Honda Civic Lowering Spring Replacement (Front and Rear)
Introduction
This guide covers swapping the factory coil springs for a lowering set (such as Eibach, typically a 25-30mm drop) on the eighth-generation Honda Civic, including the 2.2 i-CTDi. It walks through both the straightforward rear coils and the more involved front struts, which have to come off the car and be stripped on a bench under spring compressors. The result is a moderate drop that sharpens the stance and, according to owners, can actually take the crash out of speed bumps rather than harshening the ride. The work is within DIY reach using ordinary hand tools, but two stages, freeing the anti-roll bar drop links and cracking the frequently seized 18mm strut top nut, are notorious for eating hours, so patience, plenty of penetrating fluid and ideally a second person are essential. Budget for a geometry alignment afterwards to reset camber and toe. Adapted from a community writeup by coste1l on Civinfo (https://www.civinfo.com/threads/how-to-change-the-springs.39302/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Trolley jack and two axle stands
- Wheel brace / lug wrench
- Coil spring compressors (matched pair)
- 14mm ring spanner
- 12mm spanner or socket
- 18mm offset/cranked ring spanner (plus an optional deep socket)
- 19mm socket and wrench
- 5mm and 6mm Allen (hex) keys
- Long-nose pliers
- Mole grips (locking pliers)
- Penetrating fluid (WD-40 or similar)
- Wire brush
- Pry bar or crowbar
- Blow torch or other heat source for seized fasteners
- G-clamp (useful on the rear)
Parts Required
-
Lowering coil spring set (e.g. Eibach, roughly 25-30mm drop)
-
Replacement anti-roll bar drop links (strongly recommended, approx. GBP 22)
-
Front bump stops (renew if worn)
-
Camber bolts (optional, for alignment adjustment)
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Support the car on axle stands before going underneath or loading the suspension. Never work under a car held only by a jack.
- ⚠ A compressed coil spring stores dangerous energy. Keep the compressors squarely and evenly loaded, and do not undo the 18mm top nut until spring tension is fully captured.
- ⚠ Do not strip the whole windscreen cowl or remove the wiper arms. A built-in cover pops off for strut-top access; removing the cowl risks breaking the clips and the washer pipe.
- ⚠ Have the wheel alignment reset after lowering; incorrect geometry causes uneven tyre wear and degraded handling.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Lift and support the car safely
Park on level ground and slacken the wheel bolts before raising anything. For the front in particular, jack and support both sides on axle stands rather than working one corner at a time: with the anti-roll bar unloaded at both ends, the drop links separate far more easily, which the thread rates as the single biggest time-saver. Once you are under the car or hauling on the suspension, rely on the stands, never the jack alone. Line up a helper as well, since several stages need a second pair of hands.
2 Release and swap the rear springs
Raise the rear, take off the wheel and fit an axle stand. Undo the lower shock absorber bolt; if both rear sides are in the air you can release both lower bolts together, which lets the coil drop out more readily. Press the brake disc and hub downward, either with a helper standing on the lower arm or with a spring compressor fitted for extra give, until the coil unseats, then lift it clear. Move the upper and lower seats onto the new spring. The lower seat carries locating lugs, so return them to their original clocking. On the rear coils the tightly wound end goes at the bottom. Rebuild in reverse; persuading the lower rubber seat back into place is the fiddliest part.
3 Open up the front strut top
Lift the bonnet and take off the cap or trim over the strut tower. The windscreen cowl (scuttle) has a small built-in cover that pops off to reach the top mount, so there is no need to strip the whole cowl or pull the wiper arms, a mistake that wrecks the clips and washer pipe. With the strut still loaded by the car's weight, slacken but do not remove the three 14mm top-mount nuts.
4 Free the brake line and ABS sensor
Raise and support the front and remove the wheel. Using long-nose pliers, unclip the ABS wheel-speed sensor lead from its bracket on the strut. Undo the single 12mm bolt that holds the brake hose bracket to the strut and free the line so it is not stretched when the strut comes away.
