I just installed my Swift Springs!

I took my time knowing I would have multiple interruptions along with some other things. Overall, the complete job for the rear took about an hour. The first front strut was about an hour, and the second strut about 45 minutes. So from set up to swap out to clean up the whole job was about 4 hours, not rushing in any way, being safe and careful, double-checking everything, and leaving the garage cleaner than when I started!

I followed the DIY instructions for the 07-08 GD3 by Tofuman, and overall it translated one-for-one with my '09. The biggest headache was the nut on the top of the strut. The extension of the windshield requires an overhang that doesn't allow for clear top-down access to the nut without disassembling the plastic surround and base for the wipers and window trim. There's no way I was going that route. Otherwise, you access the nut horizontally through a punch-out in the plastic surround at the base of the windshield. A ratcheting combo wrench would have been great here, but I made do with my existing tools, even if it added to my frustration.

All things considered, I had a harder time replacing the drive belt on my Cub Cadet lawn tractor than doing this job, and I've never replaced the springs on a car before!

The swap was flawless in my opinion, and the Swift Springs are exactly what I had hoped for. This is my DD, so I wanted the ride to be tolerable. The ride is tight without being hard, the nose dive is greatly reduced when braking, and I feel the degree of body roll in hard cornering is about half now.

So far, the alignment feels fine, there's no pull or drift, so I'm going to wait a while. Actually, last week I had my stock tires rotated for the last time at about 26k. The next time the wheels come off the car will be for new tires, so I might as well wait until then for the alignment.

I took a few pictures along the way, and have some pretty good before/after shots to share. I will post the pics later...

 

since my '09 fit base is my dd/family car what is the "ride like" with the swift lowering springs going to be with 5 people inside the car?
i am still choosing between swift or the bilstein pss coilover

 

To answer above post I drove 300 miles with 2 friends that weigh 200+,8 rifles 5 handguns and well over 100 pounds of ammunition. The suspension didn't skip a beat, no bottoming out at all, ride was like stock

 

Just made a 50 mile round trip on the interstate with the newly installed Swifts. Just for specifics, I weigh 175, my wife is at 115, and my daughter is about 40lbs. So it's fun when my wife and daughter are passengers. It's not much of a load, but with them on the right side it makes a nice balance, and they like it when I drive the car hard.

We've made a couple of trips since yesterday's spring swap, and the car rides/handles awesome. No alignment problems or anything. The car feels very "flat" now, nose dive and body roll have been greatly reduced, and the suspension feels more precise and responsive.

Anyway, my daughter INSISTED that my wife sit in the back seat for this drive. I always hate that since it puts 300lbs on the left and my 40lb kid on the right. The stock setup always kinda swayed and floated with them both in the back. NOT WITH THE SWIFTS! The car stayed true and handled great at every speed, and there were no issues from 70 to 80 mph on the interstate. All-in-all, I would not hesitate in any way to put the Swift Springs on a DD Fit.

 

Jim - thanks for all the comments. Probably the most subjective info I've gathered about the way these perform. If you feel it really is quite a bit flatter, and brake dive is more than just noticeably reduced then I bet I'd like them.

 

Another satisfied Swift customer.

 

Hmm... 8 RIFLES + 5 HAND GUNS + 100 POUNDS OF AMMUNITION +
(2) = 200+ POUNDER FRIENDS...

Do you have a rear sway bar installed on your car?
maybe swift will do the job...
will it rub underneath w/ a progress rear sway bar, or have "issues" w/it?

 

Not sure about the rear sway bar having clearance issues. I didn't notice any difference as far as ride quality, even with a heavy load. Not once has it bottom'd out and it's not bouncy at all. Taking the on ramps that curve on stock springs you could feel the car "float" or roll. I have yet to push the swifts "hard" but at similar speeds it rolls none.

 

OK, it took me a few minutes, but I figured it out... Here's the photos that some have asked for...













Sweeeeeeet!

 

That was a great step by step, but I do have a general question.

How many miles (I currently have 63k) have you (or anybody who has done the Swift springs) put on your stock shocks/struts before you did this swap?

