Lowering this weekend....any tips are tricks?

[SunLitSandMax00SE]

So this weekend....it's gonna be about 4-5 of us working on my cars suspension and a few Maximas. One of the guys and I tried replacing the front springs, but we got stuck and decided to save it for another day, but now he researched it more and knows how to do it and plus we will be a bunch of other guys that are either Nissan techs or have replaced suspensions before. I am just replacing the springs, but I thought I would see if anyone had any good suggestions before we hit it on Sunday. Luckily my friend has already helped replaced the rear springs on a G37 and he said the rears on the M look about the same so it shouldn't be too difficult.

[M4T5]

This car should have coil over shocks on all four corners. If I had to guess that is. If that is so, all you need is a quality spring compressor to remove the spring from the strut. That is after you remove the strut and spring assembly from the car. The most dangerous thing is compressing the spring. A cheap spring compressor is NOT recommended! Your best ones are found at automotive shops that replace shocks/ struts on a daily basis. If all else fails, take all four strut assemblies to one of those types of shops. They probably wouldn't charge you much for swapping the springs out. After you reinstall all struts back onto the car, lower it down slowly to settle the suspension in. Do not take it to a shop to get it aligned right away. Test drive the car for a few miles then re-check/ re-tighten all nuts and bolts. Drive the car for a week so the new springs have time to completely settle in.Check your ride hidth at all four corners at the end of the week. Make sure both fronts have settled equally. Do the same for the rears. If all measurements check out fine, take it to a quality alignment shop to have everything aligned into specs. Sometimes a lowering kit will come with its own alignment specs to use for particular vehicles. Check to see if your lowering kit comes with it's own specs.

Good Luck!

[tytamto]

The front setup is a double whishbone, so a spring compressor is necessary.

The rear suspension is a multi-link setup, so in theory, only a bottlejack should be needed (used it on BMW before, not my M).

Remember, you can rent spring compressors at any major auto parts store. Just make sure that they are not too bulky; if too large they will be difficult to put on in tight spaces. Also, air tools work great on the long spring compressor bolt...

Make sure to have plenty of PB Blaster, a breaker bar, and a strong friend. Use jack stands, do not rely on just a jack.

Also, depending on the drop, you may have to get an alignment done.

Keep in mind that shorter/stiffer springs will cause premature wear on the OEM struts/shocks. If your drop is significantly more than 1", I would suggest getting a set or matching sport struts/shocks. Or go with coilovers at that point.