Lowering Springs
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I had no luck today trying to remove the front springs, I could get the shock unbolted easily enough but could not remove the top wishbone to actually get the shock itself out.... the wheel side of the wishbone had one bolt (only the bottom of this bolt is accessible and is locked in with a splitpin) and I could not get it to pop out once I took the nut off.
I will have a try again later on this week (I need the car for work on mon/tues) but was I barking up the wrong tree or is that how it should be done?
I will have a try again later on this week (I need the car for work on mon/tues) but was I barking up the wrong tree or is that how it should be done?
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You may be able to compress the springs and get the strut out that way.
If you've got a 1.6, you should be able to remove the springs with the wishbone attached, if you lever it down with a prybar. Loosening the upper pivot bolt will make it MUCH easier to push the wishbones down. You'll need a 21mm socket and breaker bar, and you'll need something to hold the nut on the other side when doing it back up (adjustable spanner works well). The torque spec is 87-102 ftlb, so it takes a bit of muscling, make sure the car is safely supported!
Disconnect the anti-roll bar from the lower control arm on both sides so that you can pull down on the wishbones.
If you still can't get the struts out, even when levering the wishbones down as far as possible, you can slide the pivot bolt back which will release the upper wishbone (take note of the order of the washers!) . This leads to things flopping all over the place so a second pair of hands is useful but not essential. I had to back out the front anti-roll bar bracket bolts in order to slide the pivot bolt past.
Some people suggest that you should jack up the lower control arm before torquing up the upper pivot so that the bushes aren't overly stressed. Also makes it really easy to check bumpstop clearance...
If you've got a 1.6, you should be able to remove the springs with the wishbone attached, if you lever it down with a prybar. Loosening the upper pivot bolt will make it MUCH easier to push the wishbones down. You'll need a 21mm socket and breaker bar, and you'll need something to hold the nut on the other side when doing it back up (adjustable spanner works well). The torque spec is 87-102 ftlb, so it takes a bit of muscling, make sure the car is safely supported!
Disconnect the anti-roll bar from the lower control arm on both sides so that you can pull down on the wishbones.
If you still can't get the struts out, even when levering the wishbones down as far as possible, you can slide the pivot bolt back which will release the upper wishbone (take note of the order of the washers!) . This leads to things flopping all over the place so a second pair of hands is useful but not essential. I had to back out the front anti-roll bar bracket bolts in order to slide the pivot bolt past.
Some people suggest that you should jack up the lower control arm before torquing up the upper pivot so that the bushes aren't overly stressed. Also makes it really easy to check bumpstop clearance...
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Ok, take 2
heres a pic of what I am looking at, its that middle wishbone thingy that is being a stymie to my plans for global domination (eg stopping me getting the shock out)
Obviously I undo the bolts at A & B (as well as the ones on the top hat)
now, if I undo C I cannot get it to separate so should I be undoing D and its sister bolt that is hidden in the photo behind the shock and loosening the wishbone from the engine side of things?
I have read up a bit about it but things are not altogether clear and I don't want to screw anything up. Any help is appreciated. Oh, and those wet patches are remains of CRC from the first attempt, the shocks aren't leaking
heres a pic of what I am looking at, its that middle wishbone thingy that is being a stymie to my plans for global domination (eg stopping me getting the shock out)
Obviously I undo the bolts at A & B (as well as the ones on the top hat)
now, if I undo C I cannot get it to separate so should I be undoing D and its sister bolt that is hidden in the photo behind the shock and loosening the wishbone from the engine side of things?
I have read up a bit about it but things are not altogether clear and I don't want to screw anything up. Any help is appreciated. Oh, and those wet patches are remains of CRC from the first attempt, the shocks aren't leaking
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This.BRM wrote:The two top bolts 'D' and the other one,
And what ever is in the way of getting them out.
Sway bar linkage will help too
This video should help.
Basically you need to remove the long bolt (which is a bitch to undo) which also requires loosening (but not removing) from memory the front swaybar chassis mount bolts.
That'll allow you to pull the upper wishbone away and with a solid kick/pull down you should be able to pull the shock/spring assembly.
