How to Install Tein Coilovers Safely: A Beginner’s Complete Guide

Step 1 Confirm the kit, vehicle, and installation requirements

Match the part number to the exact chassis, body style, drivetrain, and production range. Some applications differ between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models, and electronic-damper or load-leveling systems may require additional procedures. Do not begin if the kit is missing a mount, collar, lock ring, bracket, or adjustment tool.

Read the instructions all the way through and identify whether the Tein assembly arrives preloaded and ready to install or must be adjusted first. Check whether the kit reuses factory top hats, rubber isolators, dust boots, bump stops, or other hardware. If the instructions conflict with a general tip in this article, follow the kit instructions.

Inspect the vehicle for damaged ball joints, torn control-arm bushings, leaking original shocks, bent mounting ears, or badly corroded fasteners. Coilovers do not repair worn suspension parts. Replace unsafe components before installation or stop and ask a qualified technician to assess the car.

Step 2 Measure the original ride height and prepare the work area

Park on a level, hard surface, select Park or first gear, apply the parking brake, and chock the wheels. Measure from the center of each wheel hub vertically to the fender edge, or use another repeatable reference that will still make sense after the wheel is removed. Record all four measurements and note any existing lean.

Hub-to-fender measurements are more useful than measurements from the ground because tire pressure and wheel size can affect ground clearance. Photograph brake-line brackets, ABS-wire routing, and the orientation of each original assembly before disassembly. These pictures provide a useful reference when the new brackets are installed.

Arrange the tools within reach, but keep the floor clear of loose parts. Never rely on a floor jack alone to support a vehicle, and never place a jack stand under a thin floor panel, plastic shield, or other location not designed to carry the load.

Step 3 Lift the vehicle and remove the wheels

Loosen each wheel’s lug nuts slightly while the car is still on the ground. Use the vehicle’s specified lifting points, raise one axle or the whole vehicle as appropriate, and place jack stands at the manufacturer-approved support points. Give the car a firm push at a solid body or suspension location; it should remain stable without rocking on the stands.

Remove the wheels and place them under a strong part of the vehicle as a secondary precaution, not as a replacement for jack stands. Keep the lug nuts together and mark any left-right or front-rear hardware that is not interchangeable.

Step 4 Disconnect the original strut or shock-related hardware

Start at one corner and compare the original assembly with the Tein unit before removing it. Disconnect the brake hose bracket, ABS sensor wire clips, sway-bar end link, or other attachments that are mounted to the strut. Support the hub or lower control arm with a jack so its weight does not pull on a brake hose or electrical wire.

Remove the lower strut-to-knuckle bolts or the lower shock bolts according to the vehicle’s design. If the bolt is difficult to remove, support the hub at a slightly different height rather than forcing the bolt through a misaligned joint. Penetrating oil and a wire brush can help with rust, but avoid heat near brake lines, rubber bushings, fuel components, and sensors.

For a front strut, open the hood and loosen the upper mounting nuts only after the lower assembly is supported. Do not remove the center damper shaft nut unless the instructions specifically require it. That nut can retain spring energy on an original strut and is not the same as the smaller nuts that attach the top mount to the vehicle.

Lower the original assembly carefully and compare its length, brackets, studs, and mounting surfaces with the replacement. For rear suspension that uses a separate spring and shock, remove and support those pieces separately rather than assuming the front-strut procedure applies.

Step 5 Prepare the Tein assemblies and set an initial height

Place the new coilovers beside the corresponding original parts and confirm left and right orientation. Transfer only the factory components that Tein specifies, such as top hats, dust covers, or bump stops. If a spring compressor is needed, use a proper compressor and follow its instructions; do not improvise with straps, clamps, or a jack.

Coilover height is normally changed by loosening the appropriate lock collar and rotating the threaded body or lower mount as described by Tein. This design lets you change ride height without unnecessarily changing spring preload. Do not spin the spring perch downward until the spring is loose unless the instructions explicitly call for that setup.

Choose a conservative initial height close to the supplied setting or the manufacturer’s recommended range. Leave enough clearance for the tire, brake line, bump stop, and suspension travel. Count exposed threads or measure from a defined collar to a defined mounting surface so both sides of an axle can be set consistently.

Clean the threads before adjusting them and tighten the lock collars with the supplied tools. Avoid gripping a polished damper shaft with pliers, and do not use an impact gun on adjustment collars or damper adjusters. A damaged thread or shaft can make later adjustment difficult or unsafe.

Step 6 Install the front coilovers

Guide the new front assembly into position without twisting the brake hose or ABS wire. Start the upper mounting nuts by hand, then align the lower mounting holes with the steering knuckle. A jack under the hub can raise or lower it slightly to align the holes, but do not use the jack to force the assembly sideways.

Install the lower bolts and nuts in the orientation specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Reattach the brake-line bracket, ABS wire clips, and sway-bar link exactly as they were intended to sit. The brake hose should not be stretched at full steering lock or full suspension droop, and the sensor wire should not touch the tire, spring, or damper body.

