i plan on installing these myself, however i've never attempted to do anything like this before, and i really don't want to screw up anything, can someone tell me if i will be able to do this, is it difficult at all? How long will it take me to do?

Also do i need to buy a floorjack and jackstands in order to do this? the only jack i have is the one that comes with my car in my trunk. Also should i start on the rear or the front first?

I heard i also need some kind of compressor that i can rent from autozone or something, can someone please tell me more who have done these kind of installs? Thanks, much appreciated.

 

Below is a link to my how to on how to do your shocks and or springs. Use it for the rear suspension, below you'll find a how to for the front suspension.

http://www.g-owners.com/article_read.asp?id=12

And here are some enhancements to help out better.

FRONT SUSPENSION

1.You do not need to compress the spring inorder to remove the front shock/spring assembly from the car (but you will need to use one latter). Simply unbolt the wheel. Then unbolt the sway bar end link bolt on the suspension seen here.You will have to raise and lower the floor jack in order to get the bolt out, be patient.


2.Notice the location of the floor jack, used to get the sway bar end link bolt out of the suspension arm.


3.Now unbolt the lower shock bolt and pull it out. You might have to raise and lower the floor jack to get the bolt out, work with it, it will come out.


4.Unbolt the brake line from the shock body.


5. Push off the black colored speed sensor lines off the shock body (2 attachment points opposite to the brake line attachment point).

6. Open the hood and unbolt the 3 upper shock mount bolts, being carefull to set the nuts aside.

7. Since the shock might not want to walk off the lower suspension arm, have a fat flat blade screw driver next to you just in case. Take and push down the suspension and guide the shock/spring assembly out of the car. You may find that you have to put the upper shock mount back into it's bolt holes to gain all the room you need. BE CAREFULL, do not rip out the speed sensor lines. If the shock doesn't want to come off the lower suspension arm, use the screw driver to walk it off.




HOW TO CRACK THE NUT HOLDING THE UPPER SHOCK MOUNT ONTO THE SHOCK/SPRING.

DO NOT TRY AND REMOVE THE SPRING WITHOUT A SPRING COMPRESSOR. I don't care how many install's have been done on the net that say you don't need to use one. "Use a towel, use a old garbage can and,.........stand back". You saved a bunch of money doing it yourself, spend $30 to do it right and safely, rent one or do like I did and buy one.

1. The single nut on the top of the shock shaft can be the single hardest bolt to deal with in a suspension install. I have developed a system that use's ordinary hand tools as I do not own any air tools. You will need to buy a ($18) special Craftsmen offset wrench pictured in the middle of this pic, notice how it differs from the wrench pictured below it. Print the pic and take it to sears if you have to. It's 17mm btw.


2. Place both tools on the shock/spring as shown.


3. Now, making sure the cresent wrench is leveraged on the floor so it prevents the shock shaft from spinning, start to break the nut loose with the wrench, DO NOT TRY AND REMOVE IT. If the whole shock/spring assembly should come out from under you find a surface that is not so slippery, I find that the curb gives me the most traction.


Now, use a spring compressor and compress the springs until it just barely lifts off the upper shock mount. Be carefull on how you attach the spring compressor. Think about 2 things, do I have enough room to work my ratchet and compress the spring? And will the spring compressor's long bolt shafts be able to clear as they extend downwards?

For the rear suspension, refer to the link at the top of this post.


"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

Gsedan35, my hat is off to you. I did this at a body shop with a lift. It was relatively easy then, but I would never tried it at home. Not for the faint of heart for sure.

2004 G35 Coupe/OB/Graphite interior/Premium and aero package/Popcharger/Z tube/Hotchkis sways/Tein H-tech springs/Kinetix plenum/Crawford cats

 

As suspensions go, this is the easiest car to do that I have ever done. It is really not that hard at all. I try and do how to's so they attack and kill any points that might cause pause to the average installer. Don't let the long test make you think it's difficult, it's thier to make it easier.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

gsedan thanks for the headsup, but this says for the sedan, so im assuming its basically the exact same way on the coupe as well?

A few questions before i attempt to install, do i need a torque wrench? or can i just tighten all the bolts up as tight as i can? i dont wanna mess anything up, how much does a torque wrench cost? If its not expensive, ill go ahead and get one, autozone should have it right?

oh and by the way, im just lowering my car, so basically i just need to remove the springs... where can i get a strut spring compressor? can you rent one for free at autozone or something?

how long will it take to lower your car, (just springs)...?

thanks for the info!

 

Yes the info applies to all G's and Z's.

In the back the shock can sway mounted and you can do just the springs.

Autozone does do spring compressor rentals and they also sell them, that's where I got mine. For rental, you pay for the part in full, then when you return it, the refund 100% of your money.

This last time I did not use a torque wrench (I lent it to my brother). I'm not concerned about under or over torquing, but then I get my torque wrench back I do plan on going all the bolts involved. I bought the torque wrench a long time about, I'm sorry to say I can't remember what I paid.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

is there a specific model/brand strut spring compressor i need to ask them for? or is it universal? i never seen what one looks like and i want to be sure it works on the g35coupe before i get it... is it around $50?

 

No specific brand to speak of. I just bought mine about a month ago. I went out into my garage and looked at the packaging, where you usually find a brand name is say's, OEM. Part number in tiny numbers in the upper right corner is 25550. I'm almost positive it cost me $40. Autozone should still have the one I got.

Here's what a spring compressor looks like, their are 2 sides to them as you can see.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

ok gotcha, as in that last pic you posted, i thought you're spose to use the spring compressor once the spring is out of the car? thats the front of the car right? or do you have to use it right there in order to get the spring out?

 

Yeah you don't have to compress the spring in order to remove the shock/spring from the car. You should alway's use a spring compressor to ultimately seperate the shock from the springs.

The reason for the hand in the above pic is to show where you should push down on the suspension to free the shock/spring to be able to get it out.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

Gsedan is the INFO man I wish I had the knowledge you have about cars, damm...


Martin
2003.5 BS G35
Nismo Aero/Sport Package
Injen CAI
B+G Springs
ADR M-Classic 19's..

 

Naaah, I'm just a guy trying to help out great people with great cars.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

You know, I tried to get the strut out just by pushing the rotor downward but I couldn't. Maybe I didn't tried hard enough. Any way, what I did was loosen up the bolt on the top of the bracket (the one with the safety pin). That made it very easy to remove.

2004 G35 Coupe/OB/Graphite interior/Premium and aero package/Popcharger/Z tube/Hotchkis sways/Tein H-tech springs/Kinetix plenum/Crawford cats

 

Did you have to cut the bump stops when installing the S-techs on the G35C? (i have the 6MT)

Thanks.

2004 G35C 6MT Brilliant Silver

 

wow old post lol...but anyways...not sure if your supposed to or not but i cut my anyways...i cut about an inch off the front and rear ones...still rides nice and never had a problem since...and i've had these on since last december...good luck

John H.
Houston's Premier Printing - T-Shirts anyone?
My G