Rear shock removal - just a quick one

[gizzardio]

Hi

I've searched forums and found this thread

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=120...

It's good at giving ideas on spring compression which is great but I've got another question. If the car is jacked up high and rear wheel allowed to hang until it's fully extended, is this the full opening of the damper piston and therefore the full extent the spring can extend? Or put a other way, if I let wheel hang fully can I just unbolt the fixings to both ends of the damper and without the spring forcing it even longer when bolts removed?

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks

[phillpot]

It may depend what make of shocks/springs you have but in my experience there will be no tension on the spring with the suspension at full droop!

[greymrj]

Having done it recently the answer is yes! Indeed you may find it difficult to get it off at that point because of the weight of the suspension hanging on the spring/damper unit. I would jack up the car and put it on stands, undo the nuts and then jack the suspension arm back up until the spring damper unit is free. It is actually a pretty easy job, there is no danger from the spring.

Taking the spring off the spring/damper unit is an entirely different matter!

[v8s4me]

Note the upper nuts have a lower profile to the lower ones so they can squeeze between the body and the upper suspension mount.

[gizzardio]

Hi chaps

Thanks for all those answer. Seems like it a seemingly straight forward task with a bit of jiggling!

Yep, I've looked at some spring removal videos on youtube and it looks lethal if you get it wrong. I might just get a local garage to remove it when i've taken the whole thing off the car.

[greymrj]

I am not sure which spring/damper unit you have. I presume yours is adjustable? In which case, once you have it out, put the end eye (the end with the big adjuster lock ring on) in the vice and screw back the adjuster lock ring (normally two rings locked together and you may need a special 'C' spanner) right down to the bottom. It will probably take all the tension out of the spring. On one damper set I have the lock rings screw right off the bottom and the spring is easy to get out, on the other there is a collet ring at the top of the spring which is easy to release when the spring pressure is off. If it is neither of these you are right, ask a garage. Trying to get a compressed spring off without a very special tool is suicidal!

[phillpot]

greymrj said:

Trying to get a compressed spring off without a very special tool is suicidal!

Not sure if this is very special or just special tool......






Note the fraying on top strap for an touch of extra risk.....

[v8s4me]

gizzardio said:

...... I've looked at some spring removal videos on youtube and it looks lethal if you get it wrong. I might just get a local garage to remove it when i've taken the whole thing off the car.

Use the "Phillpot Method", piece of cake

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[greymrj]

Gulp, I think I will send that to my 'favourite' health and safety 'geek', with luck he might never recover.

Seriously folks, I have seen one go.....and boy, did it go!

There are spring compressors by the dozen on ebay. Most are designed for modern car springs which are much longer and have large gaps between the coils, the the compressors with thick cast/forged 'hooks' are difficult to use. Something like this is easier to use and a bit cheaper than the garage!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-of-Coil-Spring-Comp...

[gizzardio]

well my garage just said it'd be £20 for taking it off and then putting it back on when i receive repaired damper from Avo. Prob worth doing that even though I do like to do everything myself given there's virtually no difference in price between garage doing it and buying the compressors and doing it myself. Apart from if I had to do more in the future that is....

[mk1fan]

Nice find and for £12 not a hardship if they don't fit the coilovers.