Modifying a car’s look and components to make them more stylish and optimised is a tradition for car lovers. There is one modification that hits at the core of styling and improves the overall performance of the car is to lower them by lowering suspension. Lowering suspension improves the appealing view and to some extent increases the handling performance. (Also Air Ride Suspension Kit)
While it is easy to go to a garage and make them do the lowering for you, here we will discuss how you can only do this modification at your place by yourself. Follow the below-given methods.
Method: Lowering a Coil Spring Suspension by Using Lowering Spring:
There are various ways for lowering the car’s suspension. However, we will discuss the easiest and most preferable way. In many cars, especially compact ones, you will find coil springs suspension. To lower the height, you need to replace the stock coils with shorter ones. It would be better if the new shorter coils would have stiffer springs. It would give them a more sporty and responsive feel.
Equipment Needed to Perform This Method:
- Air Impact Gun
- Set of Hand Tools
- Air Compressor
- Socket Set
- Jack and Jack Stand
- Lowering Spring Set
- Strut Spring Compressor
- Wood Blocks or Tire Chocks
Step-1: Raise The Front Portion:
First, you need to raise the front wheels to raise the front of your car. Use a jack and jack stand to secure it and wood blocks to keep it steady. You can also use tier chocks or parking brakes to prevent the car from rolling.
Step-2: Remove The Nuts:
Now as the vehicle has been securely raised and balanced, use an impact gun to remove the lug nuts. The lug nuts keep the wheels attached. Now as the lug nuts are removed, the step ends with removing the car’s wheel.
Step-3: Remove the Front Strut Assembly of the Car:
Now you would see the strut assembly of the car attached to the system. This whole arrangement is attached to the car by bolts at the top and bottom. Remove them with wrenches or some appropriate tools.
Although strut’s design can be different in different cars, basic models are the same. The strut has generally one or two bolts below and the same at the top position. Open the hood to get access to the top bolts of Strut.
Once the full arrangement feels secure to be removed, take it out carefully.
Step-4: Compress the Strut Spring:
The strut spring is set in a manner such as it must have some tension in its body. Before removing the spring we need to release this tension. Use your strut spring compressor to compress the spring. This will remove all the tension between the springs and the upper strut mount.
Notably, you may have to do this process repeatedly for some time until the springs come to complete rest.
Step-5: Remove the compressed spring:
Now as the spring has relieved enough tension, the next step is to remove it. Firstly we will turn on the compressed air. Now with the help of an air impact gun, remove the top nut that attaches the strut mount to the strut assembly.
First, remove the nut and then follow the compressed coil spring. Do this process considering full safety.
Step-6: Install The New Springs at the Strut Assembly:
It’s now time to set up the new coil springs at the assembly. Note that many springs can be set in a specific manner. So do it in a correct manner and install it safely without giving any damage to the strut assembly.
Keep an eye on rubber spring seats. If you find any as a part of the Lowering Suspension kit, remove them from the assembly.
Step-7: Reinstall The Upper Strut Mount:
The next step is to install the new coil spring with the strut mount. Your new coil will have different heights hence you may need to go for another compressor round this time before reinstalling the nut. For this, simply compress the spring until you can go for installing the nut. Use an air impact gun to tighten it.
Step-8: Reinstall the Strut Assembly Onto Car:
The step reaches the final stages of the work. Now you have a reassembled mount strut. With safety, put this into the car again. Make sure you do it in the reverse procedure as you removed it.
Here note that it would be easy to put the strut assembly back into the car if you fix the bottom bolts first. It would give necessary support to the strut assembly.
Step-9: Lower The Opposite Side:
The replacement process is completed. Now when you have installed the strut and reinstalled the wheel lug nuts, go for the same procedure for the opposite side wheel. Go with step #1 and finish your work with safety.
Step-10: Replace the Rear Coil Springs:
With step 9, you have already lowered the height of the front wheels on both sides. Now it’s the turn of the rear wheels. Go with the same procedure as you went for the front wheels. In almost every car, the system of the rear wheel is the same as the front one. You need to repeat the same procedure from raising the height of the rear part and taking out the wheel and strut mount.
By replacing the coil springs of both wheels, you will be able to lower your car to a desirable position. Also Check Ford F150 Air Suspension!
Conclusion:
Today’s era is all about being more stylish. And the car industry has already been into this for decades of years. But it is in the last few decades that people have started modifying their cars for sports gaming or for their desires. Lowering the height of a car certainly gives an attractive modification to it.
Above we have discussed how to lower the height of your car by lowering the height of the suspension. As now you have everything, now it’s your turn to modify your vehicle.
