Ulikefishsticks
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Seeking How To How daunting is the work for lowering springs?
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SKStinger
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Hold with the Allen and break loose with a long flat wrench.
Ulikefishsticks
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I managed to get it but not that way. That thing was on there good and I don't have an offset wrench. I had to use a breaker bar to loosen it then impact with Allen key while holding with wrench.
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narsnail
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Impact gun to loosen it, soak it in some penetrating shit. I wouldn't use the impact to completely take it off, just loosen it.
SKStinger
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Good. My car was newish when I did mine so nothing was really seized.
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narsnail
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This might be useful as well.
Ulikefishsticks
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I finished driver side spring before I had to leave and pick my dog up. I had to make extra trips to autozone to pick up a bigger T50 Torq bit and I also had to go to home depot to rig up a couple spacers to get the spring compressors to work properly.
My only worry is with the top hat. So it's already in but how am I going to torque the nut that goes onto the shock? I counted the threads before so it's matching right now but it felt like it could keep going. Do I still need a way to hold the shock with the t50 torque while I find a way to torque the nut?
My only worry is with the top hat. So it's already in but how am I going to torque the nut that goes onto the shock? I counted the threads before so it's matching right now but it felt like it could keep going. Do I still need a way to hold the shock with the t50 torque while I find a way to torque the nut?
narsnail
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Its 85 lb/ft, says so in the service manual anyway. Just use a 19mm wrench ( the open end not the round end) on an angle, otherwise you need to find a special offset wrench, I didn't have luck finding one. You can also use pliers but I found that more difficult. Put the torx bit on the torque wrench and just do your best to keep grip on the nut. FYI I would thread lock the strut to body bolts if you can.
If the top hat nut isn't tight enough, it will clunk. I didn't torque mine enough and that's what happened.
StingertimeNC
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man I hated doing the fronts on this car. come to think of it the fronts of every car I've ever had sucked! when I did my fronts on my GTI and the Stinger, I took the whole assembly to the mechanic I go to, and just had them re-install the new spring, tophat, etc, then just brought it home and put it back in myself. $20 tip did the trick!
Ulikefishsticks
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Went in for alignment and the front alignment is out of spec for Camber adjustment. I have read that there is no adjustment for camber in fronts. Leave it to KIA for that misstep. I believe it was .9 degrees on one side and 1.7 degrees on the other. Kia specs are .5 degrees with .5 of wiggle room. So one of those is off by .7 degrees. Has any camber adjustment options been released that can help with this? I don't want to go coil overs which come with camber adjustment.
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SKStinger
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Nope, nothing yet. I emailed Megan Racing a couple months ago when they released their rear adjustable camber arm kit and asked if they have plans for the front and they said no. -1.7 isn't too bad but it is more than mine. I'm at -1.1 on the one side. You'll get some inner tire wear. You can combat it a little by reducing the toe as much as possible.
Ulikefishsticks
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That is pretty disappointing. I knew there would be issues with alignment when I was getting it lowered. Still sucks when it's a reality haha. Would coilovers in theory allow for full control for camber? I'm trying to do the math in my head. How many sets of front tires will I save to make up for the cost of coilovers.
SKStinger
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They would but then you also lose your ESC (Electronic Suspension Control) that you paid for by getting a GT2. I've also read that coils don't really ride super great on the Stinger and some have gone back to springs.
It depends how much you drive your car and how bad the tire wear is. Probably best to try it for a while and see how they hold up. Mine are wearing slightly on the inner edge but should still get me 20 to 25,000 Km's.
Mine with eibachs settled at -1.2 on each side. Dial the rears in and just leave the fronts
narsnail
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Mine were - 1.2 on both sides as well. It's not really a huge amount to be out, rears wear out faster anyway so you'll probably just have replace them all together instead of getting a bit more out of the fronts.
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StingertimeNC
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agreed, all my cars have been on springs, and all have had no camber adjustment on the front. Infiniti, VW, Mazda, Acura. seems pretty common. the wear is never that bad when you are talking less than 2 degrees negative.
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Gilley
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I want to install spring on my AWD GT2 but the thought of having to deal with the front axle is more than I may want to tackle.
It's really only getting the abs out of the way and pulling the strut out. If you have a lift you can leave it in
SKStinger
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It’s the “pulling the strut out” part that sucks with AWD.
narsnail
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I posted a method that involves pulling the hub from the axle and ball joints earlier in this thread. Makes getting the strut out much easier, but it's an extra step.
Axle nut on the front is 189 lb ft, lower control arms to hub are 79.6 lb ft.
You could always do the rear yourself and take the front to a shop, wish I had done that personally.
Axle nut on the front is 189 lb ft, lower control arms to hub are 79.6 lb ft.
You could always do the rear yourself and take the front to a shop, wish I had done that personally.
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
