Instructions

DISCLAIMER: The installation information and recommendations made in this write-up are presented in good faith and with the details we typically notice need to be mentioned. However, Megan Racing makes no representations or warranties as to the completeness or accuracy of the installation instruction in this write-up. Detailed Installation procedures vary heavily from vehicle to vehicle, and therefore this installation write-up should be viewed as a general installation instruction. Professional installation is always highly recommended.

NOTE: For Spec-RS suspension adjustments: 1. Always remove the reservoir brackets before doing any height adjustment. 2. Always stick with the default spring rate or use stiffer spring rate. A softer spring rate may cause the reservoir to hit other parts and damage may result. Any damage caused from incorrect use, installation, and/or softer spring rate will not be covered by warranty.

Information is supplied upon the condition that the persons receiving same will make their own determination as to its suitability for their purposes prior to use. In no event will Megan Racing, Inc. be responsible for damages of any nature whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance upon information from this site or the products to which the information refers.

Professional Installation is highly recommended. Please read through this installation instruction walk-through before attempting to start with the installation process. If there is a step within the installation instructions that you do not feel comfortable with performing on your own vehicle, do not continue and take the car to an ASE Certified mechanic to ensure proper installation. Improper installation may potentially damage the product and will void the product from warranty eligibility. Feel free to contact us with any questions of clarification should any arise.

Physical damage to the product will void the warranty automatically. Please keep the original purchase invoice within the warranty period—the lack of a proof of invoice automatically voids the product warranty. Prior to returning a defective item, please contact our customer service by phone or email for an RMA number—we will NOT accept returns without approval from the warranty department.

• Using a car jack or an automotive lift, safely raise the vehicle to desired height paying special attention to the safety precautions set forth by the equipment manufacturer. Stabilize and support the car using any necessary equipment such as jack stands of sufficient load rating—typically, a 2-ton jack stand should be sufficient for most applications. The following photo gives a general idea where the jack points usually are on vehicles. Make sure you support the car at the specified jacking points on the chassis, indicated in the vehicle owner’s instruction manual.
• Remove the wheels of the vehicle and place them aside to expose the wheel well and suspension system. As a recommended safety precaution, it is a good idea to place the wheels underneath the vehicle, along the side skirt area in case of jack stand failure.
• Remove any brake lines or hardware that is attached to the OEM shock/strut assembly and save all the parts that you have removed. You will be re-using some OEM hardware with the damper kit to re-mount the brake lines, ABS lines or any other lines mounted to the shock assembly.
• For the front suspension, remove the nuts and/or bolts that mount the lower bracket of the shock to the lower control arm. It is also recommended to disconnect the sway bar end link to disconnect one end of the suspension from the other to avoid any pre-load. Loosen the nuts from the top of the engine bay to loosen the shock assembly from the vehicle. Do not remove the nuts, just loosen them leaving a few threads of engagement or else the entire assembly will drop down from the vehicle. Make sure you have clearance to remove the shock assembly from the vehicle—watch for any brake/ABS lines that are affixed to the shock assembly.
• Once it is clear, carefully remove the shock assembly from the vehicle trying to avoid contact with any of the suspension or brake components, especially the brake fluid line. Be sure to support the suspension assembly as you remove the hardware.
• With the original suspension equipment off of the vehicle, now would be a good time to set the height of the new coil-overs. It would generally be a good place to start by setting the length of the coil-over assembly by approximating the desired shortened length compared to the OEM suspension components.

