Changing a front spiring...how easy/hard?
Discussion
Car is a 2000 2.0 Ford Focus.
Wife set off for work this morning and promptly came back in "Car is banging!!"
And so it is, on turning the steering lock to lock it's making a horrible grinding noise that's punctuated with the odd pop/bang now and then. I'm guessing it's a snapped spring but just wondered how easy these are to DIY.
I don't have a spring compressor as in 20 years of driving I've never needed to change a spring. I wonder if buying one (or do you need 2) is a false economy over paying our local mechanic to sort it out??
What's involved, pig of a job or dead easy?
Cheers.
Wife set off for work this morning and promptly came back in "Car is banging!!"
And so it is, on turning the steering lock to lock it's making a horrible grinding noise that's punctuated with the odd pop/bang now and then. I'm guessing it's a snapped spring but just wondered how easy these are to DIY.
I don't have a spring compressor as in 20 years of driving I've never needed to change a spring. I wonder if buying one (or do you need 2) is a false economy over paying our local mechanic to sort it out??
What's involved, pig of a job or dead easy?
Cheers.
Don't know the focus particularly well and how hard it is depends on the design and construction. Generally you need to take the strut out of the arch, get a spring compressor on the spring and get the central top nut off the damper stem to get the strut top mount/spring cap/spring off.
If the spring is broken it may be possible to safely remove it without a spring compressor, you'll need one for fitting the new spring though.
If I were you I'd go as far as you can with the disassembly and then take the strut and new spring to a garage and just get them to do the compressor bit for a bit of beer money.
Remember that in an ideal world you'd change springs in axle pairs.
If the spring is broken it may be possible to safely remove it without a spring compressor, you'll need one for fitting the new spring though.
If I were you I'd go as far as you can with the disassembly and then take the strut and new spring to a garage and just get them to do the compressor bit for a bit of beer money.
Remember that in an ideal world you'd change springs in axle pairs.
It’s not a particularly hard or difficult job to do, but there is a possibility of very nasty injury if it all goes wrong!
I've never worked on a Focus but from memory with my Sierra: loosen the relevant suspension mount retaining nuts/bolts inside the engine bay first (you won’t be able to when the car is in the air), jack the car up, remove wheel, under pinch bolt holding strut into the hub, remove track control arms, remove nuts/bolts at top of the suspension top mount, pull the strut off the car.
Use compressors on spring (do this CAREFULLY and start again if you’re not 100% happy with the how they’re going on – you want to wind each one equally a couple of turns at a time), remove the nut at the top of the retaining cap on the strut and remove, you’ll then be able to slide the broken spring off. Remove the compressors CAREFULLY from the broken spring, slide your new spring into position on the strut and reassembly is the reverse of removal.
Take careful note of where any rubber mounts, boots of other gubbins goes – you don’t want to put the car back together and have to do the whole job again because you forgot to but the top mount bush back on, now do you? (*coughs at looks at a mate who shall remain nameless here*)
Decent set of spring compressors should set you back 40 quid or so and the job will take the experienced home mechanic a couple of hours depending on how much tea/coffee you drink, how many tabs you smoke and how much swearing is necessary... You’ll also need a ball joint splitter, some molegrips to stop the shock absorber spinning when you undo the retaining cap nut (you'll see!), some plus gas (or similar) for the inevitable bolts that won’t want to shift and a large hammer in addition to the usual spanners etc.
Unless you’ve got somewhere warm you can do the job, I’d farm it out to a garage – a decent indie should charge you well under 100 quid for labour (don’t know how much the spring is likely to be, but I’d be surprised if it was more than 50 quid).
Good luck and don’t lose your head (that is not a joke).
I've never worked on a Focus but from memory with my Sierra: loosen the relevant suspension mount retaining nuts/bolts inside the engine bay first (you won’t be able to when the car is in the air), jack the car up, remove wheel, under pinch bolt holding strut into the hub, remove track control arms, remove nuts/bolts at top of the suspension top mount, pull the strut off the car.
