Lowering Spring and Shock Installation for the 1998-2002 Honda Accord (CG/CK)
Introduction
This guide covers installing a lowering spring and sport damper combination (H&R Sport springs on Koni Sport shocks) into the 1998-2002 CG/CK-series Honda Accord. It includes the full front strut and rear shock replacement procedure, all factory torque settings used, the interior disassembly required to reach the rear upper mounts, and the headlight re-aim that a lowered ride height makes necessary. On the original car this combination lowered the vehicle approximately 2.2 inches at the front and 1.9 inches at the rear. Check that the resulting ride height remains road-legal in your region before committing, and finish with a wheel alignment. Adapted from a community writeup by SiReal on OzHonda (https://ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?45435-DIY-Spring-Shock-combo-into-1998-2002-CG-CK-series-Honda-Accord), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Tools Required
- Socket set and combination wrenches/spanners
- Coil spring compressor
- Torque wrench
- Floor jack, jack stands, and wheel chocks/tire wedges
- Allen (hex) key set (to hold the damper shaft while turning the top nut)
- Rubber mallet or hammer (for stubborn bolts)
- Trim/panel removal tools or a flat-head screwdriver (rear interior panels)
- A helper for the awkward stages
Parts Required
-
H&R Sport lowering springs (CG/CK Accord fitment)
-
Koni Sport shock absorbers (front and rear)
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Never work under a car supported only by a jack. Use the correct jack points, jack stands, and tire wedges every time.
- ⚠ A compressed coil spring stores a large amount of energy; use a quality spring compressor and keep your body out of the spring's line of fire.
- ⚠ Do the rear interior disassembly (upper mount access) before lifting the car; you will be working inside the cabin.
- ⚠ Seized top nuts round off easily; use correctly fitting tools and get help before the nut is destroyed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Prepare and lift the front of the car
Slightly loosen each front lug nut while the wheels are still on the ground; the tire's grip lets you break the torque, which is much harder once the wheel spins freely in the air. Jack the front of the car at the front jack point between the splash guards, support it on jack stands, and wedge the rear tires. Remove the front wheels.
2 Free the front strut
Loosen the strut tower nuts under the hood, leaving one or two loosely attached so the assembly cannot drop once everything below is free. Remove the pinch bolt and the connecting bolt at the damper fork; you may need to support and displace the lower control arm with a jack to relieve pressure, and the connecting bolt often needs to be driven out with a mallet. Once free, the damper fork is loose and the strut assembly can be removed from the car.
3 Swap the spring and top mount onto the new front damper
Compress the stock spring with a coil spring compressor. Hold the damper shaft stationary with an Allen key and undo the top nut with a spanner. Keep the top-mount components in the exact order they came off the stock strut; reassemble the H&R spring and stock top-mount hardware onto the Koni damper in that same order.
4 Reinstall the front strut and torque to specification
Fit the new assembly back into the car, jacking the lower control arm up or down as needed to align the bolts. Torque the front fasteners as follows: connecting bolt 47 ft-lb; pinch bolt 32 ft-lb; top mount bolts 37 ft-lb; strut bracket bolts 12 ft-lb; Koni strut top nut 22 ft-lb. Repeat the front procedure on the other side.
5 Access the rear upper mounts from inside the car
Do NOT jack up the rear yet; this stage is done working inside the car. Pull up the rear seat base, which is held by two clips. Undo the bolt holding each side bolster cushion and push the bolster up off its hook. Remove the plastic panel behind it, held by four clips in total; it takes some force. With the mount exposed, loosen the two strut top nuts but leave one loosely attached so the assembly cannot drop when the bottom is freed. If a top nut is badly seized, do not round it off fighting it; have a shop crack it loose, and note that the stock strut top nut can be reused on the new damper if the original nut is destroyed.
6 Remove the rear shock and spring assembly
Now jack up the rear of the car at the tow hook jack point, support it on stands, wedge the front tires, and remove the rear wheels. Remove the lower mounting bolt and the sway bar end-link nut; these are very tight, and you will need to jack the knuckle up roughly 1.5 inches to bring the end-link bolt perpendicular so it can be withdrawn completely. Undo the remaining strut top nut, then work the stock assembly loose; pressing down firmly on the wheel hub drops the arm enough to give clearance for the unit to come out.
7 Rebuild and reinstall the rear, and torque to specification
Swap the spring and transfer the stock top-mount parts onto the new rear damper exactly as on the front, then reinstall in reverse order. Torque the rear fasteners as follows: lower mounting bolt 43 ft-lb; sway bar end-link nut 29 ft-lb; top mount bolts 37 ft-lb; Koni strut top nut 22 ft-lb. Repeat for the other rear corner, then refit all interior trim.
8 Refit the wheels
Complete the procedure on all four corners, put the wheels back on, and torque the lug nuts with the car back on the ground.
9 Re-aim the headlights
Because the car now sits lower, the beam path has changed and the headlights must be re-aimed. Turn the adjuster clockwise to raise the beam (high and low beam on this car have separate adjusters). On the original car, a full 360-degree turn proved too high; the final setting was 180 degrees clockwise from stock. Verify against a wall or on a quiet road at night.
10 Get a wheel alignment
Have a wheel alignment performed promptly after the installation; the new, lower ride height changes the suspension geometry.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Loosen lug nuts a fraction before lifting each end of the car; wheels that spin freely in the air are far harder to crack loose.
- 💡 If you hear clunking from the rear over speed humps or potholes at low speed after the install, check the sway bar end-link nut torque first; an under-tightened end link caused exactly that noise on the original car.
- 💡 Expect a drop of roughly 2.2 inches front and 1.9 inches rear with H&R Sport springs; the front drops more than the rear, giving an even look.
- 💡 Measure your lowest structural point afterward and confirm it meets local minimum ride-height regulations (the original car measured roughly 12-13 cm and remained legal).
- 💡 Recruit a helper; several stages (supporting struts, aligning bolts, compressing the rear arm) go far more smoothly with two people.
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