DIY: Tien S-Tech Springs

[si_zx6r]

I just got it from the mail.

STARTING OFF


1) Put your window wipers up to take off round cover to better access the strut tower.


2) Take out cover to access strut tower.


3) Take off back trunk cover.


4) Take off tabs holding trunk carpet molding.


Here is what to get after step 4. It gives you better access to the rear strut.

FRONT SPRINGS


5) Loosen the three bolts for front strut.

Here are the three bolts I'm talking about in step 5.


6) Unbolt break line and clip off ABS sensor.

Here's what you get after completing step 6.


7) Take off bolts holding the strut tower link. If I remember correctly, it's 17 and 19.


8) Strut towers should come down. Just take it off.

Here’s what the strut towers look like.


9) Use a spring compressor to compress springs. Make sure the bottom tip of the spring is facing you so that it’s more stable.


Each spring will tell you F 18GKX83 R. “F” for front and “R” for right. The rear springs will only say “R” for right or “L” for left.


10) Unbolt strut tower assembly from spring.

Be careful when taking off the assembly for the bump stop. We had to pick up 30 ball bearings from the floor and took a long time looking for them. My suggestion is taking it off upside down.

Here is the bump stop.


11) Approximately cut an inch from the bump stop. This is recommended by Teins.


12) Assemble spring by twisting it into the strut cover.


13) Use spring compressor to put strut assembly back together.


14) Put strut tower back, easier if you had help. Put bolts back holding the top of strut.


15) Put bolts back that link to strut to rotors and break lines with ABS sensors.

[Repeat steps for the other front side.]

REAR SPRINGS


16) Take off bolt holding break line and unclip ABS sensor.

Also take off sway bar link.


17) Take off bolt from rotor mount linkage to strut tower.


18) This is where good muscle is needed! Use a pry bar to pry down the strut tower. CAUTION…Make sure you head is nowhere near the tower! It comes off fast and hard.


19) Take off old spring and put the new spring in place.

20) Assemble everything back together.



Difference between stock and Tien springs.
Initial drop is pretty decent. Wait +/- a few weeks for springs to settle.
The ride comfort still feels like stock springs, which is what you want.
Camber kit is recommended.
Project time took about an hour to an hour and a half.
Hope you find this helpful.

Thanks Manny for the help!

[Sirbelch]

Ahahahahahahahahahahaha, I lost 2 of the ball bearings. Never did find those things. Oh well. However, the stock upper mount will only come apart if you pull on the wrong part. It shouldn't just fall appart.

[krazyguy187]

i have a question,i know its been an old topic .. why did you have to cut the bumpstop? did you notice any noise when you drove off?

[Sirbelch]

you have to cut the bump stop to regain the suspension travel that is lost from the lowering. Problem with that is, you are allowing the shock more of a chance to bottom out and cause damage to the shock.

[krazyguy187]

ohhhh.....

[Mikey6p]

You don't need to do anything to the top of the rear strut. Why did you peel back the carpet?

[si_zx6r]

Originally Posted by Mikey6p

You don't need to do anything to the top of the rear strut. Why did you peel back the carpet?

You need to get acces to the top of the rear strut to loosen the springs, so that all you have to use is a pry bar and take off the strut link bolt to the rotar mount to take it off.

[si_zx6r]

Originally Posted by Sirbelch

Ahahahahahahahahahahaha, I lost 2 of the ball bearings. Never did find those things. Oh well. However, the stock upper mount will only come apart if you pull on the wrong part. It shouldn't just fall appart.

ya you're right... lmao!! at least you know how much of a bitch it was pickin them up one by one... with your hands filled with grease...lol. took a good 20 mins lookin for them, and luckily i got all of them.

[Mikey6p]

Originally Posted by si_zx6r

You need to get acces to the top of the rear strut to loosen the springs, so that all you have to use is a pry bar and take off the strut link bolt to the rotar mount to take it off.

All I did was disconnect the rear struts from the control arm, disconnect the sway bar and camber arms, and pressed down on the control arms. I do not believe you need to do anything to the top of the strut. That carpet is a bear to get in there properly again.

[8thjen]

u shoulda put a pic of mine with the red brakes dude. that way it'd look a 1000x's better muah ha ha ha!!!

[si_zx6r]

Originally Posted by Mikey6p

All I did was disconnect the rear struts from the control arm, disconnect the sway bar and camber arms, and pressed down on the control arms. I do not believe you need to do anything to the top of the strut. That carpet is a bear to get in there properly again.

mmm... i think you are right, but we decided to jst take this step and less bolts would've have been removed. but both ways do work, cuz we tried it your way the first time, then the way we did it in the left rear.

[si_zx6r]

Originally Posted by 8thjen

u shoulda put a pic of mine with the red brakes dude. that way it'd look a 1000x's better muah ha ha ha!!!

ya it would look a lot better.... btw, guess im not gettin a camber kit... lmao, i baught that damn snowboard, cuz mah gf hella loves snowboardin, and i aint gonna pay $50 for rental!! n, i guess those rims won't be anytime soon neither, since ima go back to school...

[8thjen]

see thats y im not buyin one that and cuz im sure its gonna be like halo3 see and u tell me its smarter to spend money who's laughin now!!! LMAO

p.s. my car still looks better

[si_zx6r]

^ wells, when i go snowboardin, you can either watch or rent one... and watch, you're gonna end up goin more than once... it ain't mah fault you suck at halo!!!

anyways... you can tell yourself whatever you want to make yourself feel better, but mah car, as everyone knows is the cleanest FA5 in vegas... oh, and mah car is original. all mah mods were all my ideas... can't say the same for you... lol

[8thjen]

^psssh original?? OMG "i painted the grille black", jdm emblems, tien lowering springs, tinted windows, oh and taking out the muffler and stickin the stock tip don't count. all except for the "muffler" mod everyone else has done... so much 4 original... DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!!! LMFAO ROFL!!

p.s. u know i'm just kiddin, the part where i'm makin fun of u, of coarse. lol

[si_zx6r]

Originally Posted by krazyguy187

i have a question,i know its been an old topic .. why did you have to cut the bumpstop? did you notice any noise when you drove off?

1ST question had been already anwsered, but the second is no, i haven't heard anything unusual... if anything, it's actually alot quieter than stock, cuz on certain bumps i would hear something, but the teins are very quiet and comfortable as well.

[si_zx6r]

Originally Posted by 8thjen

^psssh original?? OMG "i painted the grille black", jdm emblems, tien lowering springs, tinted windows, oh and taking out the muffler and stickin the stock tip don't count. all except for the "muffler" mod everyone else has done... so much 4 original... DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!!! LMFAO ROFL!!

p.s. u know i'm just kiddin, the part where i'm makin fun of u, of coarse. lol

lmao... naw man... i can't say yours or mine is better, we're in the same team heat buddy... but ya, any ideas i have, i love to see it in a car, even if it's not mine... feel me!!

btw, we need to do some diy side markers, since ima do that instead of jdm side mirrors... yes, that was your idea cuz mine was jst to get hybrid, but you went furhter and went with jdm.

[8thjen]

^^ ya u better recanize, foo... lmao anyways ur gettin off subject now let other people comment on here JEEZ!!

[black07coupe]

Do any s-tech owners have problems bottoming out, or scraping their front HFP? I live in boston and the roads are horrible, and I'm really considering buying some of these springs.

[friedk]

If you know how to drive you shouldn't scrape. Just learn to angle your car off on the steep inclines and don't park too close to curbs.