Rear spring removal DIY

[tboooe]

I needed to replace the rear springs of my brand new KW V1s because even at maximum height, the ride was too low and no where near their published height adjustment range. For more info on this, check out this.

Anyway, last night I tried searching for a good DIY on how to remove the rear spring and ended up finding all sorts of different ways to do this. Some involved dropping the subframe, others required spring compressors, while others recommended just removing the lower shock bolt. In the end (and with some input from NYSpeedRacer - thank you sir for helping me out so late into the evening), I found a quick method that combined what I believe is the best of all the DIYs I found. Here is a step by step procedure. I hope it helps someone.

1. Jack up car
2. Remove wheel
3. Using a breaker bar, unscrew the lower shock bolt
4. Rotate the spring rock guard towards the rear of the car to clear room for the next step
5. Use a single spring compressor on the side of the spring facing the front the car where you just rotated the rock guard away from. You dont need to tighten down the spring compressor. Just hand tighten it to prevent to spring from expanding during the next step.
6. Insert a crowbar between the upright and the lower control arm
7. Step on the crowbar to lower the suspension
8. While stepping on the crow bar, loosen the spring perch all the way to its topmost position. The spring compressor used in step 5 will keep the spring from putting pressure against the spring perch so you should be able to easily spin it by hand. This should create enough space for you to remove the spring.
9. Take the removed spring to an open area and slowly and carefully loosen the spring compressor.
10. Use the spring compressor on the new spring and tighten it down as much as you think is necessary. This step may require some trial and error. In my case, the new spring was 1" taller than the original spring so I compressed it by that amount.
11. Step on the crow bar again and install the new spring starting from the top mount. I found that by seating the top mount first it was easier to get the bottom mount rubber bushing in place. The rubber is soft enough to compress making it easier to position. Before you release the crow bar makes sure both the top and bottom mounts are seated properly.
12. Here comes the hard part. Adjust the spring perch to whatever height you want. I have not found an easy way to do this step. There is not a lot of space in the rear so you will have to do many many many quarter rotations of the spring perch. This step took by far the most time.
13. Use a second jack to push up the suspension so that you can locate the lower shock bolt. Remember to extend the jack enough to put some weight on the suspension before tightening. Tighten to torque spec (111 Ft/lb).
14. Put wheels on...


Congratulations you are done!

This process took me about 30 mins per side not including the ride height adjustment which took about 10 mins and a couple of bloody knuckles!

Here are some pics to illustrate the process.

My fail-safe jacking method:


Remove the lower shock bolt:


Crowbar!



Rear spring with compressor:


Rear spring removed:


New spring compressed...looks scary. And yes that is blue tape on the compressor and yes was trying to avoid scratching the spring. Yes I am that anal!


New spring installed:


Adjust the ride height:


Jack up the suspension to attach the lower shock bolt:

[NYSpeedRacer]

Sweet! I couldn't have said it any better.

....a widow maker is still a widow maker, even if you use two. Please get a real jack, don't wanna read an article in Jalopnik...

.......and it's NYSpeedRacer...(;

What's your next DIY?


Sent telepathically

[tboooe]

Sorry for the typo my friend! Corrected.

No more DIYs for a while. I just want to enjoy my car for a while...until I save up enough money for the flat bottom steering wheel or ECU.

[kbjy11]

Have you heard of a jack stand???!

You're going get someone killed man with this garbage DIY.

[NYSpeedRacer]

Any pics of the new height?


Sent telepathically

[NYSpeedRacer]

Have you heard of a jack stand???!

You're going get someone killed man with this garbage DIY.

Not garbage. It just needs to be on a jack stand.


Sent telepathically

[tboooe]

Have you heard of a jack stand???!

You're going get someone killed man with this garbage DIY.

Yo bro chill out....my very first step says jack up the car. Jack it up whatever way you want.

[tboooe]

Any pics of the new height?


Sent telepathically

Here is a quick photo from the phone. Its about 1/2" too high in rear but I want to wait for it to settle for a bit before adjusting.

[Not A Good Idea]

Here is a quick photo from the phone. Its about 1/2" too high in rear but I want to wait for it to settle for a bit before adjusting.

needs more low.... and we need more pictures of new low with new wheels :)

[NYSpeedRacer]

Those wheels looks amazing on your car! However, more low! I'm at 26" from ground to fender. It's perfect for a DD or someone who wants to keep the sanity.


Sent telepathically

[tboooe]

Those wheels looks amazing on your car! However, more low! I'm at 26" from ground to fender. It's perfect for a DD or someone who wants to keep the sanity.


Sent telepathically

Thanks man. I am at 26 1/4" up front and intend to do the same in the rear once the new springs settle.

[jeffrey146]

Obviously he isn't stupid. Its up on two jacks. If he was retarded it would be up on the OEM jack.

[Mops@Nemesis]

Nice DIY Tommy. Tommy does not like toooo much low...he is an old dude;) I would pick up a nice floor jack and a couple stands.

Have you heard of a jack stand???!

