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  • Coilovers and how to install them

    Thats right people! The how-to youve been waiting for!

    To begin with, you have three brands of suspension to choose from. KW (most expensive), Ksport (alot less expensive), and what i chose, The Megan Racing variety. Design wise, the Ksport and Megan Racing are the same. the KW brand however, although more expensive, does not allow for adjustable camber and you need to buy extra components to make it come together.

    This install is Megan Racing specific. i dont know if the ksport coilovers are EXACTLY the same, so i wont say they are, or that this how-to is directly applicable to both.

    Part # for this install: MEG-MR-CDK-S9306

    My humble suggestion would be, start with the rears. If worse comes to worse, and you find yourself at a lack for time, these go in substantially faster than the fronts. theres two bolts, and four nuts involved here. simple.

    Using jackstands, support the rear of the vehicle on both sides. Then, with the wheel off, support the lower arm the spring rests on with a jack. Next, remove the two nuts securing the top of the shock to the body as well as the bolt holding the lower portion of the shock to the knuckle. With the shock out, you must now take the nut fastening it to the mount off. Grab the protruding metal tip with pliers or a vice grip so the whole assembly doesnt spin when loosening the nut.

    To install the new damper requires you do everything in reverse with two little exceptions. The concave plate on the bottom of the mount is not needed as the new damper comes with a flat one, which fits flush in the bottom of the mount; the top one can stay. This is nessisary because the original plate shortens the amount of threads coming through the other side of the mount, making it nearly impossible to get a safe number of threads through the nut. speaking of which. the second exception, one of the two nuts that comes on the new damper is all you need to safely secure it in the mount; the old one is no longer needed. And there you have your rear dampers. Also be sure to use lock tite on the lower bolt as it uses nothing but torque to hold it in place, theres no nut there. (use a breaker bar for leverage.)


    Next, to install your new rear adjustable springs, ensure that the arm the spring sits on is supported by a jack. otherwise you might be in for a little hurt when it comes free. There is a bolt and nut that attatch the arm to the knuckle. Remove them both and the arm should swing downward freely once you remove the jack. push down on it to retreive the old spring. What i have found through viewing the images of wormhole's install, as well as in my own expirience, is it is nessisary to remove the rubber seats for the old springs so as to ensure the spring assembly sit correctly, and so proper ride height front to rear can be achieved. Be sure everything youve unbolted and rebolted up is all torqued down nice and tight before you move to the fronts, its a PITA to have to go back and fix something you couldnt get right the first time.



    On to the fronts!

    OKAY. I'll be entirely honest. These are plausibly a one man job. But i must tell you two sets of hands makes life dramatically easier. And if you have changed out your front suspension before then this should be a piece of cake. I personally did not need a spring compressor at any point during this install. I had eibach springs in to begin with so that may have been a factor.

    Where do i begin?
    Jack up the front end and support both sides with jackstands. Remove the wheel, and detatch the brake lines from the strut. Depending on which direction the sway bar endlink is getting pushed, either being pulled up on or pushed down on by the strut mount, youll either have to push up on the the brake disk or the sway bar to take the stress off the top endlink mounting point. Using vice grips, hold the tip of the bolt stationary, while using a wrench to loosen the bolt holding the link in place. once that is done you can let the link hang off to the side, it wont be in your way. Now, with the lower arm supported, remove the studs holding the strut to the knuckle. once this is accomplished, remove the three nuts holding the strut to the strut tower. With that step completed, you should be able to lower the jack, and the stut will come down from the mount easilly. Now that the strut is removed, the one complicated thing about this install happens. The bolts that hold the normal strut to the the strut tower are not reusable. They are riveted into the original mount. because of this, you'll have to head over to home depot, to get six 8mm-1.25x40mm bolts in the hardware dept. Any shorter and your strut tower bar isnt going to fit properly. you will also need eight washers, i reccomend getting two sizes larger(10mm) so theyre easier to work with and you may as well get a few more than you need just in case.

