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Changing Springs and Shocks on echo


Moffmo

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This is a a guide how to change your shocks and springs in an echo....

This was written by Jaxx, (hes on here, from the UK forum...) ALL credits to him...

This was done on a T-Sport but i would asume that the same setup is the same throughout the echo range (?)

Also the new bits were TTE springs and Koni adjustable shock absorbers

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A few pointers and notes first

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I aim to show this towards an amature car mechanic but also has an amount of basic knowledge on a car. I myself am like this in the respect that, i know where everything is on a car, what it does and how it works (nearly) but i may not be fully aware on how to do something properly or possibly know the best way about doing something.

So if there are any critical errors within this write up then let me know!

I cant remember all the different nut sizes and what was where so ill possibly just refere to 'remove the nut' for example. Just try and gather the tools i recommend and work from there.

I wish i could add pics to this as i go but unfortunately no good stuff is availble!

Some words will be abreviated and maybe slang! Sorry if they dont make sense let me know and ill make ammends!

Oh yeah - complete satisfaction when ya complete somat like this yaself!

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What you need

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A quick run down of some ideal tools and other stuff.

Somewhere flat, level, solid and possibly sheltered (car port or garage) incase of any weather changes!

A good set of C and ring spanners (10mm to about 22mm)

An adjustable spanner if desired aswell

Socket set (possibly 1/4'' and 1/2'' tackle if possible? Special strut socket - read on later)

Set of metric allen keys

Small lump hammer and maybe a rubber mallet.

Spring compressors

Wheel brace (and ya locknut key!)

A good trolly jack (possibly get a second if possible although its not critical it can be really handy at some points)

A few bits of board (ie foot square pieces of MDF or something. ill explain in a bit biggrin.gif )

A couple of axle stands

One of them magnetic trays to keep nuts an bolts in, and another couple of containers to keep gubbins safe!

Pot of grease/coppa slip or equiv.

Tip-ex pen

Latex gloves (its either that or ya loose knuckles and other bits of skin! also stops grease and dirt gettin embeded in the skin)

A friend! (An extra set of hands is crucial!!!!)

A few select swearwords if desired!

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Ok here goes.

Im going to start with the back as this is the easiest bit then work to the more tricky front end.

This can be done without even removing a wheel and the springs can be done without even undoing a bolt! (Bar the spring compressors!)

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REAR SPRINGS

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1. Set the car on somewhere level, flat.

2. Use a trolly jack to lift the car so it is possible to easily work beneath the rear end.

3. Use axle stands to support the car in the air, but place them just behind the chassis members that run the length of the vehicle at the front of the beam axle (the black bit that goes from wheel to wheel - placing them on the rear of the axle will cause th rear of the car to sink when you remove the springs!)

4. Place the spring compressors on one side and tighten the nuts equally a bit at a time to squash the spring.

5. Once its small enough take it out of the spring cups.

6. Pull off the rubber seat stuck to the spring and put it on the new spring.

7. Release the compressors from the old spring Aand compress new spring.

8. Sit it back in the spring cups on the car and begin to release the compressors, again a bit at a time either side so the open equally. Observe that the spring is sitting in the cup at alltimes or itll pop out if ya not careful when drivin! Not good)

9. Once its in do the same on the other side.

10. Remove the stands and lower back down.

11. You have just dropped the back end by XXmm!!!

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REAR SHOCKS

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1. Open the boot

2. Look on top of the wheel well and remove the plastic cap on top

3. There is two nuts on top of a stud stuck out. You need two spanners of the same size.

4. Place one spanner on the bottom nut and hold it tight, then release the nut on top with the other spanner and remove it.

5. Now put an allen key in the top of the stud to hold the ram still (or it spins round) and remove the bottom nut from the stud. With them off pull off the rubber mount aswell.

6. Now jack the car up by lifting it with the jack placed under the spring cup from the rear of the car. (Lifting it here helps prevent the spring falling out)

7. Now release the nut from the bottom of the strut holdin it to the suspension arm.

8. Remove the nut and washer and put them safe.

9. Pull the strut off the stud at the btm and it should pull down from up the back of the wheel.

10. Pull off the dirt sheild/cover from the shock

11. Now get the new shock (and in this case the Koni adjustable ones) and if applicable do any adjustment to it you desire.

12. Replace the dirt cover onto the ram.

13. Extend the ram to about 2/3 or 3/4 of its full extended length. **CAUTION** NEVER USE ANY TYPE OF GRIP OR CLAMP THE RAM ITSELF IN A VICE OR THE LIKE OR YOULL RISK DAMAGING THE SURFACE AND THIS KNACKERS IT UP!! GRIP IT JUST BELOW THE STUD THREADS ON THE TOP (AS NOT TO DAMAGE THEM EITHER) AND PULL IT OUT.

