Can you clarify why it's necessary to remove the bolt for the end links from the lower control arm (sway bar links)? Does it put pressure on the lower control arm that needs to be eased so the arm drops down to remove the strut?

Well the bolt needs to be removed because the lower control arm can not be shifted down enough to remove the strut with it in place. Hope that helps.

This is what I thought!

I noticed some people do not remove the upper bolts from the upper control arm (a-arm if you will), while others do.

It seems that you can remove the strut through the bottom without bothering with the removing the upper control bolts.

Can you comment on this?

It's not necessary to remove the upper control arm, but removing it certainly helps get the strut out. It's only 2 bolts per side, and if you don't it's just going to hang down in the way, making it a real PITA to get the strut both out and back in. You've got to hold the arm up somehow, so why not just take out 2 bolts.

Right - It was just a whole lot easier to remove the two bolts and pulling the a-arm down and out rather than wrestling with it and getting frustrated.

So how about the rear springs?

i assume you jack it up and compress the spring? and that's it?

i haven't taken a long enough look underneath to make a good guess

edit: nvm i read a different thread, looks good i'm getting my prokits today. i guess they're going on next week.

the reason why I placed the jack on the rear is to take the load off the bolt so as it is removed it does not crossthread itself because the bolt pretty much has to be turned the whole way out.

You may have to get a jack under the lower control arm, too, to compress the spring/strut assembly enough to disassemble/assemble the lower strut bolt and the sway bar links (it really helps to align them so they go on/come off more easily). Trust me, you do have to undo those links. When we did mine, we undid the single upper a-arm bolt rather than let the whole thing down. I'm thinking your way may have been easier as it took a little wiggling to get that strut outta there. We're doing another car Thursday night, maybe we'll try that!

try it my way next time, you should not have the same problem. Doing headers, test pipes, and y pipe right now...The Headers are a B*%c^!!

to those of you who removed your factory springs..can you tell me if the red mark on the spring is supposed to go towards the bottom or the top when installed from factory? I'm asking b/c when I reinstalled mines, I might have put them in the wrong direction.

i believe that the spring will only seat itself one way correctly in the rear with the markings on the bottom side.

how about tanabe springs

I don't know about the Tanabe Springs but they sould be marked, most manufactures do mark their springs...

I was wondering, How much of a drop would it take for a person to end up NEEDING camber kits? 2" drop or more?

I believe that once you go past the 1.5" mark that it starts to throw off the camber. My setup has changed a bit since this was first posted but after these springs had settled i was somewhere around 2 1/8" and could see wear to the inside of my tires. Sat like this //---\\