5 Release the anti-roll bar drop link
This is the stage that stops most people. Soak the drop-link nut in penetrating fluid well ahead of time, ideally over several days, and wire-brush the exposed thread clean. The link is sprung by the anti-roll bar, so as its centre bolt backs out it tries to rise and strip its own thread. Keep it pinned down: with both front wheels off the ground the bar is unloaded and the problem largely disappears, otherwise lever the bar down with a crowbar. Hold the centre with a 5mm Allen key pushed fully into the socket and turn the 14mm nut. Work it off in stages, running the nut back and forth to clear grit, re-soaking, and adding heat if it binds. Should the Allen socket round off, grip the stud with mole grips instead. Plan on renewing the links, as they often shear during removal.
6 Detach the strut from the hub
Undo the two 19mm bolts that clamp the strut to the hub carrier. The upper of the pair is the one a camber bolt replaces if you intend to add adjustment. Steady the hub as it comes loose so the brake hose and driveshaft are not put under strain.
7 Remove the strut and capture spring tension
With the base unbolted, the strut now hangs on the three top nuts alone, which should be finger-tight. Support the strut, have your helper spin those three nuts off, and lower the assembly out to a bench. Fit coil spring compressors on opposite sides and wind them down until all spring tension is held. Only then undo the 18mm nut on top of the strut, holding the damper shaft against rotation with a 6mm Allen key. A cranked or offset 18mm ring spanner works best here, and cracking this nut loose a little while the strut is still on the car makes it far easier.
8 Transfer the spring and bump stop, rebuild the strut
Once the top nut is off, the strut stack comes apart. Lift out the old spring and check the bump stop, renewing it if it is short, floppy or perished; a sound one slides along the shaft only with real effort. Seat the new spring into its locators, restack the top mount and gaiter, press down to expose enough shaft thread and start the 18mm nut. If the thread will not reach, compress the spring a little more. Tighten the top nut, then release the compressors evenly.
9 Reinstall the strut and reconnect everything
Offer the strut back into position and start the three top nuts. Bolt the base to the hub with the two 19mm bolts, or fit camber bolts at this point. Connect a fresh drop link, refit the brake hose bracket with its 12mm bolt and clip the ABS lead back into place. Fully tighten the three 14mm top-mount nuts, refit the scuttle access cover and the strut-tower cap. Repeat the whole front procedure on the other side, then refit the wheels and lower the car.
10 Reset the wheel alignment
Lowering the car changes camber and toe, so book a four-wheel geometry alignment (referred to in the thread as a front FRS) once the springs are in. Owners consistently rate the handling gain from correct alignment as being on a par with the springs themselves. If you fitted camber bolts, have them dialled in during the same session.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Jack and support both front wheels together so the anti-roll bar is unloaded; this is the single change that makes the drop links easy.
- 💡 Soak every fastener in penetrating fluid days ahead. The drop-link nut and the 18mm strut top nut are the ones most likely to seize.
- 💡 Crack the 18mm strut top nut loose slightly while the strut is still bolted to the car, rather than fighting it on the bench.
- 💡 Repeatedly seat and withdraw your Allen key within the drop-link socket, clearing any grit so it beds down fully; a key that is not fully seated will round off the socket.
- 💡 Buy new drop links in advance, since they frequently break on removal. An angle grinder or hacksaw quickly cuts off badly seized ones.
- 💡 The rear springs can be fitted on their own first; driving briefly with only the rear lowered is fine if you want to tackle the fronts later.
- 💡 Any plastic coating on the new springs is just packaging and stays on.
- 💡 Camber bolts replace the upper of the two 19mm strut-to-hub bolts and take roughly ten minutes per side to fit.
- 💡 Over-long bump stops can knock over speed bumps once the suspension settles; some owners shorten them to cure it.
Was this guide helpful?