• SETTING COIL-OVER LENGTH: The first step is to set the pre-load on the spring. Make sure the spring has no up-and-down movement within upper and lower locking spring perches. The spring should be snug, about hand-tight. You should be able to twist the spring in place when there is no load on the suspension but should not be too easy to twist in place. You are aiming for “zero-preload” on the spring—meaning when there is no load present on the suspension, the spring is not compressed at all. NOTE: If spring is pre-loaded by any amount, this will decrease the expected life of the shock since the amount of pre-load on the spring is acting on the shock body when it is already fully decompressed. Pre-load would be forcing the shock length to be longer, therefore creating potential damage to the damper internals. Further explanation and detail to set the spring pre-load can be found here: "How to set spring pre-load."
• Once the spring preload is set, you can proceed to adjust the shock length. The shock length is adjusted by using the third/lower spring perch that locks the lower bracket onto the threaded shock body. Loosen the third/lower spring perch and rotate the shock body into the lower bracket to effectively shorten the shock body length. There is a physical limitation to the minimum ride height, and this is attained when the shock body is fully threaded into the lower bracket. Further explanation and detail on how to adjust the shock length can be found here: "Settings ride height the correct way: By Adjusting the Shock Length."
• Often times when this limitation of the shock body adjustment is reached, people choose to lower the two locking perches of the spring to lower the ride height even further. Megan Racing does not recommend this as it will potentially cause the suspension to bottom out against the bump-stop which effectively creates an infinite spring rate—this has negative handling effects and may also cause damage to the shock. NOTE: Lowering the two locking perches would introduce play in the spring and may inhibit the spring from seating correctly once the vehicle is placed back onto the ground. Effective shock travel is minimized and decreases the life expectancy of the shock body. NOTE: By setting the coil-overs this way, you are also voiding the warranty on the shock.

• With the shock length already adjusted, it is time to mount them on the vehicle. Lift the damper kit through the underside of the chassis into position where the studs go through the OEM bolt-holes on the strut tower mount. Thread the nuts till you can see at least two threads past the top of the nut from the stud on the damper kit, but do not tighten. This will allow an ample amount of movement in the suspension system to help align the lower hardware. Be cautious when pulling down on the hub/knuckle assembly as it pull the axles apart and may potentially cause damage. Do not pull use too much force when doing this. Use caution and proceed carefully.
• Using the OEM hardware, replace the lower mounting hardware into the lower bracket and hand-tighten them. Now is a good time to mount all of the loose brake lines and/or ABS lines that were previously affixed to the OEM shock body. Re-use the OEM hardware to do so. In some applications, the sway bar endlinks mount directly onto the lower bracket of the coil-over assembly. Now would be a good time to do so.
• Torque the top nuts on the top of the damper assembly to OEM torque specifications and then toque the lower hardware at the bottom of the damper to OEM torque specifications as well. NOTE: Remember to torque the top 17mm nut at the top of all McPherson struts to 40-60ft/lbs with properly calibrated torque wrench. Improper torque specification can cause the assembly to come loose and cause symptomatic clunking noise, or may damage the threads on the shock shaft when overtorqued. When tightening the 12mm top nuts included with the coil-overs, torque them only to 24-34ft/lbs. With a 14mm nut, torque it to 33-42ft/lbs. The "crash bolts/eccentric bolts" holding the lower steel bracket onto the knuckle also needs specific torque specs, often upwards of 60-80ft/lbs. You will need to follow the OEM torque specifications for these bolts. Your local dealership should have these torque specifications for your particular vehicle. Torque specifications for these bolts are critical to the safe operation of your coil-overs on you vehicle. We recommend you double check these torque specs with the vehicle manufacturer. Please replace the bolts with brand new OEM hardware once torqued down to specification. Due to the nature of these bolts and the excessive loads it experiences, these bolts will stretch after repeated use, rendering the possibility of hardware failure. These are one-time-use only bolts. Failure to do so will void certain warranty applicability.
• For the rear suspension, remove the single nut and bolt that is supporting the lower end of the shock/strut assembly, placing all hardware aside for future use. With the interior of the car removed to expose the upper suspension hardware, carefully remove the two nuts holding up the shock/strut assembly. BE CAREFUL, as now the rear suspension is no longer supported. Be sure to be clear of the OEM suspension or have it supported as to not let it fall and cause injury.
• Remove the shock/strut assembly from the vehicle with the spring intact. You must now set the rear coil-over assembly length as instructed in Step (6). These approximate height adjustments are exactly that—approximate. You will need to re-adjust the suspension to your desired ride height once the coil-over install is complete.
• Place the coil-over damper kit in the same location as the OEM suspension. Lift the damper kit through the underside of the chassis into position where the studs go through the OEM bolt-holes on the strut tower mount. Thread the nuts till you can see at least two threads past the top of the nut from the stud on the damper kit, but do not tighten. This will allow an ample amount of movement in the suspension system to help align the lower hardware.
• Using the OEM hardware, replace the bolt, nut and any other hardware and finger tighten. It is important to tighten all suspension bolts with the suspension loaded by the vehicle. Without doing so, the bushings may bind, cause noises and worse yet, premature bushing wear. Torque the nuts on the top of the damper assembly to vehicle specifications and then toque the bolt at the bottom of the damper to vehicle specifications as well. If there were any brake lines or anything affixed to the rear coil-over assembly, mount them securely.
• Lower the vehicle to the ground and take note of the ride height. It would be best to at least roll the car forward and back a few times to allow the suspension to settle. Driving the car up and down the street will create the same affect, allowing the suspension bolts to settle in place to give you the true ride height. Make all adjustments to the suspension system as you desire.
• Adjust the camber to an equal setting on both the left and right side of the car, if the coil-over kit comes with camber plates. NOTE: Camber plates are only included in some MacPherson strut applications. Adjust the ride height to the same setting on both the left and right side of the car. Adjust the damper setting on the suspension to your desired rate. Adjust the setting by tightening the knob all the way till it stops, and then turning back the knob (from 32 to 1) till the desired setting. The settings are as follows… 1-8: Suggested for track use. 9-16: Suggested for mountain/aggressive use. 17-32: Suggested for common street use.
• Once the ride height is set, drive to the nearest alignment shop to make sure the alignment settings are set correctly. Any time you remove or even loosen a suspension component such as control arms and especially when replacing the suspension, the alignment will be thrown out of specification. For alignment recommendations on your particular vehicle and driving style, please feel free to contact our TECH department to discuss your options.
• OPTIONAL: An optional step that is not absolutely necessary but is highly recommended is having the vehicle corner balanced prior to getting the vehicle aligned. It is not an absolute necessity for an average daily driven vehicle, but is necessary to extract every bit of performance from your new suspension.