I want to do this Swift swap but if I can upgrade/replace my stock shocks/struts for longevity, I want to do it all at the same time.

I'm just wondering if the life of the stock system will suffer more due to the lowered stance.

 

My Fit was right at 26k for the spring swap. The Swift drop isn't extreme enough where I would expect any compatibility/longevity issues with the stock components. I did cut the bump stops for the front struts in half.

 

I have asked a number of people, including Destructo and Texas Coyote, and they said they didn't have to cut the bumpstops on the GE. Btrthnezr3 also mentioned that in her thread.

Does cutting the bumpstops change the ride height?

 

No, it doesn't. They are effectively a part of the spring rates though, once they come into play. Ideally, you don't want to hit them a majority of the time, but the stock shocks will not be designed to be as effective in that range; outside the factory bump stop travel. I always recommend cutting them, but mostly for the rear because people complain about the rear end being too stiff first on cars with torsion beams, and I've found over the years that the rear bump stops make the difference between bearable and undrivable with people in the back (most of the time.) It's pretty obvious the fit has a more acceptable design for this, as I've not heard many complaints. I think SWIFT recommended leaving them the way they were. If you want, you can always go put the cut sections back on the shafts, and they will work fine.

 

Can't answer your question but I did not cut mine. Somewhere in a thread it is mentioned that Swift says not to cut them.

 

are you sure that's right? seems like that rear spring is upside down.. ?

 

Hey guys,


I have 52k on my 09 and would like to beef up the springs. I have 205 50 16's on my stock wheels and sometimes rub depending on the bump and speed that hit it (NYC highways suck!).

My question is will I severely rub with swifts and would could this upgrade give me the firmness I need in ride (other that replacing the stock struts)?

 

As far as I know it's correct. I could be wrong, but I haven't found any compelling evidence that states the tighter windings go downward. I would never put my trust in a label on the spring. It's only a Swift branding label, not an arrow or up/down label. And there weren't any instructions to speak of with the springs.

In the cases of progressive rate springs that I've researched, the tighter coils have been oriented next to the body/frame. As an engineer, applying some of the elements of physics that I still remember, I would think you would want the unsprung mass (the tighter coil windings that have less travel) oriented with the mass of the body/frame, and not with the articulating wheel/axle (the trailing arm/lever you're trying to control with the spring rate).

If somebody knows for certain that Swift intended for the tighter coils to be facing downward, please tell me! (then again, there's no way to tell from the ride/handling, because it's awesome!).

LEONARD FROM SWIFT CORRECTED ME ON THIS 11/10 - FRONT AND REAR SPRINGS SHOULD BE INSTALLED SO THAT YOU CAN READ THE SWIFT LABEL WITHOUT HAVING TO STAND ON YOUR HANDS!

 

After doing the swap to the Swift's, my guess is that they will work with the 205/50-16 tires. The swift springs don't have an extreme drop, and the car is tightened up quite a bit. I've mentioned that I feel like the nose dive and body roll have been cut in half, so that might eliminate the tire rubbing.

I have to say that the roads where I live are smooooooooth and pothole free. But I do drive my Fit very hard, and definitely push the limits of the suspension, so I guess I won't REALLY know for sure until I go with the beefy tire too...

 

My car has 20k miles so the dampers are relatively new. If you have alot of mileage 50k you might want to get a new pair of dampers, just to avoid have to do the same work twice. Also I have a gd and I did not cut the bumpstops, It did not mention to do so in the instructions. Matter of fact the fit was not even listed, I don't have any issues with the bumpstops....... I don't know about the ge but for mine there was only one way to install the springs, they would not sit in the couplers/whatever those rubber pieces in the
Rear were called correctly, same for the front it has only one correct orientation

 

Obviously, there is only one direction to install the front springs. The top and bottom coil-end diameter difference makes it obvious to the naked eye, matches the stock diameters, and will only fit into the end-caps one way. Also, I cut an inch and a half off the bump stops, just because.

I did not trim the rear bump stops since I never disconnected the top of the rear strut. I rarely carry passengers in the back, and don't use my Fit to haul anything heavy. My 40lb daughter sure as heck won't cause the Fit to bottom out!