Snug the hardware while the suspension is supported, but apply final torque according to the correct procedure. Some fasteners must be tightened at normal ride height because tightening a bonded rubber bushing while it hangs can preload and damage that bushing. The service manual will identify those fasteners.

Step 7 Install the rear coilovers or rear spring-and-shock units

Follow the rear layout in the Tein instructions. For a combined rear coilover, support the suspension arm, remove the original upper and lower attachments, and install the new unit with the adjuster and brackets facing the specified direction. For a separate rear spring and shock, keep the spring seat, isolator, and spring orientation correct.

A useful way to approach how to install tein coilovers is to check your progress after each stage.

Do not assume the left and right rear assemblies are identical. Some kits use different brackets or adjustment positions, and some vehicles require the rear seat to be removed to access the upper mount. Reinstall interior trim only after confirming that the damper adjustment controls remain accessible if the kit is designed to be adjusted from inside the cabin.

Check that the spring is seated squarely in its perch and that no rubber isolator is folded. Confirm that the shock body, spring, and adjustment hardware clear the control arm, axle shaft, exhaust, fuel tank, and nearby wiring throughout the available movement.

Step 8 Torque the suspension hardware and reinstall the wheels

With every component installed, compare each corner with your reference photographs. Make sure no brake hose, ABS wire, sway-bar link, or electrical connector is trapped beneath a bracket. Confirm that all lock collars are tight and that the height settings on the two sides of each axle match your planned measurements.

Use a calibrated torque wrench for the upper mounts, lower mounting bolts, sway-bar links, wheel lugs, and any transferred hardware. Use the exact values and tightening sequence supplied by Tein and the vehicle manufacturer; there is no universal coilover torque specification. Replace one-time-use nuts or bolts when the service manual calls for replacement.

Reinstall the wheels and tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern. Lower the vehicle until the tires just touch the ground, tighten the lugs to the vehicle’s specification, then fully lower it and remove the stands. Do not use the torque wrench as a breaker bar, and do not add extra force after the wrench clicks.

Step 9 Settle the suspension and inspect clearances

Roll the vehicle forward and backward several feet, or make a slow movement on the driveway, so the suspension settles. Do not bounce aggressively on a corner or drive over a curb. Measure the hub-to-fender height again and compare left-to-right differences.

Turn the steering from lock to lock while watching the front tires and brake lines. Look behind each wheel for contact with the spring, body, liner, sway bar, or damper. On a vehicle with rear steering or unusual suspension travel, inspect those areas as well.

Check clearance with the suspension both loaded and, where safe, at controlled droop. A tire that clears while parked can contact the fender liner during steering or compression. If the tire touches anything, do not drive normally until the cause is corrected.

Step 10 Perform a cautious initial drive and arrange an alignment

Before leaving the driveway, verify that the parking brake releases, the brake pedal feels normal, and no tools or loose parts remain near the wheels. Drive at walking speed in a quiet area with the windows down. Listen for clunks, scraping, spring movement, or a brake hose rubbing the tire.

Stop and reinspect after the first short loop. If the car pulls sharply, the steering wheel is far off center, the suspension knocks, or a warning light appears, return to a safe location and stop driving until the cause is found. A minor height difference can change alignment enough to affect handling.

Schedule a four-wheel alignment after the suspension settles and after the final ride height is chosen. Tell the alignment technician the intended ride height and ask for a printout. Excessive lowering can reduce suspension travel and introduce undesirable camber or toe; alignment adjustment cannot correct every geometry problem.

Ride height is not the same as spring preload

Ride height is the vehicle’s position relative to the ground or body. Spring preload is the amount the spring is compressed when the suspension is unloaded. On a height-adjustable coilover, the preferred method is usually to move the threaded body or lower mount while preserving the manufacturer’s required spring seating and preload.

Too little preload can allow the spring to become loose when the wheel hangs, while excessive preload can reduce usable suspension travel and make the car harsh. Use the Tein instructions for the minimum threaded engagement, spring seating, and adjustment range. Never chase an extremely low stance by ignoring those limits.

Damping adjustment should begin at the supplied setting

If your kit has adjustable damping, the adjuster changes how the damper resists movement. More resistance is not automatically better. Starting at the supplied or recommended setting gives you a known baseline before making small, documented changes.

Adjust both sides of an axle equally unless a qualified technician has identified a specific reason not to. Count clicks from the correct end stop without forcing the adjuster. If the vehicle becomes skittish over bumps, loses grip on uneven pavement, or feels unusually harsh, return to the baseline and investigate ride height, tire pressure, and alignment before making larger changes.

When a spring or collar will not adjust

Lift the vehicle so the suspension is unloaded, clean the threads, and use only the supplied adjustment wrench or an approved tool. Do not hammer directly on aluminum collars or clamp the damper shaft. Corroded or damaged threads may require replacement rather than force.

When factory electronic suspension warnings appear

Some vehicles monitor the original dampers or use electronically controlled suspension. A warning may require a vehicle-specific electronic solution, coding procedure, resistor, or retained factory component. Do not bypass a safety system based on a generic internet suggestion; consult the Tein instructions and a technician familiar with that vehicle.