Use compressors on spring (do this CAREFULLY and start again if you’re not 100% happy with the how they’re going on – you want to wind each one equally a couple of turns at a time), remove the nut at the top of the retaining cap on the strut and remove, you’ll then be able to slide the broken spring off. Remove the compressors CAREFULLY from the broken spring, slide your new spring into position on the strut and reassembly is the reverse of removal.
Take careful note of where any rubber mounts, boots of other gubbins goes – you don’t want to put the car back together and have to do the whole job again because you forgot to but the top mount bush back on, now do you? (*coughs at looks at a mate who shall remain nameless here*)
Decent set of spring compressors should set you back 40 quid or so and the job will take the experienced home mechanic a couple of hours depending on how much tea/coffee you drink, how many tabs you smoke and how much swearing is necessary... You’ll also need a ball joint splitter, some molegrips to stop the shock absorber spinning when you undo the retaining cap nut (you'll see!), some plus gas (or similar) for the inevitable bolts that won’t want to shift and a large hammer in addition to the usual spanners etc.
Unless you’ve got somewhere warm you can do the job, I’d farm it out to a garage – a decent indie should charge you well under 100 quid for labour (don’t know how much the spring is likely to be, but I’d be surprised if it was more than 50 quid).
Good luck and don’t lose your head (that is not a joke).
Edited by Faust66 on Wednesday 16th January 10:42
Faust66 said:
It’s not a particularly hard or difficult job to do, but there is a possibility of very nasty injury if it all goes wrong!
I've never worked on a Focus but from memory with my Sierra: loosen the relevant suspension mount retaining nuts/bolts inside the engine bay first (you won’t be able to when the car is in the air), jack the car up, remove wheel, under pinch bolt holding strut into the hub, remove track control arms, remove nuts/bolts at top of the suspension top mount, pull the strut off the car.
Use compressors on spring (do this CAREFULLY and start again if you’re not 100% happy with the how they’re going on – you want to wind each one equally a couple of turns at a time), remove the nut at the top of the retaining cap on the strut and remove, you’ll then be able to slide the broken spring off. Remove the compressors CAREFULLY from the broken spring, slide your new spring into position on the strut and reassembly is the reverse of removal.
Take careful note of where any rubber mounts, boots of other gubbins goes – you don’t want to put the car back together and have to do the whole job again because you forgot to but the top mount bush back on, now do you? (*coughs at looks at a mate who shall remain nameless here*)
Decent set of spring compressors should set you back 40 quid or so and the job will take the experienced home mechanic a couple of hours depending on how much tea/coffee you drink, how many tabs you smoke and how much swearing is necessary... You’ll also need a ball joint splitter, some molegrips to stop the shock absorber spinning when you undo the retaining cap nut (you'll see!), some plus gas (or similar) for the inevitable bolts that won’t want to shift and a large hammer in addition to the usual spanners etc.
Unless you’ve got somewhere warm you can do the job, I’d farm it out to a garage – a decent indie should charge you well under 100 quid for labour (don’t know how much the spring is likely to be, but I’d be surprised if it was more than 50 quid).
Good luck and don’t lose your head (that is not a joke).
Cheers, very helpful.I've never worked on a Focus but from memory with my Sierra: loosen the relevant suspension mount retaining nuts/bolts inside the engine bay first (you won’t be able to when the car is in the air), jack the car up, remove wheel, under pinch bolt holding strut into the hub, remove track control arms, remove nuts/bolts at top of the suspension top mount, pull the strut off the car.
Use compressors on spring (do this CAREFULLY and start again if you’re not 100% happy with the how they’re going on – you want to wind each one equally a couple of turns at a time), remove the nut at the top of the retaining cap on the strut and remove, you’ll then be able to slide the broken spring off. Remove the compressors CAREFULLY from the broken spring, slide your new spring into position on the strut and reassembly is the reverse of removal.
