Suspension Repairs/spring modifications.

Dave & Judy Kerr · Post by **Dave & Judy Kerr** » Mon Jul 29, 2002 10:54 pm

You need a set of coil spring compressers. You can buy these from Repco.
If yours has been changed around compress the 6 coil springs first, they
will be on the rear struts, because you will have to take the tool off the
spring to compress the 8 coil spring which will be on the front struts (by
doing it this way you will have less length to re-compress), you can then
put the longer spring straight onto the rear strut without any hassel.
This of course would be a good time to replace your struts if your car has
done 100,000 km's or more, it would also need to have a wheel alignment.
Remember RED(auto's white)dots on the front (6 coil spring), and BLUE
(auto's orange) dots on the rear (8 coil spring).

Give me a call and I can explain how to do it if this sounds a little
confusing. 04 972-5755.

Cheers,
Dave

Dave & Judy Kerr · Post by **Dave & Judy Kerr** » Mon Jul 29, 2002 11:07 pm

Done!

Michael Donovan · Post by **Michael Donovan** » Tue Jul 30, 2002 10:46 pm

Hi Dave
, thanks for the reply. I checked mine last weekend and found as you say
that I have ~6 coils at rear and ~ 8 coils front. This would have "seemed"
right to me seeing that I'd expect the car to be heavier at the front and
therefore have the more coils here.I guess the coils must have very
different tensions or lengths for each end of the car.
I will try to do the conversion as soon as I get a free weekend off work.
How long did it take you?
Thanks for your kind offer to ring, I'll see how I go.
Thanks again.
Mike

lou Girardin · Post by **lou Girardin** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 8:16 am

The longer the spring( more coils) the softer the rate.
Lou

Post by **zorruno** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 6:43 pm

heavier in the front? Not likely. MX5s are close to 50/50 balanced - that's
why they are able to perform like go-karts
http://www.mx5club.org.nz/info/specs_89-00/

OK - the 1.8s are actually closer to 52/48 front/rear and the 1.6s aren't
exactly 50/50, but put a set of golfclubs in the back, fill up with fuel and
move the soft top frame toward the rear...

PS - with my e-admin hat on - and just a general reminder to all - don't
forget to try and snip off all the unwanted previous emails at the bottom
before you send. Makes for a less cluttered internet...

Dave & Judy Kerr · Post by **Dave & Judy Kerr** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 9:19 pm

About 4-5 Hrs.
you will see that the 6 coil spring is a heavier guage
Dave.

Michael Donovan · Post by **Michael Donovan** » Wed Jul 31, 2002 9:26 pm

Thanks for the pointer to the club site specs. Yep they really do seem to
handle a bit like a gocart..except in the wet.
It still doesn't ring right to me some how that you put more coils to the
rear and less on the front it just sort of 'feels' wrong. Never mind, one of
these times I'll swap 'em around.
Thanks
Mike

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