Spring change

[madaboutboost]

hi all

OK I've decided once and for all my car is way too low. Who ever owned it before was an idiot (sorry of they are still on here) It bottoms out too often and on changing my oil last week noticed it had dented the exhaust, so I've got me some new springs.
Now, I recon the ones on the car currently must be at least 50mm lower than standard, if not more. So, I've gone for 25mm lower and apparently 30% stiffer. Something I've done before many many times on other cars. My question is, are these going to be as simple as most others? Is it a simple Macphearson strut, top mount bolts, hub attachment and out she pops. Compress the spring, remove the top mount, swap over with new spring and job done...
OR, is there some sneaky weird mitsi fastening that is waiting to trip me up once the car is up the air?

Cheers:bananadan

[funkstardelux]

theres a write up in the members resources section under suspension

[aboo]

hi all

OK I've decided once and for all my car is way too low. Who ever owned it before was an idiot (sorry of they are still on here) It bottoms out too often and on changing my oil last week noticed it had dented the exhaust, so I've got me some new springs.
Now, I recon the ones on the car currently must be at least 50mm lower than standard, if not more. So, I've gone for 25mm lower and apparently 30% stiffer. Something I've done before many many times on other cars. My question is, are these going to be as simple as most others? Is it a simple Macphearson strut, top mount bolts, hub attachment and out she pops. Compress the spring, remove the top mount, swap over with new spring and job done...
OR, is there some sneaky weird mitsi fastening that is waiting to trip me up once the car is up the air?

Cheers:bananadanVery much what you have said. Very simple really.

[Nick Mann]

The front struts are clamped into a fork at the bottom, usually to get enough movement to get it all out you will need to remove the fork from the drop link as well as from the lower arm. The drop link bolt is the one that bothers me as that is almost always the one that goes rusty and refuses to budge! Most cars are okay, but that bolt has a higher than average swear factor in my experience!

The rears are an absolute piece of p!ss.

[madaboutboost]

Ahh the good old drop link, many cars have this issue, like you need to insert an allen key in the middle and undo the nut on the outside, only the allen key hole is full of crud and rusted beyond all recognition, of even being a hexagonal hole anymore, no amount of WD40 is going to get that off.
I may wire brush and drench in WD40 the day before, give it time to penetrate fully :)
Thanks for the tips guys, think of me lying in a road this weekend fitting them

[Nutter_John]

I found the best tool for removing drop links is ........... the angle grinder :D

[Davezj]

By the way if you had not already guess the front suspension is milti link, similar to the rear not Macpherson strut. the hub is attached to the hub carrier not the bottom of the shock. the hub carrier is then supported by the top wishbone and bot is supported by 2 arms from the chassis/subframe. so the the shock and spring does not do any turning when the steering wheel is turned.
the whole hub moves through a forward and backward arc as the steering is turned. sound odd but it helps turn in when cornering, makes the car feel smaller than it actually is, if you know what i mean.
not that it really matters.

[Eurospec]

I found the best tool for removing drop links is ........... the angle grinder :D

So true, so often!

The only thing i find is the the stock springs are hugely long, resulting in having to have a really good spring compressor to get them.

Cheers,

Ben.

[madaboutboost]

The ones I'm taking off are that low I doubt I'll need to compress much. Plus I am fitting lowering jobbies (only 25mm drop) so should hopefully be less of an ordeal.
Anyone swinging by Melrose in Wellington tomorrow, feel free to swing by and laugh at me struggling :)