peewee5384

BEFORE


1. Raise vehicle on jack stands and remove wheels.
2. Remove front strut cross member.


3. (Front) Remove bolt from bottom of strut seat ( Y shape ) pry open a little to loosen strut from seat.
4. Loosen upper strut nut (Hex wrench and 14mm wrench) DO NOT REMOVE YET


5. Compress spring with spring compressor (Rent from auto zone)


6. Remove lower bolt from strut seat wishbone from lower control arm.


7 . Remove upper strut mount nut

8. Have someone else pry with large pry bar on suspension to allow you enough room to remove stock strut and spring (may take a little finesse but it will work out)

9. Transfer stock washers (noted in instructions form Tein) to Tein struts


10. Install Tein strut and spring. TIP: have someone install rubber and metal washer and start nut on top. Use floor jack to raise suspension to line up strut and strut seat. Install all bolts.
11. Adjust spring seat up to measure 1” from bottom of spring seat to the bottom top of the lip after threads stop.


Repeat for other side

12. REAR
13. Remove back seat cushion and seat back (no need to remove hat shelf)
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107568


14. Install spring compressor on spring (see pic above)
15. Remove strut bottom bolt
16. Remove sway bar link from control arm and loosen from sway bar (To be able to remove strut) TIP: use floor jack to lift or lower sway bar.

17. Loosen and remove top nut from strut tower


18. Remove stock strut.
19. Transfer stock washers over to Tein.
20. Install Tein strut and install all bolts.
21. Adjust bottom spring seat to clear 1” of thread just like you did the front
22. Repeat for other side.

Reinstall seats, wheels, and seat cushions, Strut cross member.

Lower car and enjoy! Get vehicle Aligned ASAP.
AFTER

Midnight_TL

wow! NICELY done man!

INSPIRE 32V

iTrader: (1)

very nice. how much did autozone charge for the rental

aznbo187

iTrader: (1)

Nice DIY!

-sNaFu*

Cool! Thanks for the write-up! Very useful info!

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

Very nice! How much harder does it ride. My 06 TL rode pretty smooth. I can imagine a little harder would be OK. How hard would an 07 TL-S be with these Tein's ? My 07 TL-S rides quite a bit harder then my 06 TL. DON'T WANT a ride like a WS6 T/A

tihomirbg

iTrader: (1)

Well done Sir!!!
I'll print this guide and bring it to the guys who will put my Koni and Eibach Pro Kit in case they have any doubts.
Again, very well done.
Tim

peewee5384

It is enough to tell but it feels like a sports car if you have ever taken a ride in a Camaro SS or a Corvette it feels pretty simular.

You have to put a $43 deposit but they refund it back to you when you return the tool.

mishar

Very educational. Thanks.

I tried to do similar thing last Monday. Actually just springs. They are supposed to be 2” lower, but front ones do not fit. Probably not for 2005 Acura TL. Now I am trying to figure that out with guy who sold them. He asked me for pictures and I do not have picture of OEM springs. It would be a great help if you take a shot and e-mail it to me at mishar@telus.net .

I have a question for all of you guys who lowered your cars, especially for those who used just springs: how much suspension travel you have now? While I had my front springs off I’ve measured how low it can go. Result was not too encouraging. It looks like 2” lower from stock is all there is, so if I lower it 2” there will be no travel at all.

05TLRIDER

Nice job on the write up and pics. TL looks hot too!!!

Time for 07 rear sidemarkers!

peewee5384

Thanks! Yeah working on the side markers and tails

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Good write. These combined with the Acura A-Spec suspension installation manual should make this chore a snap for even the most inexperienced wrencher... If you can't do it now, you're just lazy.

These pics seriously demonstrates the $90 value in buying all new top hats, bushings and washers, so you don't have take apart the tops. I bought all new hardware from a 2007 TypeS (stiffer upper bushings) and bolted on the Tein SS coils OFF the car. The coils were all setup and ready to be bolted on... makes the install much easier, just pull the whole assembly out, and put the new coilover assembly in.

Good write up.

1 note: Following the Tein directions, I measured precisely 1 inch from the bottom lock ring to bottom of the metal shank UNDER the threads, as specified on page 4 of the Tein SS installation manual:

http://www.tein.com/ti/inst/ka80u.pdf

What I found was that my ride height was about 12.4 inches, a little to low for my liking. These specs are based off "new"installs, and you probably lose 1/4 - 1/2 inch in spring settling over the first 10K miles.

I drove around like that for about 20 miles then pulled the wheels then raised the car to 1 inch of "thread", as shown in Peewee's DIY (see above).

Got mt alignment done the same day, but now that I've measured again today, I find my front is at 13 1/4-5/8 and my rear is just at 13. I'm a bit pissed that I didn't check better before getting the alignment, but the difference isn't noticeable. I do plan to bring the back end up that 1/4 inch to match the front, I prefer the extra 1/4 of wheel travel and I hope that 1/4 helps my camber a bit. I hate to spend another $70 on an alignment though.

Lesson learned, measure a couple times over a couple of days before getting your alignment, as your springs will settle a bit, thus throwing your alignment off.

peewee5384

Good point! I forgot to mention to measure all four wheels to make sure you are even before you align the vehicle.

Also make sure drive around a few times to make sure the hieght is good for you and the roads you are mostly driving on. (Just to make sure you will not be bottoming out everyday) oh and remember once it is lowered dive a little SLOWER and more CAREFULL because your vehicle is not as high as it once was

I guess I take for granted the fact that I can always go to the dealership I used to work at and align my car myself anytime I need to.