    The two pillowball mounts are exactly identical. this means, for some reason, to make them fit correctly, the driver side mount needs to be flipped. This means you lose the camber markings on that side, so mark where center is before you flip it.

    The easiest way to mount these front suckers is top to bottom. So having taken the camber plates off the coilovers, put your shiney new bolts through the holes. One of the holes you will be using does not have the threaded sleeve so youll have to screw the nuts on the other two when mounting to the tower first, then stick the third bolt up through the plate and tower to have its nut tightened onto it. This is because the third threaded sleeve you would have used does not match up with the corresponding hole on the strut tower. So you must use the next hole beside it. The two plates shold look symmetrical beside one another before and after they are bolted into the strut tower.

    ^this diagram is just intended to help you get an idea for what im saying, as far as washers and bolt placement^

    ^Washer used to compensate^

    ^Exposed sleeve and the gap it causes^

    Since the driver side plate is flipped, the sleeves on the camber plate prevent it from sitting flush to the tower. so to prevent a lop sided suspension, you must place 2-3mm of washers (or whatever is closest to the thickness of the exposed sleeves on the other plate) between the passenger side camber plate and the strut tower. also be sure to put the same amount of washers in the same place between the plate and tower, though only on the one hole with no threading to esure stability of the mounting. if all is done correctly, the range of camber adjustment will point slightly forward, but only by a negligable amount.
    the plate will be completely fixed to the strut tower. if it budges, somethings seriously not tight enough.

    The rest of the install is very straight-forward. Re-attatch the coilover to the pillowball mount in the center of the camber adjustment. Supporting the lower arm assebly with the jack, raise the assembly till the mounting hardware matches up betweenthe knuckle and the coilover. You have to wiggle the knuckle into its mounting place on the coilover as it is a rather snug, but secure fit. Hammer the studs in far enough to where you can pull them through with the nut, but first be sure to re-attach the mounting bracket for the lines that go to the hub and caliper and then screw on the nut, being sure to torque it down tight. Lastly position the sway bar with the jack, and secure the endlink to its mounting point on the coilover with the last nut you should have left. Once thats done on both sides, your install is finished! enjoy!



    If something's unclear just ask!
    And if you should choose to install these and your car crashes or breaks cause you didnt do it right, i am not liable!
    '08 3.5 lz4
    Custom fenderwell CAI
    FIRST G6 TO USE COILOVERS
    Megan Racing coilovers
    Addco Rear Sway Bar
    Racingline strut-bar installed
    Racingline MMI's installed

  • #2
    Re: Coilovers and how to install them

    Good write-up wish I had the money to do this.

    [ Post made via Mobile Device ]
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    • #3
      Re: Coilovers and how to install them

      Awesome write up!!! Awesome setup!!!


      How much $?
      sigpic
      Custom 93 Dyno Tune, Red Painted K&N Intake, GT-R Exhaust, CMS Springs, Racingline STB + Race MMI's, Sacchi S45 Black Wheels, Hankook Ventus V12 245/45ZR18, Delete Intake Resonator, Mobil 1, Red Calipers, Body Color Matched Headlights/Engine/Battery Covers/Interior Trim, Debadged, Tinted Tails, AIT Hood, ZZP Shift Kit, R1 Concepts Rotors + Pads, Summit Racing Trans Cooler, Denso Iridium Plugs, 30% Tint, Suede Upholstered Steering Wheel, Rear STB

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      • #4
        Re: Coilovers and how to install them

        awesome .....HOW MUCH
        Current Ride
        05 Jetta GLI

        Old Rides
        Black G6 Coupe GT, painted headlights, Tinted tails(did them myself) cold air fender intake, custom magnaflow exhuast kit, 12" sub w/ 640watt amp, custom eye lids

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        • #5
          Re: Coilovers and how to install them

          aproximately 900 shipped? i was told you could find these for cheaper but i just used Raceinspired.
          i did it all myself plus a friend. and the bolt i was talking about are like 60 cents apiece, so those expenses are realistically negligable.