14. Once its like this it should reach from top to bottom.

15. Looking under the car you should be able to see up behind the wheel and light shining through the stud hole at the top.

16. Feed the shock up so the stud goes through the hole and then push the bottom of the shock onto the stud on the suspension arm. MAKE SURE ITS THE RIGHT WAY ROUND, THE STUD WILL BE TAPERED AND SO SHOULD THE BUSH IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SHOCK.

17. Now replace the nut and washer at the bottom.

18. Lower the car to the ground.

19. Now get the stud nuts again (in the case of the Konis, new bigger nuts are supplied).

20. Now replace the rubber mount thingy you took off before. Ensure that it sits back in the hole properly.

21. Bit of copa slip on the stud and then use allen key and spanner to replace the first nut. It will feel like its not gonna get tight because of the rubber mounting. Use judgement for when its ok and feels tight enough.

22. Now spin on the other nut and lock it down against the first one.

23. Replace the trim cap

24. Sorted!!! Repeat on the other side.

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FRONT SHOCKS AND SPRINGS

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Ok these are the more tricky ones which definately require a 2nd pair of hands

Now this is my rendition of how to do this if you know or find a better way of doing anything in particular then do so.

The way im going to explain this includes removing the front wipers and all the 'scuttle panel' from the bottom of the windscreen. I recommend this way as the nuts on top of the strut tower are very tricky to get to otherwise. You can attempt to remove them with a normal spanner although they are very tight and it is very easy to round them off. Removing the panels allows easy access with a ratchet to prevent rounding them and to add torque back on when replacing them.

Here goes then

---Removing strut

1. On the windscreen wipers open the flap at the very bottom to get to the nut.

2. Undo the nut and then pull the wiper away from the serated spline, dont try and twist it as it will open up the hole, the splines help to turn the wiper without skipping.

3. Pop the bonnet open

4. Unscrew the small black screws ontop of the plastic section at the end of the screen, dont try and unscrew them all the way just until they stop retracting, you can then just tug them out(sort of a special clip)

5. Pull off the rubber bit along the front and then remove the plastics in two bits

6. Now undo the bolts with a socket that are holding the metal section on that has now been exposed, they are here there and everywhere so just look closely for them. Your best releasing the nust for the wiper motor aswell cos i think one of those holds it on aswell.

7. This is where a friends handy as you now need to wiggle and manouver the metal section out of the car TRY NOT TO MOVE THE WIPER MOTOR TOO MUCH OR DAMAGE THE LINKAGAES

8. Now starting on one of the strut tops - ideally do one at a time start to finish

9. Undo the three small nuts around the top of the suspension mount - be careful as they can be very tight - a bit of heat sometimes helps to free them.

***************

while just at this point it may be possible to release (DONT UNDO IT COMPLETELY!) the nut at the top of the suspension ram which will need to be done later to remove the spring. i did this a different way which is explained later. im unsure if this can be done because the ram spins within the cylinder when you try to remove it without securing it first, IF ANYONE KNOWS LET ME KNOW AND ILL MAKE AMMENDS ACCORDINGLY.

***************

10. Now release the wheel nuts, jack up the car and removed the wheel.

11. Add axle stands to support but not on the lower suspension arms or gear box etc.

12. First things first is to unclip the brakelines from the back of the strut, try an get round with a torch an remember exactly how they unclip as its quite intricate how it does so.

13. Now you need to release the two big nuts at the bottom just behind the hub.

14. With them off, tap the bolts through the holes, possibly with the use of a bar to get them through the rest of the hole. DONT DAMAGE THE THREADS!!!. IF THE SUDDENLY GET TIGHT WHEN TAPPING THROUGH TRY LIFTING THE HUB AND SUSPENSION ARM TO RELEASE THE WEIGHT A BIT.

15. With those out you should now be able to push down on the hub and pull the strut down for the top of the turret and then pull it out of the wheel arch. IF YOUR DOING THIS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ITS LIKELY THAT THE C.V. JOINT WILL POP OUT. JUST BE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO GET IT BACK IN!!!

16. You should now have the complete strut in your hand!

---Fitting spring

17. First of all the spring needs closing up with the spring copressors to release the tension

18. Now the nut at the top of the ram has to be removed. (refere to note at step 9) i removed this by using a tool that belongs to the mate who helped me do this. it was a sort of clamp with cylindrical rubber faced grips to grab onto the ram of the strut (DONT ALLOW THE SHINEY SURFACE TO GET DAMAGED!!!) the clamp then sits in a vice and holds it tight so the nut can then be removed with the use of a socket and wrench.

