If you personally installed your lowering springs on your GK--

1) how good are you at working on cars?
2) how long did it take you?

I understand there's a diy thread on a previous model spring replacement but any differences that might occur with that and the GK should be posted here too please.

Go ahead and post a before and after pic. I'm trying to get all the lowered GK before and after pics nice and concise in one place so people can see the difference between stock ride height and your particular springs.

 

I installed Swift springs and koni orange shocks.

1) First time doing it myself, though I do my own maintenance like oil/MT fluid changes, brakes, etc.
2) Took me about 4 hrs, most of it was spent on the front cause I was being cautious to not pop the axle out and messing with the sway bar end links.

Don't have a before, but got an after. I'm standing so the picture was taken at a slight angle.

 

Did you wind up using spring compression tools?

Did you run into any snags?
Anything I should know before I start unbolting my car?

 

I didn't use a spring compressor, it may shoot out a little, but its not a crazy force.

I wouldn't call it a snag, but make sure you support the arm with a jack and or bungee cords so you don't pop out the axle. The hard part was getting the sway bar end link back on the shock body. In Youtube vids, they jacked up the lower arm and compressed the spring to get the sway bar end link to go back into the shock body bracket. I ended up jacking the sway bar end to get it back in position.

Make sure you have the tools and time and potentially help if you run into a snag.

I used this guide. It's pretty much the same except you don't have to remove the whole front plastic piece, just pop off the covers to get to the top nut on the front shocks.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...r-ge8-fit.html

 

Okay. So I just installed my tenable springs today and it was easier than I thought it would be.

The rear springs literally fall out when you unbolt the rear axle. Yikes hahaha. Pop new ones in, cut bump stops and good to go. You don't have to drop the shock out but with the felt interior they put in these cars it's easy enough to access the top bolt by unclipping the clippys and taking the nut and washer off. Easy access to the bump stop underneath.

The front springs take more work than that. Plastic covers and tight spaces to work in. Abs wires and tie rods.

You are going to hate life if you don't have ratchet wrenches and an impact gun. I have a 20v dewalt and I only had to charge the battery once to do everything.

My advice to anyone trying this at home is to rent the spring compression tool. No you don't have to have it. You can do gk5 springs by hand if you aren't careless. But it is free when you return the tool and they give your money back, and it ensures you will drive the nut all the way down and not strip anything like I almost did. Sigh.

New shocks soon? Yes.

I digress.

All in all its a very straight forward job but make sure to have a few 6mm Allens just in case😉.

I was happy to have the tools I did because it made the job much easier.

-Impact gun with 1/2" chuck for my deep 14 and 17
-Ratcheting 14 and 17 wrenches
-2x 6mm Allen because we bent one when the nut on the front shock bound up on us. (Still have 10 fingers! &#128517
-dead blow hammer for when things are being stubborn
-floor jack (slim ones help but I didn't need one for these springs)
--jack stands

Aaaand a drop light because I didn't get started until later than I wanted to.

Definitely start your project in the front because once the hard part is done you will be happy the next part is so easy. Especially if it's getting dark out.
Before



After. Better pictures tomorrow when the sun is out and I've washed my car.


Tucked in and ready for bed

 

I did my own (RS-R "Down") - pics are in my mod thread.

I'm handy with wrenches, and have rebuilt engines, done major repairs, and restored my 1950 Ford 8N, as well as my old '64 Beetle.

Rear springs took about 15 minutes. Fronts took maybe an hour? I did use a spring compressor, FWIW (safety).



es

 

does anyone know the damn torque settings for all the bolts and nuts you end up removing during this?

 

Nope. I used the TLAR method ("that looks about right"). But then I've been wrenching nearly 40 years now and have acquired a little bit of "feel for what's right." Broke a lot of bolts acquiring that experience, though! (c:

If you want to be spot-on, you can buy a $ubscription to the online repair info for the Fit (forget the site at the moment, but it's been discussed here before).

es

 

well I tried to install my swift springs the other day. I could not get those top nuts off after the strut is off the car and the 6mm hex part at the top of the strut started to strip itself out...

Getting the struts off the car took 10 minutes.. and 1 nut stopped me from completing the job.

Sucks I'm either going to have to pay someone to do it now or at least pay someone to do the fronts only.

 

Rent or borrow an impact gun? Or bring the assemblies to your local friendly mechanic shop and ask them if they'd be willing to bust them lose for $5.