How to change springs - do it yourself?
Discussion
Hi All,
Bought a 2011 Mx5 that has Eiback springs on.
Moved to somewhere with terrible roads and need to put original springs back on for more ground clearance.
Garage charged my girlfriend £345 to change 4 springs.
Now wondering if I'd known it would be that much whether it would have been easier/cheaper to buy a tool and do it myself.
How hard can it be.......?
(I might change back at some point so it has *some* relevance to current situation!)
Bought a 2011 Mx5 that has Eiback springs on.
Moved to somewhere with terrible roads and need to put original springs back on for more ground clearance.
Garage charged my girlfriend £345 to change 4 springs.
Now wondering if I'd known it would be that much whether it would have been easier/cheaper to buy a tool and do it myself.
How hard can it be.......?
(I might change back at some point so it has *some* relevance to current situation!)
Check out some of the links on the MX5 forum; https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=393431
Be really careful when using spring compressors and dealing with a compressed spring. It could literally kill you if you get it wrong.
Be really careful when using spring compressors and dealing with a compressed spring. It could literally kill you if you get it wrong.
I have changed many springs, both in struts and otherwise. It takes time winding them and you need to buy decent compressors - I note Edd China's have twin jawed clamps as opposed to cheaper hook types which can slip. The main trick is to wrap masking tape around the grip area or the compressor slowly slides round.
The other tricky part is finding the right place and angle to accommodate the main screw as it compresses. Just be careful as slippage can hurt or cause serious injury.
The other tricky part is finding the right place and angle to accommodate the main screw as it compresses. Just be careful as slippage can hurt or cause serious injury.
I helped a mate fit Eibach springs to his mk3 mx5. (Which totally ruined the handling, looked cool though 
). Which I assume is the same model as yours. The rears are very easy to swap due to the multi link setup.
However the fronts are much harder due to the double wishbones. We had to undo the drop links and split the ballpoints. Even then, the spring compressors we used didn’t fit through the centre of the wishbone. We ended up doing the (even more) dangerous tactic of taking the load off the springs and cutting them.
). Which I assume is the same model as yours. The rears are very easy to swap due to the multi link setup. However the fronts are much harder due to the double wishbones. We had to undo the drop links and split the ballpoints. Even then, the spring compressors we used didn’t fit through the centre of the wishbone. We ended up doing the (even more) dangerous tactic of taking the load off the springs and cutting them.
Edited by Gilhooligan on Tuesday 16th April 16:47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JjxXN_TxhY
I have seen a clearer version but cant find it.
Stand on the spring undo the nut with an impact gun, watch the shock shoot out of the garage !
I have seen a clearer version but cant find it.
Stand on the spring undo the nut with an impact gun, watch the shock shoot out of the garage !
Did this once never again....the slight of a compressor bolt sliding around to meet all the others and the spring going like a banana is one I won't forget!! and the impact gun to tension them all up in sequence. Bloody lethal activity without the proper straight framed finger plate compressor tool (see Monroe vid on youtube, ok with one of these)
LuS1fer said:
I have changed many springs, both in struts and otherwise. It takes time winding them and you need to buy decent compressors - I note Edd China's have twin jawed clamps as opposed to cheaper hook types which can slip. The main trick is to wrap masking tape around the grip area or the compressor slowly slides round.
The other tricky part is finding the right place and angle to accommodate the main screw as it compresses. Just be careful as slippage can hurt or cause serious injury.
This is about the best bit of advice here. The other tricky part is finding the right place and angle to accommodate the main screw as it compresses. Just be careful as slippage can hurt or cause serious injury.
The only thing I would add to this is to never, ever, ever put your face in front of the main screw and to wear eye protection.
sgtBerbatov said:
LuS1fer said:
I have changed many springs, both in struts and otherwise. It takes time winding them and you need to buy decent compressors - I note Edd China's have twin jawed clamps as opposed to cheaper hook types which can slip. The main trick is to wrap masking tape around the grip area or the compressor slowly slides round.
The other tricky part is finding the right place and angle to accommodate the main screw as it compresses. Just be careful as slippage can hurt or cause serious injury.
This is about the best bit of advice here. The other tricky part is finding the right place and angle to accommodate the main screw as it compresses. Just be careful as slippage can hurt or cause serious injury.
The only thing I would add to this is to never, ever, ever put your face in front of the main screw and to wear eye protection.
Bluezed said
springs are relatively easy to change and a good DIY job. I wouldn't recommend learning on a car that needs all 4 changed though. Better to learn on a car with a single snapped spring and you're replacing like for like. That way you are doing 1 job instead of 4, and you're not forced to replace the rest of the springs to have the car handling reasonably.
It’s never good to change just once side as 1 will be new and the other older and probably softer with time.
As your changing harder springs to standard you have to do all 4.
If you have double wishbone suspension then is usually easier than MacPherson struts.
The worst springs to compress are the ones that are thinner top and bottom, I’ve ended up using 3 compressors for 1 spring.
springs are relatively easy to change and a good DIY job. I wouldn't recommend learning on a car that needs all 4 changed though. Better to learn on a car with a single snapped spring and you're replacing like for like. That way you are doing 1 job instead of 4, and you're not forced to replace the rest of the springs to have the car handling reasonably.
It’s never good to change just once side as 1 will be new and the other older and probably softer with time.
As your changing harder springs to standard you have to do all 4.
If you have double wishbone suspension then is usually easier than MacPherson struts.
The worst springs to compress are the ones that are thinner top and bottom, I’ve ended up using 3 compressors for 1 spring.
PaulKemp said:
Bluezed said
springs are relatively easy to change and a good DIY job. I wouldn't recommend learning on a car that needs all 4 changed though. Better to learn on a car with a single snapped spring and you're replacing like for like. That way you are doing 1 job instead of 4, and you're not forced to replace the rest of the springs to have the car handling reasonably.
It’s never good to change just once side as 1 will be new and the other older and probably softer with time.
As your changing harder springs to standard you have to do all 4.
If you have double wishbone suspension then is usually easier than MacPherson struts.
The worst springs to compress are the ones that are thinner top and bottom, I’ve ended up using 3 compressors for 1 spring.
I don't get that advice. Only change one spring on a car that needs one replacing, but then you should only ever do them in a pair?springs are relatively easy to change and a good DIY job. I wouldn't recommend learning on a car that needs all 4 changed though. Better to learn on a car with a single snapped spring and you're replacing like for like. That way you are doing 1 job instead of 4, and you're not forced to replace the rest of the springs to have the car handling reasonably.
It’s never good to change just once side as 1 will be new and the other older and probably softer with time.
As your changing harder springs to standard you have to do all 4.
If you have double wishbone suspension then is usually easier than MacPherson struts.
The worst springs to compress are the ones that are thinner top and bottom, I’ve ended up using 3 compressors for 1 spring.
I changed all 4 shocks on my Corolla for the first time, I did one at a time, and made mistakes in terms of forgetting bump stops or dust covers etc. But - touch wood - it is an easy job as long as you respect them and dont put your face anywhere near a place on the spring where it would shoot off and kill you.
And wear a helmet
Gassing Station | Suspension, Brakes & Tyres | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff