4hrs labour!!!!!!!!!

[Ballibeg]

OK so I admit I tried and failed to replace my rear springs myself. I read all the posts had the tools but gave up as I just couldn't get the spring compressors in situ and be able to tighten them to remove the spring. I tried the jack up the body option but as I've a slight slope on my drive I reckoned it was simply too risky to have the rear in the air.

So I took the coils to the local independent Tyre and Exhaust place and after much sucking of teeth he reckoned it was a minimum 4hrs labour and could take a couple of days.

So I walked away and went to my usual guy who funnily has too much work on and can't do it for a couple of weeks.

Better to wait and get it done properly than go to the goons at minimum 4hrs labour. So no new springs for Sunday's play day in Argyll.

Dave

[lord lucan]

you will never get the springs in without jacking the rear up and letting the axle hang down.

[BUSHWHACKER]

OK so I admit I tried and failed to replace my rear springs myself. I read all the posts had the tools but gave up as I just couldn't get the spring compressors in situ and be able to tighten them to remove the spring. I tried the jack up the body option but as I've a slight slope on my drive I reckoned it was simply too risky to have the rear in the air.

So I took the coils to the local independent Tyre and Exhaust place and after much sucking of teeth he reckoned it was a minimum 4hrs labour and could take a couple of days.

So I walked away and went to my usual guy who funnily has too much work on and can't do it for a couple of weeks.

Better to wait and get it done properly than go to the goons at minimum 4hrs labour. So no new springs for Sunday's play day in Argyll.

Dave

I can do it in two!

If only you lived nearer..

[andycook]

agree - its a 2 hour job, if all the nuts/bolts come undone easily
certainly nowhere near 4 hrs!

i used bottle jack to jack axle from body of truck
after undoing brake lines, shocks etc

[nero279]

4 hrs, it took me less than that and i didn't have a clue what i was doing, i reckon i could do one in well under 2 now i know how to do it.

Fill the back up with $$$$ then put the compressors on, it saves finding room for a ratchet to wind the clamps in, unload the surf, jack the chassis/towbar, and support the axle, drop the bolt out the lower shock mount, knock the shock off it's lower mount, remove the compressed spring, release the compressor from that spring and tighten them upp on the new one, slide the new spring in, lower the body, release the compressors, refit the shock, job done now onto the other side.

Ohh yeah i think i unbolted one of the brake line brackets, possibly from the trailing arm, just to give a little bit more movement on the axle.

Wanna drive down here? I'll do it for £50?

[BUSHWHACKER]

How much does $$$$ weigh then? Can you get it by the kilo?

[nero279]

How much does $$$$ weigh then? Can you get it by the kilo?

If you got a kilo of $$$$ notes i'll give you a tenner for em, don't want no coins though.

- I used a spare set of wheels from my escort, 70 kilos of salt tablets and a tent

[Slugsie]

you will never get the springs in without jacking the rear up and letting the axle hang down.

Yes you can, I did it. (Before finding out about the trick of letting the axle hang right down)

[lord lucan]

Yes you can, I did it. (Before finding out about the trick of letting the axle hang right down)

if you can do it without using a jack i would sure like to see you do it?

[Slugsie]

if you can do it without using a jack i would sure like to see you do it?

It wasn't easy I can tell you. Getting the old springs out was relatively painless just using spring compressors - awkward yes, overly difficult no.

Getting the uprated LC springs in was harder. Much harder. It involved compressing the springs down a bit using the spring compressors, then using some straps with one-way buckles wrapped several times round the coils to hold the compression. Then through a combination of more compression with the compressors, and pulling hard on the straps I (with the assistance of a mate) managed to get the springs small enough to easily put them in place on the axle. The compression process took something like 20 minutes, and was done with quite some trepidation. We quite quickly realised that there was a hell of a lot of energy being stored in the springs, which would be very quickly released if either the compressors or the straps gave way.

[Slugsie]

Ooops, just realised you meant jacking the back end of the car up.

Yes, obviously I did that bit.

[TonyN]

Ooops, just realised you meant jacking the back end of the car up.

Yes, obviously I did that bit.

thats a relief! thought gravity was on the blink around your way.

[surfenstein]

you could always do it the way i did richards truck,undo the rear shock bolts remove panhard rod bolts,and put a hydraulic ram between the axle and the chassis xmember,took about twenty minutes,job done.(oh i did use spring compressors to refit the lc springs though.)

[stormforce]

you could always do it the way i did richards truck,undo the rear shock bolts remove panhard rod bolts,and put a hydraulic ram between the axle and the chassis xmember,took about twenty minutes,job done.(oh i did use spring compressors to refit the lc springs though.)

and i was very impressed with the way you and Andrew worked to get it all done for me Mark....

[surfenstein]

and i was very impressed with the way you and Andrew worked to get it all done for me Mark....

you were more impressed with my big tool though werent you rich.