Help with Sway Bar/Lowering Spring DIY in Atlanta area

[Mso95]

Hey folks,

This may a bit of a tall ask, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

I've purchased Eibach lowering springs and sway bars to install on my 21 GTPE. I'm fully prepared to pay someone to install these for me, but I would honestly love to get my hands dirty and get the parts on myself. There's plenty of info on the forums that makes me believe it's doable.

That said, I have two big holdups:

1. No space to work: I live in an apartment, so getting under jack stands in an active parking garage is...unideal. I'm currently looking into options for places around with a lift.
2. No experience: I've never done this type of work on a car before. As much as I want to try it, I don't want my unfamiliarity to drag a 2-hour job out to 7. I also don't want a mistake to screw up my one and only car. I'd love to work alongside someone with the experience to get my bearings and do the work as safely and efficiently as possible.

I'm open to suggestions on (1), but I'm especially looking to see if there's a path for (2). If anyone around would be willing to help a noob and show him the ropes, I'd be eternally grateful, and would definitely offer a token of appreciation for your time (monetary, lunch, round of bourbon...whatever we agree is fair ).

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[21st Century Pony]

Hey folks,

This may a bit of a tall ask, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

I've purchased Eibach lowering springs and sway bars to install on my 21 GTPE. I'm fully prepared to pay someone to install these for me, but I would honestly love to get my hands dirty and get the parts on myself. There's plenty of info on the forums that makes me believe it's doable.

That said, I have two big holdups:

1. No space to work: I live in an apartment, so getting under jack stands in an active parking garage is...unideal. I'm currently looking into options for places around with a lift.
2. No experience: I've never done this type of work on a car before. As much as I want to try it, I don't want my unfamiliarity to drag a 2-hour job out to 7. I also don't want a mistake to screw up my one and only car. I'd love to work alongside someone with the experience to get my bearings and do the work as safely and efficiently as possible.

I'm open to suggestions on (1), but I'm especially looking to see if there's a path for (2). If anyone around would be willing to help a noob and show him the ropes, I'd be eternally grateful, and would definitely offer a token of appreciation for your time (monetary, lunch, round of bourbon...whatever we agree is fair ).

Hey Mso95,

I've done this and related suspension work, on the Mach E and on other cars. My tips:

The anti-sway bars are fairly easy to put on. Watch a youtube or two and take your time. Remember to block up the car on floor jacks or on short 2 x 4 stacks and do not rely on a car tire-changing jack. I put the Steedas and a year later the Eibachs on my Mach E right in my driveway (I live in a 1939 neighborhood so no garages). Floor jacks that look like little pyramids with an adjustable center lift leg, and other tools like a torque wrench can be rented from tool rental places.

The springs... be careful. Springs can be tricky and downright dangerous. To put new springs on, you have to take the old springs off... and that can open a can of worms if you lack experience, shop manuals for this car, or / and tools. For example, spring compressors to compress a spring in order to take the pressure off an assembled shock coil can let the spring slip while it's being compressed... people have lost fingers doing this when the tool was incorrect or incorrectly used and the spring slipped out of compression. Additionally, to change springs you'll have to unbolt the shocks, and on the rear of the Mach E getting the shocks back in and set correctly can be a bastard (ask me how I know this he hee). If you don't have the tools and the experience, this part can be farmed out to an indy mechanic or to a good dealership.

Good Luck!

 

[Mso95]

@21st Century Pony - All great advice, thank you!

Great callouts on the springs, definitely didn't count the cost adequately. I'm still tempted to DIY...but I'll definitely give it more thought.

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