finally did it.. a DIY installation of the M7 coilovers AND Alta 22" rear sway bar. In summary, the parts are excellent and fit perfectly without any hassle. I had to make a few trips to the hardware store because I didn't have certain tools, for example the M7 instructions says to remove the 21mm bolt connecting the rear shocks to the trailing arm. These bolts turned out to be 18mm bolts, and all my tool sets went from 17mm to 19mm. I think 18mm is an odd size, but anyhow I managed to buy the part and get it done. All went smoothly, but the sticking points were: 1) The bolt mentioned above was a b!tch to remove. It was absolutely horrible. 2) The bolt holding the front shock assembly together. It's really in there and you need a 21mm tool that is thin enough to get to it and open it. The M7's come with a 22mm replacement bolt and the 22mm tool would not fit in there! managed to tighten it, but not to the extent I liked. 3) Installing the rear sway bar was a bit difficult. Getting it in there was hard, but once it was in the rest was easy. 4) Widening the opening of the front shock washer to fit the M7s was a pain since I didn't have the proper tool, but worked out fine at the end. I must mention that I have never worked on suspension before, and this took me 9 hours, but if you've got someone to help you and the proper tools you can do it in < 6 hours. Overall, I've very happy. Haven't driven the car yet though. Will post ride comfort updates later. For now, here as some pictures: 1. The car before 2. After 3. Bumps and bruises

 

hmmm.. Just drove the car out of the garage, then immediately drove it back it.. felt like something was rubbing infront.. Although the area outside the garage is a slope, the car didn't move.. what could it be? I need to open it up again.. ARGH!

 

check the clearance of the front wheel and the shock body of the coilover...you might need spacers...i had to get 5 mm spacers out front

 

Jack the front of the car up so u can freely move the wheel and see if its rubbing....

 

Will do that tomorrow. Where'd you get the spacers from?

 

H&R.....got them from Mossmini.com.....i really hope ur not driving the car

 

Got an extra set for sale but u need longer bolts...

 

Ordered a set from moss already. Not driving it until I get the spacers. Thanks!

 

By the by, will 5mm be enough? Anyone have a similar experience?

 

it will be enough... i'm running 17x7.5'' wheel with a 45 offset

 

hey pete, how long did it take you to get your spacers? I placed my order on Friday and emailed Moss but still haven't gotten a reply!

 

Hi MiniBAH, the car looks great. Bottom line, how does the car ride? I am thinking of doing the mod myself. Thanks.

 

I'll update you once I get my spacers.. i'm really frustrated with Moss for ignoring me for so long..

Anyone else got spacers w/ bolts?

 

Try this site:http://www.livermoreperformance.com/...l_spacers.html

 

MiniBAH, what brand tires are you running? That's a really aggressive tread pattern!

 

Since you obviously didnt use a torque wrench, you should check those bolts for tightness every so often for your own safety.

 

Minitauro: BF Goodrich g-Fore T/A KDW 2 - excellent summer tires

djam: I'm getting the whole car checked, torqued and cambered once I can drive it. Thanks for the advice

 

Didnt take too long...give them a call...i never email...its always nice to talk to someone....

 

I've been ordering stuff for several cars from lots of places and none usually ignore emails AFTER getting your credit card info.. plus the time difference is an obstacle (US is 8-10 hours behind).

I'll wait til Friday and then call.

 

So it turns out they were shipped on the 7th but no one was replying to my emails. This is good and bad because I tried generic 6mm spacers today and the tire was still rubbing against the suspension. Me thinks I need to place another order for 15mm spacers.

 

Got my spacers from Moss.. they sent me 10 bolts instead of 16, so I only installed the front..

The ride is excellent.. although the car is really low, i set the coilovers on stiff so the car doesn't rub on bumps.. nice and smooth.. went for a short ride so will update once i take an extended ride..

Here is an updated pic (dirty wheels due to the damn roadworks in the 'hood):

 

Nice stance...The front picture showing the KD tread looks great.

nice Ride!

 

Well, drove the car yesterday and today. Verdict: Excellent. Although I set the suspension to stiff, I love the ride. No rubbing with the 15mm spacers, nice stance, smooth ride although a bit harsh on bumpy roads. The car seems to make more creeking sounds but thats expected. The car is much tighter around bends, hardly any roll but I feel that if I push it further I'd end up with some understeer.

Here are some pix showing the final stance with the 15mm spacers (sorry for the quality, phone cam):

 

Hawtness! I'm digging my M7s, too.

 

looks fantastic! enjoy the ride. i plan on doing some sort of suspension mod but not for a while (until spring at least). good looking car.