Tips on How to Replace Your Vehicle's Coil Springs

If you have driven a car for ten years or more you probably need to have the springs replaced. Luckily, with most cars it is not as difficult as you may think to change the springs. Normally you can do it yourself in your driveway if you don't have a garage.

The only major things you need to replace your vehicle's coil springs are an afternoon, a jack and a level spot. You will also need jack stands, the proper wrenches and other tools for your vehicle to remove the nuts and bolts that hold the spring and shock absorber onto the car.

The first thing to remember is that every car is different. So you should find a repair manual that has been specifically written for your model and year. This will be helpful, so do not start without it. This manual will be a great thing to have next to you while you are working, just in case you hit a spot where things do not exactly seem right to either reassure you or stop you from hurting a part of your car.

Once you have your tools and the manual at hand loosen the tires and jack up your vehicle from a proper place on one side and put a jack stand somewhere that will not mess with the spring. Placing it on the axle or the shock absorber is not a good idea because it will push the springs down as if the tire was on the ground, and you want them to be as stretched out as possible. Once you do it to the one side and it is secure, go to the other side and jack that side up, placing the jack stand on a mirror image location of the other one.

Now remove the tires the rest of the way and loosen the bolt or nut that is holding the shock absorber to the bottom mount this will cause the spring to push the wheel down a little farther now that the shock is not holding it. It may be possible to remove the spring now so consult the repair manual. You may need to compress the spring to do this, and then put the new spring on. Repeat with the other side.

You may want to replace your shock absorbers as long as they are already partly taken off. Considering that your springs needed to be replaced, your shock absorbers have probably been worn down more then normal. After you have placed the spring in the right position and reconnected the shock absorber, put the tire back on and remove the car from its jack stands.

The manual for your particular vehicle is worth the price since you will probably be using it for other repairs.