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just to throw a bit of a mix in here, i undid bolt/nut C and smacked the ball joint until it came off. then just lifted the wishbone clear. it thought it would have been a simpler way than taking the long bolt out.
if you use a balljoint separator then it would have been way easier but i never thought ahead and got one.
i thought it was a really easy way of doing it, just remember to detach/attach the sway bar mount first!
feel free to correct me if the way i did it was wrong but just throwing my 2c in.
if you use a balljoint separator then it would have been way easier but i never thought ahead and got one.
i thought it was a really easy way of doing it, just remember to detach/attach the sway bar mount first!
feel free to correct me if the way i did it was wrong but just throwing my 2c in.
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This is doable to, I've done this way and the long bolt, I think the long bolt is easier.MattBRG wrote:just to throw a bit of a mix in here, i undid bolt/nut C and smacked the ball joint until it came off. then just lifted the wishbone clear. it thought it would have been a simpler way than taking the long bolt out.
if you use a balljoint separator then it would have been way easier but i never thought ahead and got one.
i thought it was a really easy way of doing it, just remember to detach/attach the sway bar mount first!
feel free to correct me if the way i did it was wrong but just throwing my 2c in.
And i'm just going off Mygrey has a lack of tools etc..
You'd still need to at least crack the top bolt to do this, because of the type of bushing it is, to get it to swing down.Snapfrozen wrote:Try this way - Not sure if it will work due to length of the shock.
Undo A, undo strut bolts. Let hub drop and pull shock out the top of it on an angle.
What're you stuck on Mrgrey?.
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- Tentative sideways sliding....
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i might try this way then when i take my coilovers out next, but as for tools, a standard socket set and a large hammer worked really well for meBRM wrote:This is doable to, I've done this way and the long bolt, I think the long bolt is easier.MattBRG wrote:just to throw a bit of a mix in here, i undid bolt/nut C and smacked the ball joint until it came off. then just lifted the wishbone clear. it thought it would have been a simpler way than taking the long bolt out.
if you use a balljoint separator then it would have been way easier but i never thought ahead and got one.
i thought it was a really easy way of doing it, just remember to detach/attach the sway bar mount first!
feel free to correct me if the way i did it was wrong but just throwing my 2c in.
And i'm just going off Mygrey has a lack of tools etc..
Best of Luck Mr Grey!
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- I count 5-s in my sleep
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Long bolt seems easier to me, and less likely to damage your ball joint boots in the process.
The wheel nuts on the car are 21mm, so the wheel brace in the tool kit should fit. Even just loosening it will make it significantly easier to push the suspension arms down and that might be enough to lift the struts clear of the bodywork.
The wheel nuts on the car are 21mm, so the wheel brace in the tool kit should fit. Even just loosening it will make it significantly easier to push the suspension arms down and that might be enough to lift the struts clear of the bodywork.
I take my suspension off and on all time making changes. Removing the long bolt (D) is defiantly the way to go, you don't need to undo C, as the whole top A arm will move loose along with the wheel hub assembly.
I'm a bit rough, so alway end up knocking the shock body against the A arm and scratching the paint work on the shock, so if you don't want to do that, handy to have another pair of hands around.
You may need a long bar as well, to push the bottom A arm down enough to get the shock out.
Also, don't undo bolts E, they hold the engine subframe to the body of the car. Mind you that would be one way to change the suspension, remove the body from the subframe
I'm a bit rough, so alway end up knocking the shock body against the A arm and scratching the paint work on the shock, so if you don't want to do that, handy to have another pair of hands around.
You may need a long bar as well, to push the bottom A arm down enough to get the shock out.
Also, don't undo bolts E, they hold the engine subframe to the body of the car. Mind you that would be one way to change the suspension, remove the body from the subframe
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- I count 5-s in my sleep
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- Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2013 12:52 pm
- Location: Hamiltron
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- I have stars, you haven't. Deal with it
- Posts: 1172
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 3:52 am
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I had a thought today about minimum height today (I was contemplating ground clearance) and my car is currently a fraction above the 100mm mark. From what I have read, If I put the springs in I would have to get it certified to go below the 100mm threshold. Does this sound right?
The idea of getting defected by the police does not sound appealing.
The idea of getting defected by the police does not sound appealing.
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