To replace a shock from the coil-over assembly, you must first remove the coil-over assembly from the vehicle. It might help to loosen up the locking perches while the assembly is installed on the vehicle to make things easier. Once the coil-over assembly is off the vehicle, loosen the locking perches if you have not yet done so. The first step would be to remove the damper adjustment knob. The black portion (or green for the EURO Street Series) is the part of the knob that adjusts the damper force. To remove the knob, twist the chrome part of the knob counter-clockwise (CCW) to remove it from the end of the shock shaft.

Once the damper force adjustment knob is removed, you will see the 6-sided area in the middle of the shock shaft tip. This opening is for the supplied hex tool that is packaged with the spanner wrenches:

You need to use this hex tool in conjunction with a 17mm wrench to losoen the 17mm nut that secures the entire assembly together. Position the hex tool in the crevice of the top of the shock shaft after placing the open end of the 17mm wrench around the nut. The hex tool is to keep the shock shaft in place as you loosen the 17mm nut. (You will also need to set it up like this again during re-assembly. Once that is setup, loosen the 17mm nut by rotating the 17mm wrench counter-clockwise (CCW).

Once the 17mm locking nut is loosened and removed, everything else can be pulled off of the shock shaft, aside from the lower bracket and the locking perches. Pay attention to the order the items are installed. Upon removal of the 17mm nut, you will need to remove the upper pillowball bearing, the pillow ball mount itself (sometimes integrated with a camber plate), the lower pillow ball bearing, the upper spring seat (if supplied with the coil-over kit), and the noise prevention cushions-- 1 before and 1 after the spring itself.