Take careful note of where any rubber mounts, boots of other gubbins goes – you don’t want to put the car back together and have to do the whole job again because you forgot to but the top mount bush back on, now do you? (*coughs at looks at a mate who shall remain nameless here*)
Decent set of spring compressors should set you back 40 quid or so and the job will take the experienced home mechanic a couple of hours depending on how much tea/coffee you drink, how many tabs you smoke and how much swearing is necessary... You’ll also need a ball joint splitter, some molegrips to stop the shock absorber spinning when you undo the retaining cap nut (you'll see!), some plus gas (or similar) for the inevitable bolts that won’t want to shift and a large hammer in addition to the usual spanners etc.
Unless you’ve got somewhere warm you can do the job, I’d farm it out to a garage – a decent indie should charge you well under 100 quid for labour (don’t know how much the spring is likely to be, but I’d be surprised if it was more than 50 quid).
Good luck and don’t lose your head (that is not a joke).
Edited by Faust66 on Wednesday 16th January 10:42
Fck it, it's going to the garage
- Cost of buying the tools I don't have will be more than the labour I reckon. It's not a job I've had to do in 20 years so unlikely to need doing again any time soon.paintman said:
Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHciPv62lf8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHciPv62lf8
Holy s
t fk. Using the air gun on those type of spring compressors? I'm not sure I'd do that! Those things don't feel stable enough for me when using hand tools, never mind air tools!All sorted. Took it to a local chap and he ended up swapping out the whole strut/shock/spring assembly as a while unit from a breakers yard, cost £90.
Given I would have had to buy the tools, and possibly never need them again, I don't think that's too bad. Maybe not ideal given I have no idea how old the replacement unit is though but when it's -4 outside and you need the car tomorrow it'll do. Car is going in a couple of months anyway and is worth buttons so not too fussed.
Given I would have had to buy the tools, and possibly never need them again, I don't think that's too bad. Maybe not ideal given I have no idea how old the replacement unit is though but when it's -4 outside and you need the car tomorrow it'll do. Car is going in a couple of months anyway and is worth buttons so not too fussed.
ch427 said:
personally i wouldnt have fitted another spring from a breakers but everyone has their own ideas!
I agree and would usually have insisted it was at least a new spring. One of those situations where you need it sorting asap so you just have to go with it. I'm seriously reconsidering ever using this chap again though.My dad bought this car new in 2000 and passed it on to us for peanuts a couple of years ago, it's essentially a throw away item in terms of financial value. Next month we are getting his latest hand-me-down. A 56 plate Toyota Celica 190 T-Sport, also for peanuts
Hence why I'm not that fussed, it only has to last a couple of months and it's cost virtually fook all to run so far.
doogz said:
Still, a second hand damper and spring, and it cost you £90?
You'd have got the spring changed for a new one, and kept your matching dampers, at a local indy for less than £90 I'd have thought.
Yep, not using this guy again if I can help it. Not even a "proper" mechanic. It's the retired dad of a good mate who has a big garage with a pit and does stuff as and when. You'd think it'd be cheap as chips!!You'd have got the spring changed for a new one, and kept your matching dampers, at a local indy for less than £90 I'd have thought.
Saying that, for all I know it could be a spring and damper off a much newer car, no reason it won't outlive the rest of it.
Used to work near the worlds most reliable, value for money garage ever, but not near there anymore; worth his weight in gold that chap. Need to find someone else really.
dave_s13 said:
I agree and would usually have insisted it was at least a new spring. One of those situations where you need it sorting asap so you just have to go with it. I'm seriously reconsidering ever using this chap again though.
My dad bought this car new in 2000 and passed it on to us for peanuts a couple of years ago, it's essentially a throw away item in terms of financial value. Next month we are getting his latest hand-me-down. A 56 plate Toyota Celica 190 T-Sport, also for peanuts
Hence why I'm not that fussed, it only has to last a couple of months and it's cost virtually fook all to run so far.
Thats fair enough, not a bad hand me down either! I like the T-Sports.My dad bought this car new in 2000 and passed it on to us for peanuts a couple of years ago, it's essentially a throw away item in terms of financial value. Next month we are getting his latest hand-me-down. A 56 plate Toyota Celica 190 T-Sport, also for peanuts
Hence why I'm not that fussed, it only has to last a couple of months and it's cost virtually fook all to run so far.
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