You're going get someone killed man with this garbage DIY.

Chill out dude??!! This man suffers from severe OCD. I feel sure he was 100% safe. He even used a microfiber:)

[TheDapperDriver]

looks great

[crisp74]

tommy, you really need to use a jack stand. what you are doing right there is mighty dangerous, especially considering that you are using a crowbar to force the suspension down. btw, there is a much easier way for doing those springs. cin is getting her springs done at my house one of these days, so i may take that opportunity to do a diy that day.

[bknewtype]

u mean DHY

when r u doin it btw? maybe ill come by and take pics for the DHY

[NYSpeedRacer]

I need to redo my rear too. Maybe I can back mine up to cin's and do it together. BK can play photographer


Sent telepathically

[crisp74]

u mean DHY

when r u doin it btw? maybe ill come by and take pics for the DHY

up to cin.

I need to redo my rear too. Maybe I can back mine up to cin's and do it together. BK can play photographer


Sent telepathically

what is wrong with your springs? you need to replace or just adjust them?

[bknewtype]

I need to redo my rear too. Maybe I can back mine up to cin's and do it together. BK can play photographer


Sent telepathically

what, so theres a orgy and im the one filming? not fair. !

[NYSpeedRacer]

up to cin.

what is wrong with your springs? you need to replace or just adjust them?

I'm not sure actually, it's making a clunking noise in low speeds and in the city. On highway speeds, it's quiet as a baby. I took out my driver side rear shock and it looked fine with no noises, so I'm guessing it's the springs?

[crisp74]

I'm not sure actually, it's making a clunking noise in low speeds and in the city. On highway speeds, it's quiet as a baby. I took out my driver side rear shock and it looked fine with no noises, so I'm guessing it's the springs?

come by some time this week. i'll show you how to remove and replace/adjust the spring in 15 mins.

[tboooe]

tommy, you really need to use a jack stand. what you are doing right there is mighty dangerous, especially considering that you are using a crowbar to force the suspension down. btw, there is a much easier way for doing those springs. cin is getting her springs done at my house one of these days, so i may take that opportunity to do a diy that day.

Yeah I know better but it was one of those situations where I was just determined to get it done right at that moment. My buddy was using my stands and I didn't want to wait. Sometimes my obsessiveness gets the better of me.

Regarding the DIY, I am very interested. I don't see any other way to remove the spring without forcing the suspension down. I did read somewhere that a person used a scissor jack placed between the lower control arm and the frame using that to force the suspension down. However I am not sure there is enough movement of the suspension to get clearance for the spring without using a spring compressor. Regardless I am always eager to learn so look forward to seeing how you do it.

[crisp74]

Yeah I know better but it was one of those situations where I was just determined to get it done right at that moment. My buddy was using my stands and I didn't want to wait. Sometimes my obsessiveness gets the better of me.

Regarding the DIY, I am very interested. I don't see any other way to remove the spring without forcing the suspension down. I did read somewhere that a person used a scissor jack placed between the lower control arm and the frame using that to force the suspension down. However I am not sure there is enough movement of the suspension to get clearance for the spring without using a spring compressor. Regardless I am always eager to learn so look forward to seeing how you do it.

i did this. someone on a5oc mentioned it once. just remove 21mm bolt on bottom of damper, push suspension down with widowmaker (be very careful where you place the jack so it does not slip) easiest way to get clearance. no compressor needed, spring just practically falls out. you don't need spring compressors for the fronts either, they are not under any real tension, just remove the spring hat and the spring sits there.

[tboooe]

Btw, I guess no one got my sarcasm related to my "fail safe method of jacking up the car" comment. I should have added something like this :eek: to make it more obvious.

Thank you to those who expressed concern. It is appreciated. Hey at least I didn't use some ratchet straps to compress the springs which I have seen people do.

[crisp74]

Btw, I guess no one got my sarcasm related to my "fail safe method of jacking up the car" comment. I should have added something like this :eek: to make it more obvious.

Thank you to those who expressed concern. It is appreciated. Hey at least I didn't use some ratchet straps to compress the springs which I have seen people do.

lol.

[Okan509]

That OEM jackstand is a bunch of ass, I had it fail on me while changing a tire. Luckily it caught itself before my car hit the ground on that corner.

I do what you do, with two jacks now when raising the car for any reason. I need something better though

[tboooe]

i did this. someone on a5oc mentioned it once. just remove 21mm bolt on bottom of damper, push suspension down with widowmaker (be very careful where you place the jack so it does not slip) easiest way to get clearance. no compressor needed, spring just practically falls out. you don't need spring compressors for the fronts either, they are not under any real tension, just remove the spring hat and the spring sits there.

How much movement did you need for the spring to fall out? I would imagine at least 3 inches? That was about how much my spring was compressed plus the shoulder height of the spring perch. Also, I couldn't find a way to get the jack in there. Every angle looked scary. That looked more sketchy to me than using a crowbar. It looked like I would also damage the frame a bit too.