Once the top components have been removed from the shock body, the only other pieces that need to be removed from the shock cylinder are the 3 locking spring perches and the lower bracket. Removing these pieces are easy, just time consuming to unthread them from the shock body. Once the entire assembly is fully disassembled, the re-assembly process is exactly the same as before but in the opposite order. When tightening the top 17mm nut, if a proper torque wrench is not available, it may be beneficient to use an impact gun at lower torque settings in bursts temporarily until it can be properly torqued to specification. Refer to the following note* on proper torque settings and warranty claims.

NOTE:

Remember to torque the top 17mm nut at the top of all McPherson struts to 40-60ft/lbs with properly calibrated torque wrench. Improper torque specification can cause the assembly to come loose and cause symptomatic clunking noise, or may damage the threads on the shock shaft when overtorqued. The "crash bolts/eccentric bolts" holding the lower steel bracket onto the knuckle also needs specific torque specs. You will need to follow the OEM torque specifications for these bolts. Your local dealership should have these torque specifications for your particular vehicle. Torque specifications for these bolts are critical to the safe operation of your coil-overs on you vehicle. We recommend you double check these torque specs with the vehicle manufacturer. Please replace the bolts with brand new OEM hardware once torqued down to specification. Due to the nature of these bolts and the excessive loads it experiences, these bolts will stretch after repeated use, rendering the possibility of hardware failure. These are one-time-use only bolts. Failure to do so will void certain warranty applicability.

The first step to correctly setting the ride height with Megan Racing coil-overs is to set the spring pre-load. You must aim for zero-preload, meaning the spring does not have any vertical play/movement within the coil-over assembly when the suspension is not loaded and the vehicle is in the air. For the amateur tuner, it is better to leave pre-load at zero unless you are fully aware of effects of spring pre-load. For further information about setting spring pre-load, check the "Installation" section under the "TECH" section.

After spring pre-load is set to zero, you may proceed to adjust the ride height. The photo below provides directions on how to adjust the shock length by threading the shock body into or out of the lower bracket to lower or raise the vehicle ride height, respectively.

NOTE: For McPherson strut suspension designs, pay attention when threading the shock lower into the lower bracket when setting ride height. The shock body may potentially contact the CV boot of the drive axle and may cause the damage to the CV boot resulting in costly repairs. Be aware that such damages result from install error alone, so please pay attention when adjusting the ride height.

NOTE: For Spec-RS suspension adjustments: 1. Always remove the reservoir brackets before doing any height adjustment. 2. Always stick with the default spring rate or use stiffer spring rate. A softer spring rate may cause the reservoir to hit other parts and damage may result. Any damage caused from incorrect use, installation, and/or softer spring rate will not be covered by warranty.

Please remember to set the spring pre-load. It is considered the first step to setting the ride height. Once spring pre-load is set to "zero-preload," you can proceed to set the ride height by adjusting the shock length. It is recommended to get a baseline measurement of the shock length. A good way is to measure the threaded portion of the shock body between the two locking spring perches that lock the spring into place and the third perch that locks the lower bracket into place. The following photo gives an example of doing so:

Once you get the baseline measurement of the shock body between the perches, you must now loosen the lower perch that locks the lower bracket in place. Take the smaller spanner wrench and position it on the perch according to the photo below:

With the spanner wrench positioned like so, spin the wrench in the direction indicated by the red arrow in the above photo. If viewing the coil-over assembly from below, you are rotating the spanner wrench and perch clockwise. If viewing the coil-over assembly from above, you are rotating the spanner wrench and perch counter-clockwise.

It may be beneficial to loosen the allen head bolts that hold the external reservoir brackets in place. Use the appropriate sized allen head tool for all allen head bolts and loosen.

Now that the lower perch is loosened from the lower bracket, it is time to adjust the shock length by threading the threaded shock body further into the lower bracket to shorten the shock length or threading the shock body out of the lower bracket to lengthen the shock body. Lengthening the shock body will increase the ride height and shortening the shock body will decrease the ride height.

