The £250 Zafira B - Fin. Bean can time!

[beko1987]

Can you not borrow them from a parts shop? In the US autozone etc. lends out tools like that if you leave a deposit on ca credit card, is there nowhere that does that in UK?

 

Take care, fucking horrible sphincter twitching process doing it.

We have that sort of thing in the UK, it's called ARSEt

 

Autoshite

Rescue

Recovery

Etc

Tool loans

 

Ill have a crack at the job, owning a gooner2 there's a high chance I'll have to do it again one day. I'll maybe wrap some rope around the compressed coils too, for extra safety and just do what I do every day really, and hope I don't die. Then add another job I've learnt to the list

[Slowsilver]

I have done this successfully a few times.

Some sets include 3 compressors for more security, but 2 work OK as long as you make sure they are directly opposite each other.

Tighten them up equally and if they start to tilt take them off and start again.

Just be careful, take your time and don't try to bury your face in the springs while they are compressed.

CAVEAT: The owner takes no responsibility for cack-handed usage resulting in bodily injury (or worse).

 

[beko1987]

Plan A

 

 

And a 4 mile diversion on Sunday to chez_quicksilver, and swearing at bolts next saturday

 

Plan B - £401.16 quote from the garage...

 

Why second hand rears? Because their very easy to change, and it'll get a ticket easier. The rears are bloody expensive new. The meriva had second hand rears years ago and their probably still fine now!

[Kiltox]

See that deep rooted fear you’ll feel when you wind the spring compressors up?

 

It doesn’t go away no matter how often you do it.

 

It shouldn’t I suppose.

[beko1987]

There's a plan C now, amys friend is getting a quote from a garage his work uses, he said he's owed a favor as he didn't drop them in the shit a while ago or something.

 

Ill leave that to any to decide, ill pay £50 and do it myself, or wash my hands if it and tell her when to take it back in. Told him to get me an answer by Saturday so I can let slowsilver know, and buy the parts so they arrive for next weekend

[Parky]

Oh god, not another of Amy's friends....

 

Don't sleep with them FFS!!!

[beko1987]

Oh god, not another of Amy's friends....

 

Don't sleep with them FFS!!!

Ha!

 

He has a penis, he's quite safe

[alf892]

Wouldn't say no! Seems a bit of a waste buying a set and potentially never using them again... How quickly would you want them back though? Aiming to do it next weekend

If not sorted I would post out Monday on next day.

 

No hurry for return all.......got no plans to be doing springs in near future

[They_all_do_that_sir]

There's a nice chunk of concrete missing from my workshop wall from doing an e46 front spring.

 

It's a horrible dangerous job and one I would happily pay to have done in future.

 

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

[purplebargeken]

I have a set too. I used them once. I was scared. I didn't die or get injured though. 

[Guest Hooli]

I changed coil springs once, like others I wouldn't do it again.

 

If you do do it, it might be worth getting a price from a garage to do it if you take the strut in.

[Eddie Honda]

FFS, what a bunch of spring chickens.

 

From the way you lot are going on you'd think it was a monster under the bed.

[Kiltox]

FFS, what a bunch of spring chickens.

 

.

[busmansholiday]

Just done the rear ones on the wife's C3 for the Mot. Same type as shown above and I bought mine best part of 40years ago. Done the Hillman, the Panda and other ones as well. It's still a job you have to be bloody careful with and twating the coil spring to get it into the C3 with a big hammer because the shocker bolt wouldn't undoo and they wouldn't compress the new springs enough isn't a bright idea. But, I did spend most of my working life in Health and Safety..........

[twosmoke300]

C3 front ones are a right arse . Massive long curved spring

[twosmoke300]

Welcome to you my 2k spring station but a hell of a drive !

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Line them up - take your time and keep it even........ you'll be fine fella. It's dangerous in some* respect - but so is playing with fuel, tanks, moving gearboxes etc.... it can all come to bite you on the arse if you slip up.

If really worried - a mate of mine uses a backup of ratchet straps - but I think you're messing with stuff already under tension and could* shift stuff that is perfectly OK as is........

 

Take it easy........

[Kringle]

Yep done it to a vel satis, massive springs for a super heavy car. Used the usual spring compressors. Getting a good fit and winding evenly and slowly is the way. And when you realise just how bloody long it's taking plug your impact gun into your air compressor and wind that bitch up!

 

Impatience makes you do stupid things kids.

[Kringle]

Another thought, would you all trust using spring compressors many times over or just spend 20 quid and replace if any signs of tiredness?

[Talbot]

Getting a good fit and winding evenly and slowly is the way. And when you realise just how bloody long it's taking plug your impact gun into your air compressor and wind that bitch up!

Exactly what I did recently when sorting a Berlingo front strut. Easy peasy!

[Kiltox]

Another thought, would you all trust using spring compressors many times over or just spend 20 quid and replace if any signs of tiredness?

Any visible flaw in the threads etc would be instant bin for me

[beko1987]

Springs ordered! £58 rather than £46 as I opted for some fronts that had a delivery date of next week, not the week after. Will drop into slowsilvers for the spring compressors on Sunday.

 

Then it'll probably piss it down next Saturday. Hey ho!

[twosmoke300]

When doing vauxhall front springs mark everything with tipex or paint as you take it apart - the top mount is angled so needs to go back as it came off. Assuming the previous person did it right of course.

[beko1987]

When doing vauxhall front springs mark everything with tipex or paint as you take it apart - the top mount is angled so needs to go back as it came off. Assuming the previous person did it right of course.

Awesome, will do!

 

If it's going to be anything like the rest of the car, it won't have been apart before...

[twosmoke300]

Its a vauxhall - these wont be its first new springs - trust me !

[sierraman]

A while back someone on here said they used some 'heavy duty' tie wraps to hold the spring while he undid the top. It made me feel queasy reading it the thought of these cable ties failing and some bugger literally losing his head.

[Parky]

Start spraying Plusgas on fastenings now!

[sierraman]

And invest in an impact gun.

[Split_Pin]

Good job on keeping this going

 

10/40 is the preferred oil for these, despite what some parts places will tell you.

[vaughant]

A while back someone on here said they used some 'heavy duty' tie wraps to hold the spring while he undid the top. It made me feel queasy reading it the thought of these cable ties failing and some bugger literally losing his head.

Jubilee clips are the boys, they will withstand a hell of a lot of force, so much so that we replaced a Mondeo coil spring in my mates mk3 with them. Used in conjunction with the spring compressors shown above should give you no major issues.

 

Another thing I've done in the past is get the strut (s) off, take them with springs to a local garage that use a proper spring compressor and pay them the £20/30 they charge, easy money for them, much less of a world of hurt for you (literally in some cases!!!).

 

I know it sounds a bit Barry boys but I often find lowering springs last a lot longer, mainly due to the lower volume of manufacture means they can/could get away with still painting them in solvent rather than water based paints hence they don't rust from the inside out and snap. I can't recall ever changing one back in the 90's before all the paint specs changed, after that I think I've done one on every car I've owned!!!