05TLRIDER

Hey, it all takes time. I know that I don't have the money to do everything I want all at once. It give you something to look forward to anyways. Good luck.

wasupdog

iTrader: (2)

tips (in random order):

-do one corner at a time
-i would say you NEED a cheap breaker bar. you don't need it but u gotta be he-man and the masters of the universe without one. it makes the job so much easier.
- have a bottle of penetrating oil handy, it works wonders on stubborn bolts.
-if you're lowering on the stockies take off the plastic air dam on the front when u lower it down with a floor jack when u are done installing the fronts and put the air dam back on later. regular size 3-ton floor jacks will crush it after u get dropped 2 or more inches, a low profile one won't.
-(step 9) the 2 washers at the top of the suspension that you reuse, between the "spring seat and rubber" on the tein installation instructions, the bottom one is hard to get off of the stock suspension. it is just stuck not screwed in, take a hammer, rubber preferably, and tap it and it will fall right off.
-use small sandwich bags to toss all of the spare bolts that ur removing and stick them in a box. it makes it easier to remember which bolts go where.
-in step 4 of the OP's walktrough, make sure to do this before removing the suspension or that bolt is a bitch to get off.

**************************master tip
it seems like everyone has trouble removing the stock suspension from the car once they unbolt everything. use a floor jack to raise the arms to around horizontal level and whalaaaaaaa, if u have already unbolted everything the stock suspension unit will literally fall right out.

wasupdog

iTrader: (2)

oh yea...

-make sure the have a torque wrench
-u don't need to compress the springs when taking out the stock suspension. u definitely need it to take the stock tophats off and to compress the tein suspension after u put the stock tophats on the teins
-if u have the superstreets try running them X in the front and X+2 in the rear. like excelerate and heeltoe always say, the rear suspension stiffness determines the ride quality so u want it softer in the rear. example: 9 front/11 rear, 10 front/12 rear etc. etc.

04tl6spman

Damn that looks soooo much better, now i wanna go a set, but i'm gonna wait till tomorrow to look at prices

i bet it will even look better after you wash it just playin awesome write-up

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

peewee. Did you lower the car with the Tein Basic's at the minimum? I just ordered the same ones. I want the minimum amount of lowering with the Tein Basic's. How much lower is it? I want about 1.25" lower like the posts say.. It said this- Lowers 2", (+) (-) 3/4" so I guess the minimum would be 1.25" minimum, correct. How much lower is yours in the picture peewee? Thankyou! JD TL-S. IT DOES LOOK GREAT!

peewee5384

Well really have an inch up/down either way. My setting is pretty much right in t he middle. From the center of each wheel to the fender it measures 12 3/4" But I can raise mine about an inch higher or lower it an inch lower.

When you get yours in just set it at its highest setting and look to see if you want it lower or not. I will say mine is really low and if I am not carefull I will bottom out.

05TLRIDER

That would be my fear with lowering my TL, is that I will bottom out more. I already bottom out on a lot of things and with MN winters, I think that I'll get annoyed with adjusting the height between winter and summer. Unfortunately, I will probably have to go with either the Eibach or ASPEC; neither of which will give me the drop I want!

The other option is buy the Tein's and set it at about where your's is peewee, and buy myself a nice winter beater......too bad I just sold my old car.

powerflow

I just dropped my TL about 2", had lowered cars in the past. It's not that bad, you just need to take inclines and declines at an angle. All my scraping has been the bottom plastic deflector that most likely could have been avoided.

wasupdog has some good tips. I used my floor jack to raise the front susp slightly to finesse and guide out the assembly. There is not much clearance between the body and upper part of the knuckle. I also would not even think about compressing the spring before removing the assembly. Personally I wouldn't do it without air tools if you have to transfer the stock hats, compress the stock coil, ect. Having a good floor jack that's meant for lowered cars is also going to make future work go smoothly.

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

I know this is an old thread, but rather than open a new one. Does anyone have ALL the part numbers for new top hat hardware?

I tried looking but it seems as though not all the part numbers are on acuraoemparts.com

Help would be much abliged

BrickCityCoolie

the drop looks good but i have a question whats the difference with the basic and the SS?

MrHeeltoe

iTrader: (1)

There is a lot of them. It may be easier just to do this:
http://www.heeltoeauto.com/Honda-Gen...L-pr-4815.html

Marcus, whose done the work for you.

asdf0123

man nicely done..i've been trying to search for a DIY on this..basics are what i am planning on getting..

NocturnalTypeS

Nicee work man im very im pressed

bzyrice

iTrader: (10)

thanks for the tips.. looked this over before I put mine on.. done ALOT of suspension work in the past.. and just needed the little things that is different about the TL.. like removing the backseats lol .. i couldnt find the bolt behind the headrests for like half an hour haha..

Bfor3

iTrader: (2)

I'm installing my Tein Basics right now and I'm at the point where I need to tighten the top nut and the rod keeps turning!!!! I can't clamp the rod with anything due to scratching it and the groove at the top of the rod to hold it from not spinning is covered by the damn nut!!! There is no slot for the hex wrench to hold it in place.

HELP!!! I have a new nut so it's not broken in yet and the locking thread at the top of it is hard to break in, I guess that's the point.

IS THE ROD SUPPOSED TO TURN? DO I HAVE A BAD SHOCK?

Maddizm

iTrader: (5)

pics would help. I can't picture what you're asking. Is there a picture of the part y ou're talking about above?

vic06b

iTrader: (4)

can we have the pix fixed?!

alex2192

x2

socal3

x3 thanks

twigglius

iTrader: (6)

x9,000,000 please.

LaJay007

iTrader: (1)

Yes, please fix the PIX!

Bearcat94

No way to fix them unless the OP comes back and reposts (or rehosts) them.

5-year old thread. People move, change, erase pics without realizing (I guess) that it can make threads like this less useful.