NOTE: It is important that you are very cautious when rotating the lower bracket and / or strut / shock due to the external reservoir connection to the main cylinder body being very sensitive.

To lower the ride height, you need to shorten the shock body. To shorten the shock body, you need to thread the shock body further into the lower bracket. If you are performing this while the coil-over assembly on the vehicle, it may be more difficult to rotate the shock body into or out of the shock body due to the unsprung weight pulling against the coil-over assembly. Since the spring pre-load was already set, the two locking perches that lock the spring in place should be tightened against each other. You can use the spanner wrenches to twist the shock body using the locking perches.

For example, if you are trying to thread the shock body further into the lower bracket, you can use the larger spanner wrench and position it on the top of the two perches and rotate the shock body as indicated in the following photo:

To do the opposite and lengthen the shock length, take the smaller spanner wrench against the lower of the top two perches and rotate in the opposite direction. Position the smaller spanner wrench against the lower perch and rotate the shock body as indicated in the following photo:

Once the shock length is set, proceed to tighten the third/lower perch against the lower bracket. Take a new measurement of the distance of the threaded shock body section between the perches and compare to the base-line measurement.

Now would be a good time to re-mount the wheels, remove the vehicle from jackstands, roll the chassis forward and backwards to let the suspension settle before judging the ride height. You may have to make adjustments to get the ride height you are aiming for.

NOTE:

When the shock is physically limited from being shorted due to design restraights, or bottoming the shock into the lower bracket, the physical limitation has been reached. People sometimes proceed to go lower by lowering the two locking perches on the shock body. When this is done, shock travel is decreased by the amount of vertical movement of the spring within the coil-over assembly when there is no load present. Decreasing the amount of available shock piston travel increases the chances of bottoming out the shock against the bumpstop which decreases the life of the shock. Doing this will void the warranty of the dampers. Please be aware of this before making the decision to do so.

After you have set the ride height, which is done after setting spring pre-load, the coil-overs are ready to be installed on the vehicle. For a general instruction on how to install the coil-overs, please refer to the articles in our "TECH" section under "INSTALLATION" or follow this link: "HOW TO INSTALL COIL-OVERS."

The following manual is a visual guide in installing “weld-on” lower brackets for spindle type struts. Please read and understand this manual in order to prevent any installation issues. Megan Racing will not cover any damages incurred from incorrect installation. If you do not feel comfortable performing such task, please seek assistance from a licensed professional.

1. Follow manufacturer instructions to remove the complete strut assembly from the vehicle.

2. Completely disassemble the strut assembly and remove shock cartridge. **DO NOT PROCEED WITHOUT COMPLETELY REMOVING THE STRUT CARTRIDGE. CUTTING A PRESSURIZED SHOCK MAY CAUSE SEVERE INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE.**

3. Measure 50mm from the spindle to the strut housing cylinder. Mark for reference.

4. Carefully cut the strut housing at the 50mm mark.

5. Thoroughly clean both surfaces from any deformities and slide the coilover lower bracket flat to the bottom of the strut housings

6. Weld the two components together. *SEEK PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE. Improper welding and penetration may and will compromise the structural integrity of the vehicle's suspension components.

7. Paint the exposed material to prevent rust and corrosion.

8. Re-assemble coilover assembly. Install back into vehicle in reverse removal order following factory torque specifications.

The first step to correctly setting the ride height with Megan Racing coil-overs is to set the spring pre-load. You must aim for zero-preload, meaning the spring does not have any vertical play/movement within the coil-over assembly when the suspension is not loaded and the vehicle is in the air. For the amateur tuner, it is better to leave pre-load at zero unless you are fully aware of effects of spring pre-load. For further information about setting spring pre-load, check the "Installation" section under the "TECH" section.

After spring pre-load is set to zero, you may proceed to adjust the ride height. The photo below provides directions on how to adjust the shock length by threading the shock body into or out of the lower bracket to lower or raise the vehicle ride height, respectively.

