Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
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Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
Got the fronts installed, having a hard time seeing how I'm going to get the rear springs out of such a small area, guess I'm just used to struts on all 4 corners.. Any tips? I will have spring compressors on hand when doing this, it just looks like the spring is way tall for the amount of room I have to work with.
2000 Dodge Durango 5.9 (gone, and missed)
2008 Mercedes Benz R320CDI
1985 Merkur XR4Ti
2008 Mercedes Benz R320CDI
1985 Merkur XR4Ti
Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
You have to lower the subframe to get them in.
'85 XR4Ti: Stuck in "Project Forever" SC LS swap hell...
"All cruelty springs from weakness" - Seneca
"All cruelty springs from weakness" - Seneca
- Mike McCreight
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
Or disconnect the brake hoses, and the inner (IIRC) CV joints, and pry the trailing arm down.
I'm REALLY leery of dropping the subframe on an older or rusty car. If you strip/rip/snap those long bolts, you're really in for a disappointment.
I'm REALLY leery of dropping the subframe on an older or rusty car. If you strip/rip/snap those long bolts, you're really in for a disappointment.
It's not a hobby, it's an obsession!
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
I'm leaning more toward dropping the subframe... I'm just going to load all the bolts up with pb blaster for a while before I start undoing bolts. I would go the route of undoing the brake lines if i had all the stuff to swap out the drums. Someday.
2000 Dodge Durango 5.9 (gone, and missed)
2008 Mercedes Benz R320CDI
1985 Merkur XR4Ti
2008 Mercedes Benz R320CDI
1985 Merkur XR4Ti
Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
no, like he said the easiest way is to:
1. disconnect the brake lines
2. disconnect CV axles (ive heard a ton of crap about those torx bolts, but you'll have to deal with them 1 day) Mine came off like butter
3. disconnect lower shock bolt
4. pry down on control arms and the springs will come out.
1. disconnect the brake lines
2. disconnect CV axles (ive heard a ton of crap about those torx bolts, but you'll have to deal with them 1 day) Mine came off like butter
3. disconnect lower shock bolt
4. pry down on control arms and the springs will come out.
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
Ill add disconnect the diff mount. Dont worry about touching the beam mounts though. You sohuld get plenty of droop with the above mentioned techniques and disconnecting the diff mount
Adam Escott
Dothan, AL
89 XR with Outcast Body in red
Duratec build in progress(need cams and stand-alone)
89 Scorpio. Needs everything
Dothan, AL
89 XR with Outcast Body in red
Duratec build in progress(need cams and stand-alone)
89 Scorpio. Needs everything
- DPDISXR4Ti
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
It depends a lot on what spring you're taking out and/or putting in. i.e. a short, stiff spring will be much easier than a soft, tall spring.
I wonder if this type of spring compressor could be used? I've used the cheap, low-tech ones, and felt like I'm playing with dynamite the whole time.
I wonder if this type of spring compressor could be used? I've used the cheap, low-tech ones, and felt like I'm playing with dynamite the whole time.
Brad
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
I'm taking the stock springs out, and replacing them with some hypercoil 550s, believe they came from mc2racing originally. Installed some 200s up front and could tell a world of difference from the stock cut springs that were in it originally.
2000 Dodge Durango 5.9 (gone, and missed)
2008 Mercedes Benz R320CDI
1985 Merkur XR4Ti
2008 Mercedes Benz R320CDI
1985 Merkur XR4Ti
- merkurdriver
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
I'm not 100% certain but I think I've seen someone put the car on stands, let the rear arms hang down, and then use one of those $20 spring compressors to go in and compress the spring and pull it out.
- DPDISXR4Ti
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
I just put a pair of Scorpio springs (less one loop) in that way. No axles, shocks, brake lines in the way. I'll use a better quality spring compressor or drop the whole assembly before doing it that way again. I've made it this far in life; it doesn't seem like killing myself with a $20 Chinese spring compressor would be a worthy way to go.merkurdriver wrote:I'm not 100% certain but I think I've seen someone put the car on stands, let the rear arms hang down, and then use one of those $20 spring compressors to go in and compress the spring and pull it out.
Brad
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Re: Installing new springs, any tips on the rears?
Whenever I play with any spring even with the best professional spring compressor I wrap a chain around the spring and attach that to something that will hold it in any worse case scenario.
(Why? Ever seen a Cadillac front spring go completely through a fender?)
(Why? Ever seen a Cadillac front spring go completely through a fender?)
German engineer: We custom fit every part in the Porsche engine.
Japanese engineer: You mean that you make every part wrong to begin with?
Japanese engineer: You mean that you make every part wrong to begin with?