[crisp74]

How much movement did you need for the spring to fall out? I would imagine at least 3 inches? That was about how much my spring was compressed plus the shoulder height of the spring perch. Also, I couldn't find a way to get the jack in there. Every angle looked scary. That looked more sketchy to me than using a crowbar. It looked like I would also damage the frame a bit too.

no damages on frame, have done this on three different s5's to date, including my own, with no issues. just a few turns of the jack were enough to create the space. gss5 watched me do this on his car. was amazed at how fast we did the springs.

[Audiforumuser]

Nice DIY. I will be doing this as well soon as the springs in the rear of my car need to be replaced because they don't adjust as specified by KW (to the height specified). They sent me new springs.

Curious though Tboooe, what is the part number on the new rear springs that KW sent you? My replacements are a 1036. Old ones are 1035's.

[tboooe]

Nice DIY. I will be doing this as well soon as the springs in the rear of my car need to be replaced because they don't adjust as specified by KW (to the height specified). They sent me new springs.

Curious though Tboooe, what is the part number on the new rear springs that KW sent you? My replacements are a 1036. Old ones are 1035's.

You too???!!! Check out the "kw sagging" thread on the S4 forums for more information. The new spring I got are part # 1034. These are supposedly for the Avant and are 10mm taller. The old spring part # is 7003. It seems KW has a bunch of different springs that are used for the B8 models.

Who were you working with at KW?

[Audiforumuser]

I had AMI resolve this for me as that is where i purchased the kit. They have been awesome to deal with.

I've read that thread top to bottom, so i'm well aware of the issues. Pretty crappy issue resolution on KW's part thus far. My new springs also seem longer but i haven't taken my old ones out to compare yet.

My issue is that when i want to lift the car for winter driving i won't be able to with the current spring setup in the rear as i'm almost maxed out with my current adjustment. According to KW the minimum drop is only 15mm. Right now my minimum drop is more like 25mm.

You too???!!! Check out the "kw sagging" thread on the S4 forums for more information. The new spring I got are part # 1034. These are supposedly for the Avant and are 10mm taller. The old spring part # is 7003. It seems KW has a bunch of different springs that are used for the B8 models.

Who were you working with at KW?

[tboooe]

I had AMI resolve this for me as that is where i purchased the kit. They have been awesome to deal with.

I've read that thread top to bottom, so i'm well aware of the issues. Pretty crappy issue resolution on KW's part thus far. My new springs also seem longer but i haven't taken my old ones out to compare yet.

My issue is that when i want to lift the car for winter driving i won't be able to with the current spring setup in the rear as i'm almost maxed out with my current adjustment. According to KW the minimum drop is only 15mm. Right now my minimum drop is more like 25mm.

Yeah maybe you will need the longer spring in conjunction with the spring spacer? Can you please measure your new spring? My new one is 280mm.

[Audiforumuser]

320mm. Not sure how that compares to my old one.

How much more adjustment do you have left to lower yours with the new spring? Hoping this new one isn't too long.

[tboooe]

320mm. Not sure how that compares to my old one.

How much more adjustment do you have left to lower yours with the new spring? Hoping this new one isn't too long.

320mm???? Wow, I wonder if you got the wrong one? Right now, my spring perch has about 1 1/8" adjustment up (lowering the car). My rear ride height is about 3/4". I am hoping once it settles I will be at about 1/2" gap between tire and fender. Your spring is over 1.5" longer than mine. I would be concerned that you car would sit too high and you wont have much room left to adjust the height down. You may want to doublecheck that part number. Another poster on the S4 thread verified that the spring should be a 7003.

[Mops@Nemesis]

Hey Tommy I hear little good about KW/ST.

[Audiforumuser]

Yeah I'm doubting the length as well. These seem really long. I will mention something to AMI tomorrow. Thanks for the info and the DIY.

[tboooe]

Hey Tommy I hear little good about KW/ST.

Kick a man when he's down why dont ya!

It does suck that it seems a few of us have had issues. I have to believe the vast majority of users dont have problems, at least that is my impression from the S5 and S4 forums.

I will say the ride is great though.

Oh well, yet another mod for me that has not gone perfectly to plan.

Let me know if you find a coilover that doesnt have any problems. I will be all over it!

[tboooe]

Yeah I'm doubting the length as well. These seem really long. I will mention something to AMI tomorrow. Thanks for the info and the DIY.

Wait, do you have coilovers or the adjustable springs only? Perhaps there is a difference? I have the coilovers.

[Audiforumuser]

Wait, do you have coilovers or the adjustable springs only? Perhaps there is a difference? I have the coilovers.

I have the adjustable springs. So yeah there may be a difference. What I'd like to know is what the length is of the springs I'm running now. The 1035. So I can compare it to these new ones. I may email KW today and ask before I install these new ones.

[crisp74]

Hey Tommy I hear little good about KW/ST.

hmmm. i have the adjustable springs on my car and have been getting a creak in the passenger rear. install is good and other than that, the ride is great, so now you have me wondering if either they sent the wrong spring or there is a manufacturing defect. aftermarket shit, always issues. right back at ya