NOTE: For McPherson strut suspension designs, pay attention when threading the shock lower into the lower bracket when setting ride height. The shock body may potentially contact the CV boot of the drive axle and may cause the damage to the CV boot resulting in costly repairs. Be aware that such damages result from install error alone, so please pay attention when adjusting the ride height.

NOTE: For Spec-RS suspension adjustments: 1. Always remove the reservoir brackets before doing any height adjustment. 2. Always stick with the default spring rate or use stiffer spring rate. A softer spring rate may cause the reservoir to hit other parts and damage may result. Any damage caused from incorrect use, installation, and/or softer spring rate will not be covered by warranty.

Please remember to set the spring pre-load. It is considered the first step to setting the ride height. Once spring pre-load is set to "zero-preload," you can proceed to set the ride height by adjusting the shock length. It is recommended to get a baseline measurement of the shock length. A good way is to measure the threaded portion of the shock body between the two locking spring perches that lock the spring into place and the third perch that locks the lower bracket into place. The following photo gives an example of doing so:

Once you get the baseline measurement of the shock body between the perches, you must now loosen the lower perch that locks the lower bracket in place. Take the smaller spanner wrench and position it on the perch according to the photo below:

With the spanner wrench positioned like so, spin the wrench in the direction indicated by the red arrow in the above photo. If viewing the coil-over assembly from below, you are rotating the spanner wrench and perch clockwise. If viewing the coil-over assembly from above, you are rotating the spanner wrench and perch counter-clockwise. This will loosen the perch from the lower bracket and if you continue rotating the perch, it will create space between the lower perch and the lower bracket, like so:

Now that the lower perch is loosened from the lower bracket, it is time to adjust the shock length by threading the threaded shock body further into the lower bracket to shorten the shock length or threading the shock body out of the lower bracket to lengthen the shock body. Lengthening the shock body will increase the ride height and shortening the shock body will decrease the ride height.

To lower the ride height, you need to shorten the shock body. To shorten the shock body, you need to thread the shock body further into the lower bracket. If you are performing this while the coil-over assembly on the vehicle, it may be more difficult to rotate the shock body into or out of the shock body due to the unsprung weight pulling against the coil-over assembly. Since the spring pre-load was already set, the two locking perches that lock the spring in place should be tightened against each other. You can use the spanner wrenches to twist the shock body using the locking perches.

For example, if you are trying to thread the shock body further into the lower bracket, you can use the larger spanner wrench and position it on the top of the two perches and rotate the shock body as indicated in the following photo:

To do the opposite and lengthen the shock length, take the smaller spanner wrench against the lower of the top two perches and rotate in the opposite direction. Position the smaller spanner wrench against the lower perch and rotate the shock body as indicated in the following photo:

Once the shock length is set, proceed to tighten the third/lower perch against the lower bracket. Take a new measurement of the distance of the threaded shock body section between the perches and compare to the base-line measurement.

Now would be a good time to re-mount the wheels, remove the vehicle from jackstands, roll the chassis forward and backwards to let the suspension settle before judging the ride height. You may have to make adjustments to get the ride height you are aiming for.

NOTE: When the shock is physically limited from being shorted due to design restraights, or bottoming the shock into the lower bracket, the physical limitation has been reached. People sometimes proceed to go lower by lowering the two locking perches on the shock body. When this is done, shock travel is decreased by the amount of vertical movement of the spring within the coil-over assembly when there is no load present. Decreasing the amount of available shock piston travel increases the chances of bottoming out the shock against the bumpstop which decreases the life of the shock. Doing this will void the warranty of the dampers. Please be aware of this before making the decision to do so.

After you have set the ride height, which is done after setting spring pre-load, the coil-overs are ready to be installed on the vehicle. For a general instruction on how to install the coil-overs, please refer to the articles in our "TECH" section under "INSTALLATION" or follow this link: "HOW TO INSTALL COIL-OVERS."