I swear I searched, 5100 assembled question

So Im about to purchase some 5100/eibach 1.6 fully assembled with top hats. I want to install myself. Is it as simple as taking three top plate nuts off, removing the one lower shock bolt and pulling complete shock/coil out? I know I also have to unbolt the sway bar for access but do I have to mess with the lower arm bolts and all that to install complete assembly like in that youtube video? thanks

 

Yes,you have to loosen the lower control arms so they will drop down far enough to facilitate strut removal. It's very easy to do.

 

Just make sure you get an alignment done after the install.

 

I just did mine yesterday. We replaced the UCAs at the same time but the sequence was.

- disconnect the sway bar mount points including where it connects to the spindle
- disconnect the spindle from the UCA Ball Joint
- make sure the brake and ABS lines don't get stretched with the spindle loose
- unbolt the strut and pull it out (had to shift the sway bar out of the way for clearance)
- new strut goes in.

Didn't need to mess with the LCA other than to push it down so the new strut went in which wasn't very hard.

 

There is a small bolt that holds the break line in place. You can remove this without disconnecting the break line and it will give you more room to move things around.

 

So even though I'm taking out and installing the strut completely assembled already, pushing down on the lower control arm won't be enough to bolt the assembly in?

 

Yeah we did end up pulling that too just for a little extra slack. Not sure if we needed to but was minimal effort to get a bit more play in the lines.

There was another method of fully loosening off the LCA to allow the strut to drop through the bottom, but I didn't go that route since I was replacing the UCAs at the same time.

 

It will be enough. I did it that way with 5100s and 885 coils which would be a bit taller than eibach coils that you are putting in (if the 5100s are on the lowest spring perch)

 

Perfect that's what I wanted to know, I'm installing at 0 with the 1.6 coils

 

You would still need to undo the things I noted, but that is just so you have the room needed to pull out and put in new struts. But yeah the LCA will drop enough to get the new ones in.

 

You think I can get it out without disconnecting the uca?

 

You can leave the UCA alone.

 

No need to touch the sway bar or brake line. Loosen tophat, shock bolt, ball joint knuckle from bottom of spindle, then LCA cams. Mark your alignment cams before loosening. Lca should move down enough to swap out the coilover. Reassemble in reverse order. An extra pair of hands is nice, so is an impact wrench. I did mine solo in under 3 hours.

 

For safety, make sure you working with a lift or jack stands, not just a jack.

 

Also make sure you a have a few beers in the fridge so when your through you can crack one open, sit back and admire what you just accomplished, and how much you saved. This ones for you wrench man.