          edit: i wish i had a pic of this thing at its present stance, while racing. i never got around to dropping the ass-end the inch or so it needed till after the last event. ohhh well. next time.
          '08 3.5 lz4
          Custom fenderwell CAI
          FIRST G6 TO USE COILOVERS
          Megan Racing coilovers
          Addco Rear Sway Bar
          Racingline strut-bar installed
          Racingline MMI's installed

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Coilovers and how to install them

            Ugh - I've gone through Megan Racing and Race Inspired sites and can't find these. Do you have the URL?
            CRABS WAMS MPD GT-R Brembos and stuff

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            • #7
              Re: Coilovers and how to install them

              i am guessing that we would still be able to install a strut tower bar with these or are ther not enough threads sticking out of the strut tower? i cant quite tell from the pics. good write up

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              • #8
                Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                Originally posted by SexyG6
                i am guessing that we would still be able to install a strut tower bar with these or are ther not enough threads sticking out of the strut tower? i cant quite tell from the pics. good write up
                how many threads you have after the camber plate is bolted on depends on how long the bolt you bought is. some of the bolts i used were 30mm which is just short of what youd need, where as others were 40mm, which if i had been thinking at the time i would have bought a complete set's worth.

                Originally posted by auquier
                Ugh - I've gone through Megan Racing and Race Inspired sites and can't find these. Do you have the URL?
                Are you searching for saab 9-3 coilovers? 2003-2007? if not thats whats wrong but ill pm you a url anyway.
                '08 3.5 lz4
                Custom fenderwell CAI
                FIRST G6 TO USE COILOVERS
                Megan Racing coilovers
                Addco Rear Sway Bar
                Racingline strut-bar installed
                Racingline MMI's installed

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                  Nope, I was looking for G6 - thanks.

                  [ Post made via Mobile Device ]
                  CRABS WAMS MPD GT-R Brembos and stuff

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                    AWESOME write up! I can't wait to (maybe) get these!!

                    [ Post made via Mobile Device ]

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                    • #11
                      Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                      I am about to buy these and I have a question. Does anyone know if the suspension in a 2006 GTP coupe is the same as in the sedan. This would be a great help... Thanks
                      Progression Thread:
                      viewtopic.php?f=119&t=31257

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                        Could you please verify the part number as: MEG-MR-CDK-S9306
                        Progression Thread:
                        viewtopic.php?f=119&t=31257

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                          wow. i love the stance of the car
                          ............... My cardomain page ................. My facebook page ...............

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                          • #14
                            Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                            OH, I got a question. What it the biggest height setting you can do on these? Can you keep it stock height?

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                            • #15
                              Re: Coilovers and how to install them

                              Originally posted by markpetersonii
                              OH, I got a question. What it the biggest height setting you can do on these? Can you keep it stock height?
                              actually im fairly certain you could make it a little bit higher than stock if you wanted.
                              Originally posted by coolmanvette75
                              wow. i love the stance of the car
                              also i had to change the stance to a more level distribution since having the ass end as high as it was in those images of me racing, actually made stopping alot harder than it needed to be. you prolly know how normally weight shifts to the front of the car when braking, and tipping the body forwards at its would-be 'neutral' position does nothing but send the car offbalance and therefore overdrive the tires. a lesson learned for me.
                              Originally posted by alexbalcome
                              Could you please verify the part number as: MEG-MR-CDK-S9306
                              good point. done.
                              Originally posted by alexbalcome
                              I am about to buy these and I have a question. Does anyone know if the suspension in a 2006 GTP coupe is the same as in the sedan. This would be a great help... Thanks
                              yessirribob. tis the same. the malibu, to the best of my knowledge is the only oddman out. but i dont know if the aura is in the same boat or not. idk enough about it. lol guess i gotta clarify my sig as the first 'G6' to adapt coilovers :P
                              '08 3.5 lz4
                              Custom fenderwell CAI
                              FIRST G6 TO USE COILOVERS
                              Megan Racing coilovers
                              Addco Rear Sway Bar
                              Racingline strut-bar installed
                              Racingline MMI's installed

                              Comment

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