Difficulty of lowering springs install
I'm and older guy (in good shape) with average wrench skills/tolls and no power lift. In all objective honesty, how difficult a job is a lowering springs install? Do you need an alignment afterward. Lastly, what is the consensus as to which is better, HR, Eibach, etc? Thanks.
2009 SRM GT: Cortex tuned, Spectre Intake, VMAX ported TB, Solo HFC's, X-pipe, Solo axle-back, a few bling pieces under the hood, Billet Custom catch can, Holden radiator cover, "SV6" wing spoiler, GXP diffuser, rear window roof spoiler, "PONTIAC" 3rd brake light insert, Holden V8/6.0 Liter badges, Holden chrome trunk strip, VG shark fin, All-Fit Auto lower front lip, drilled & slotted rotors, painted calipers, Ultra-guage, custom-made "dead pedal".
The G8 is really no different from any other car with struts. The front and rear springs are mounted on the dampers, so in my mind both the front and back are struts (but they call the rears shocks) and so the wrench work involves pulling the dampers/springs out and using a spring compressor.
I did PPVs on my GT a year or so ago, in my garage with jack stands and I'm 64. Using a spring compressor is the tricky/time consuming part but no worse than any of the other strut jobs I've done. You can do one corner at a time. You do need an alignment afterwards and my caster was off as the G8 pulled a bit to one side. The alignment printout showed the caster imbalance. To adjust the caster, you need caster adjustment bolts. The G8 caster is not adjustable without these adjuster bolts. Got one and installed it myself which straightened the tracking. Maybe you'll luck out and not have to mess with the caster.
BTW - You should replace the struts/shocks and the top strut bushings while they are all out and lying on your work bench. I stayed with the stock springs to deal with the crappy roads here in the NE, so can't offer advice on springs.
Totally doable on the ground, but you DO want to replace the struts and rear shocks with nitrogen charged units and also replace the upper bearings and bushings on the struts. It's not hard work, but it's time consuming.
2009.5 MSM GXP 500ish N/A RWHP. Mods include but aren't limited to: Texas Speed 418 (6.8L) fully forged held together with ARP from top to bottom, PRC 255cc heads, Rick Crawford intake plenum, TB port, polish and tune, Roto-Fab 102mm CAI w/LS7 MAF, Kooks 1-7/8" headers wrapped with DEI, Corsa catless system, Circle D 3200 Stall, 3.45 final drive, BMR's complete street bushing kit and sway bars, Eibach Pro Kit, G-Force Axles, running on staggered VMR 710's with Bridgestone RE11 rubber. HSV triple gauge pack with Calais smokers kit mod, V6 tails, debadge/rebadge, V6 door handles, AU black door trim, Maverick Man under hood strut covers, & washer and bolt kit, fully corrected paint thanks to Adams Polishes and my hard work. Built with reliability in mind with some power for those times when you need to pass or go over a big hill. Just a poser, not a racer!
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