I'm wondering if I need to wrap some wirewraps around the coils where it is
progressive to prevent it from chattering when going over bumps. Do you
get any noise?

Also, any special tricks to the install? I read Randy's site and it looks
pretty straight forward. I've done struts in the past on Japanese cars...
any different?

Thanks. :smile:

 

On really hard bumps I get a "clack" but no chatter, per se. Can't tell you how hard the install is, though. I'm too much of a chicken to trust my meager mechanical abilities.

 

I put(had mechanic install) H-Sport springs and sway bar and adjustable lower arms on a month ago, no rattles or clunks so far.

 

hey, i did the h-sport install, there really isnt any tricks to it. like you said pretty straight forward, i think the hardest part was putting the fronts back in. couldve just been my car but it took a little working to get in. no bid deal though.

i dont hear any bumps or rattles.

have fun, post a pic when you are done :smile:

 

Thanks everyone!

 

I have the H-Sports.. I am starting to get a little bit of noise on the front. Not sure that it is the H-Sports though.... I am going to check it out before the weekend. The install is pretty straight foward, and instructions are decent. (the front drivers side is the hardest... I believe because the Axel is shorter on that side.

 

Thanks, Dan. I did the fronts tonight, will finish up the rears tomorrow. :smile:
The install wasn't hard, but took a little bit of work especially the very
first time. Once i got the hang of it, the 2nd one (driver's side) went
very quickly.

The rear coils look like they're going to chatter over bumps, but I guess
they don't, huh? Will try it without the wraps first and see how the springs
feel with the factory sway bar. Will raise the car again on Thurs to do
any adjustments if necessary. :smile:

 

I have had Hsport springs and rear sway bar for almost a year now and the only time I have had any noise from them is one time I changed the setting on the sway bar and didn't get the bolt tight enough. The stupid allen key and tight space makes it hard to put a lot of weight on. Got my mechanic to do it and added soem Loctite to make sure it won't back off again.

 

Thanks, Gordon! :smile:

Will finish up the h-sport install tonight.

 

Read a Q/A from SPAX shocks. They mentioned that if shorter springs are installed. The piston travel on the shocks will be greater than the travel of the spring, and you would hear the spring rattle due to the difference in maximum height travel between the two. There recommendation was to shorten the shock rod travel.

 

Furioso- actually, SPAX should include a helper spring to keep the main spring
from rattling...well, that's how most higher-end street struts are made.

There is plenty of pre-load on the strut assembly with the H-sports.
What I was asking about was not so much for the spring rattling due
to not enough pre-load, but the clanking (chattering) noise you
may hear from progressive rate springs where the coil hits each other.

You can put on wirewraps on the top few coils (every other) to prevent
the noise. The wirewraps can be had at RadioShack. Go to their
section where they sell wire organizers and ties.

 

Put mine in also. Rt. front and the two rears went smooth as glass, all 3 in about 1-1/2 hours, however the left front was a *****!!. A little tricky, make sure you have the existing spring compressed enought to drop it through and up into the upper mounts.

I took all off, and had my local shock/brake installer company installer compress the springs onto the struts for me (charged me $10 each, I thought it was worth the trouble). With a commercial compressor it took about 20 minutes for the 4 them. If you have to do it the old fashioned way, it may take a while cranking them down 1/4" x 1/4" at a time.
For what it is worth. .

 

Ive read a lot of posts that the driver front is hard to do... it was actually
not that hard for me for some reason. Probably beginner's luck. :smile:

I was worried that I may disjount the CV joint if I moved the hub
carrier around too far downward, but it seemed like the joint would not
just pop out like those j-cars. I did have an extra jack under the
carrier to support it and to raise it when I was ready to put the
struts back onto the car.

I did the spring removal the old-fashioned way. hehehe. it's not
that bad, actually easier than the j-car's ive done in the past as the
spring did not have to be compressed all that much to relieve preload
from the top mounts.

 

Rears are installed and took it out for a spin. :smile: While using the traditional spring
compressors, the rears were a lot trickier to do than the fronts because
the h-sport coils are so close to gether on the rear springs that the
compressor would not fit without some force to pull and separate the coils apart.

btw, I was very careful to match where the factory springs were seated in
the mounts. When I was ready to put the strut back on the car, i screwed the top bolts and noticed that my strut bottom did not perfectly line up to the bolt. I am assuming that this is just memory of the bushings from the factory springs
and is perfetly normal (?). Is this assumption correct?


The ride is close to stock as everyone mentioned and my review is not going to
be anything new. It doesnt' look like Im going to be needing the alta rear
swaybar for the streets. I'll just drive around with the factory swaybar for a
couple of weeks to see how it goes. the ride quality of the H-sport is comfortable
and actually better than the linear rate stock springs. :smile:

 

glad to hear it went good.

and of course you dont need the rear alta bar.... you need the h-sport

 

:smile:

man, these springs are good!

 

All of H-sport stuff appears to be really good. I also like the fact that they carry all the suspension parts, springs, swaybars, camber plates and control arms so you can have all the same products working together instead of mismatched products. H-Sport all the way.

 

I decided to put on my Alta 22mm rear swaybar today...2 hours taking
the car apart figuring out how to lower the rear sub-frame, etc. only to
find out later that Alta forgot to put the metal bushing bracket in my
package!

_________________
03MCS IB/Bk: 123, Aerokit, 17"R90, Milltek, Pilo Intake, H-Sport, 6CDMP3, etc.

 

>>it back to stock. man, was I pissed today.
>>
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together??????
I am impressed you did the springs the old fashioned way.....no way in hell I would even attempt that (I am old and I am frail and I am weak).
Auto Zone sells a very classy compressor for $34.00.......worked like a charm on my install and I am with you....what's up with one front side hard or not??? I take it you kept your original struts? If coils are hitting each other, the spring has been missapplied......no way should that be anywhere close to normal........or usual.......
my .0002 cents worth....peace.....

 

I hope Outmotoring gets
back to me soon so that I can do the return on the swaybar.

Thanks for the note on the spring compressor..I should check it out as
the one I have, the spring holders are just too big to fit between the
h-sport coils.
_________________
03MCS IB/Bk: 123, Aerokit, 17"R90, Milltek, Pilo Intake, H-Sport, 6CDMP3, etc.

 

Suggested new Title for Thread: Kenchan's Suspension Tweaks!

Cheers,
Ryan

 

ryephile - :smile:

Just got an email from Outmotoring...these guys are great. Aaron gave
me options to return or send me new brackets...I think Im going to hold onto
the bar for now and perhaps use it down the road when I have more output from
the motor. :smile: I feel like im writing my MCS diary here. hehehe. thanks for
reading.
_________________
03MCS IB/Bk: 123, Aerokit, 17"R90, Milltek, Pilo Intake, H-Sport, 6CDMP3, etc.