Suspension spring removal guide

[jimpy9]

Is there a guide on here that tells you how to replace the standard front springs.
Or any one know how to do it

 

[jase]

Rears are just easy.
Just 2 bolts to undo and both springs will drop out.
Fronts are not so easy, especially if your not sure what your doing.

 

[jimpy9]

Yeah rears are deed easy, as sai the fronts not is therea guide on here??

 

[gaz]

Fronts are an absolute ****, this aint no MK2 i'm afraid.. I'd seriously advise against trying it on your drive, its bad enough when you have a ramp and all the tools!

 

[ken182]

fronts need the bottom arm ball joint splitting (on an older car its very hard to split and risks fooking the arm at £280 a pop) to gain enough access to drop the suspension upright/carrier enough to get strut out.

easier to lower the front subframe in one out slightly.

 

[RichW]

....easier to lower the front subframe in one out slightly.

This is how i did mine, i was on with repairing the exhaust manifold at the time so did it then, but looking back the front subframe isnt that difficult to drop, but you'd be still looking at a day to do it all.

 

[gaz]

We've done it without doing that, but we had lift and proper tools. Still a ******* though. Once you've got the knack its not too bad, just remembering the struts/hubs dont work like conventional ones!

 

[jimpy9]

So i take it no guide then

 

[RichW]

Not that I know of

One tip I would say though, mms sure the large nut and bolt can be removed from the back of the hub, one of mine was corroded in (steel bolt through alloy hub) and was a real pain to remove. Also check you can undo the top three mounting bolts, as the plastic covers over the top of the struts hold the water in and corrode the bolt heads badly

 

[ken182]

i had loads of corroded bolts

the bottom pinchbolt needed drilling out while still on the car and re tapped

fooking nightmare. take it to a garage