19. Before completely unscrewing the nut study and make a note of what way round each bit is on the strut set-up as its got to go back in exactly the same way, ie which way round the top plate is and the way the end of the spring sits in the notch at the bottom. (i used a tip-ex pen to dot a mark on each bit along a straight line of the bits i then just lined the dots back up when rebuilding to get them all in the right place.)

20. Now remove the nut from the ram completely

21. Now remove the plate, rubber seat, bump stop and spring from the setup

22. Release the sping from the compressors and compress the new spring to be fitted

23. If fitting new shocks get them and make them ready in whatever way needs to be done, otherwise just get ya original shocks - its all the same for any from here

24. Place the new spring onto the shock, followed by the bumps stop, rubber seat and top plate. (make sure they are all the right way up)

25. Now put the top nut back on the ram and tighten it up. It doesnt matter about the plate lining up as the ram can be spun round to line it up later.

26. Check the spring is sat in the notch at the bottom of the strut and begin to release the compressors. Do it bit by bit (and get help ideally) and just make sure everything is going back together properly as the spring is opening up. (check the rubber is sat on the spring properly and its all the right way round)

27. As long as this all goes ok you should have a new shock and spring setup ready to go back on!

---Replacing strut

28. Push the top of the strut up into the suspension tower and manouver it round the hub/brakes etc.

29. If prefered lightly screw the strut top nuts back on to hold it up (but dont tighten!)

30. Now lift the hub and push it onto the bottom of the strut so it slots back it.

31. Push the two big bolts back it thorugh the holes and spin the nuts onto the threads

32. Ensure everything has gone into the right place and check if the C.V. joint is ok

33. If thats a yes then tighten the big nuts at the bottom

34. Now reassemble the brake lines onto the back of the strut.

35. Replace the wheel

36. Remove axle stands, drop down to floor, tighten wheel nuts etc.

37. Now tighten the three strut top nuts

38. That SHOULD be it

39. Now go back to step 8 and do the other side! Otherwise go to the nest step.

---Finishing off

40. Count number of lost knuckles and tally swear words!!!

41. With a bit of help manouver the metal section back into place and bolt it all down including the wiper motor if you undid it.

42. Now fit the plastic bit back on with the black screw clip things. They just sit in the hole and then you push the screw down into it to lock it. Well i think thats the idea! Theyll more than likely get knackered and squashed like mine did!

43. Fit the rubber bit back on the front of the plastics

44. Close the bonnet

45. Sit the wipers back on the splines (be careful of those spring loaded bits at the bottom theyve got a hell of a bite if they get ya! i know!)

46. If the wipers look good then bolt them down.

47. Test the wipers to be on the safe side

48. Now take it for a steady drive to make sure it doesnt collapse

49. Ideally get it tracked

50. If its all good SORTED!

Like i say any problems with this at all or any quereys then let me know.

Rob

Thanks

Matt

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  • 4 weeks later...

http://www.echodrivers.com/forums/viewtopi...4513&highlight=

there's basically a review there if you read through.

For $120USD shipped, it's DEFINITELY worth the money. I've noticed from the first time i drove it after installing the springs that it greatly improved handling in all ways. For instance, braking is soo much smoother now, it'll be even more if i ever get steel braided lines, but when you did hard braking on stock springs like it felt very uneven, especially cause the back lifted up a lot. With these i can't even feel the car lift up in the rear, and it seems that stopping is more smooth, and quicker. Of course it helped with cornering. The first hard corner i took almost had me off the side of the road cause i oversteered too much, being that i was used to turning on the stock springs, so it's a lot easier to make higher speed turns now. Also when i'm just driving in generel, wether i'm cruising on the highway or accelerating from a stop light, it feels like i'm going faster. I know i'm accelerating quicker, but to me it feels way more fun to drive, and i like sitting lower now. I have a better sense of control. All of this is said with me having STOCK shocks and struts. I'm definitely gonna get some KYB's GR-2's from here:

http://www.jdmautogames.com/product_3498_10398.html

But all together it was worth it, easy install, me and another echo driver installed em in like 1.5hrs w/o a spring compressor! realllll easy.

I'm sure the tein coilovers are nice, but i dont have the money for that. I'd rather spend the $120 on the springs, $180 on the shocks, and $60~ for an allignment, maybe another $20 for a camber kit. Then when i get the cusco rear sway bar i hear that handling will be VERY nice.

So ya, the verdict is of course i would recomend them. I don't know about their long term reliability, but their much more stiffer and thicker/tougher feeling then the stock ones. They haven't completely settle'd down yet either cause i've only had them on for about 4 days. And oh ya, as far as how comfortable the ride is. It's kind of hard for me to say, but to me i don't notice a big difference. A picky person might say it's rough, but then they'd be comparing it to a mercedes etc. I would say that it's more comfortable than the stock springs cause there's less travel on the spring itself. thats how i feel

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  • 1 month later...

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