front suspension spring removal rods

let someone else do it?

Ian (god rest his soul) did one of mine, and he drilled out the holes and put threaded stud through from inside the car and into the bell that contains the other side of the spring, and used nuts to hold the spring in. Then he jacked up the car, and loosened the bell crank iirc, and then loosened the nuts carefully until it was decompressed. He also had a couple of spring compressors on it.

Me? I wouldnt do it. I paid someone else.

The other one was done by clive and mark at stoneleigh one year.
 
Terrifying job!
I was recently advised to obtain spring compressors which include safety straps. Having never seen these I can't comment on how well they work, but they certainly sound like a bloody good idea.
I found it very difficult to remove the front springs way back when I dismantled two cars in order to undertake a comprehensive rebuild of one of them. I had a lot of trouble getting spring compressors to fit between the spring and the upper inner wheelwell, and the compressors always seemed to be about to twist off the coil with each further fiddly and small turn of the spanner/socket. I remember reading on a previous version of this forum back then about the method using threaded rod from inside the car. It sounds like the smartest option to me, if more time consuming. I also seem to remember having been advised that relying on the bell shaped spring cup to take the strain when using retaining rods as per the workshop manual was foolhardy, as the cup can apparently corrode from the reverse side, unseen, and give up the ghost suddenly with obviously dangerous consequences. If you struggle from in the wheelarch you're simply not going to be able to retract your head faster than a loaded spring and associated tools can come flying unstuck.
Good luck, take care!
 
Well I went over to the car tonight for a reccy really but ended up getting stuck in, first one off in 1 1/2 hrs, second one off in 1/2 hr.
No boing, no danger, had a secret weapon though ;)
Many thanks to all for the advice, didn't use rods in the end.
 
I guess my fearful trepidation didn't do you any good, simply getting stuck in did it! Pray tell, what was your secret weapon?(Pssst! whispers; You could pm me if you've been bound over not to reveal it to everybody on here!) No, but really, 'cos I think I need to replace the rubber pads between the springs and the bulkhead, and swap out the sagging poly bushed I fitted to the front swing arms with metalastic bushes as per the factory, and to add to an already difficult job I've fitted uprated springs which I'm guessing contain even more kinetic energy when compressed! What's the secret!? Or did you just cut 'em?
 
I did notice that some of the methods used were secret, which is not a lot of help really.

I used a porta power hydraulic ram borrowed from work.
Jacked the car up, wheels off and let down on blocks under sills.
Put porta power ram fully extended under bell crank, just taking weight, undid top ball joint on swivel and disconnected lower shock mount and hydraulic brake hose, moved arb so it could not be trapped.
lowered ram all the way until I could remove it, spring still under a little tension, so undid studs holding pivot from inside car and spring pulled studs through, not much pressure left really.
This gave me enough to wiggle out the front spring cup, then spring came out.

Clarke CS10BRK 10 Ton Body Repair Kit - Machine Mart - Machine Mart
 
1/2 hour per side and minimal danger sounds good to me, good lateral thinking.
A video of that method would be great to give people confidence to tackle it themselves.
Jim
 
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cobraboy said:
I did notice that some of the methods used were secret, which is not a lot of help really.
Click to expand...

Secret because the method would most likely be condemned for being dangerous such is the reputation of front spring removal ;)

You've pretty much described it how I'd remove them, but I don't have a hydraulic ram, just a few wobbly trolley jacks....
 
Guys
The secret thing wusnt a dig at anybody, I am savvy enough to know that no one wants to feel bad if they reveal a method that goes wrong for the next person who tries it.

I am not set up to do a video, and the springs are now off and are not going back on, I will however attempt some pictures showing a mock up of what worked for me, this of course is not a recommendation of spring removal and all due care must be taken.

I am going to fabricate the new mounting system today and trial fit some springs, but I feel the ones I have may be too short.
 
I've been dragged into stuff with mates where they've 'seen something on the internet' and decided to have a go themselves, and made a right dogs dinner of it all. There are a hell of a lot of people I wouldn't trust to pick up the tools, and some of them do it professionally....
 
I'd forgotten about Alex's coilover sleeve conversion, I may well go that route myself.
Looking forward to how yours turn out Cobraboy.
All the 2.5" sleeves I can find are aluminium rather than the 2.25" steel ones you can find which would be easier to weld of course..
Thoughts of air bags and true coilover conversion took over my mind, but it's definitely a cost effective and simple idea.
Simon, I can't wait to see your true coilover front conversion on the road!
Jim
 
Car back on its wheels with new adjustable ride height facility and 2.25" ID springs.
Will start a separate thread as the topic has changed
 
OK here is a pic showing what worked for me. The ram is extended and has a forked shoe which picks up the bellcrank nicely. You start off with the ram almost right out with packers under the base on the floor to get the height right, take up the tension then when the top ball joint, shock abs and brake hose are disconnected gently lower the ram.
Depending on your heights it should lose most of the tension, then to get the last bit off I loosened the studs holding the pivot.
 
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