Changing springs and shocks easy as said?

[Chris2007]

Im planning on fitted my springs and shocks on the weekend just woundering if it is as easy as the guides make it seem?
and roughly how long does it take?
Cheers chris

 

[LeeP86]

rears take no time at all the fronts take slightly longer, ul also need a spring compressor.

 

[Chris2007]

rears take no time at all the fronts take slightly longer, ul also need a spring compressor.

where can i get a spring compressor? and how do i change the shocks as i cant find a guide to do that?

 

[davebem]

Theres a guide in the haynes manual, theres also guides dotted around the forum. You wont be able to do the fronts without a compressor, Halfords sell a pair for about £25. The back is easy undo the lower shock bolt and top nut in the boot and the springs will pop out, the front struts come off by undoing the top nut and undoing the 2 strut to hub bolts. You will need to compress the front springs to take off the bits you need to stick on your new shocks.

 

[Pep]

If you want some help mate you can swing round to mine and i'll give you a hand, i've got all the stuff you need for it. should take about 2 hours tops.

drop me a pm if you want, I'll be free sunday afternoon, only about a 40 minute drive i think it was!

 

[Fred@BTM]

i'm in solihull, i'll do it for £40

 

[Yellow Dave]

Theres a guide in the haynes manual, theres also guides dotted around the forum. You wont be able to do the fronts without a compressor, Halfords sell a pair for about £25. The back is easy undo the lower shock bolt and top nut in the boot and the springs will pop out, the front struts come off by undoing the top nut and undoing the 2 strut to hub bolts. You will need to compress the front springs to take off the bits you need to stick on your new shocks.

I changed my rears dampers the other week and the spring didn't pop out. Would I have had to lever down the lower arm more to have loosened the spring?

And I was told the other week that you wouldn't need spring clamps to change them?

 

[pinky]

A1 motorway stores sells Draper spring compressors for £18

 

[fUbAr]

I changed my rears dampers the other week and the spring didn't pop out. Would I have had to lever down the lower arm more to have loosened the spring?

And I was told the other week that you wouldn't need spring clamps to change them?

yes, when you drop the rear beam you just pull the springs out. Compressors are needed for the front shocks, the people who tell you otherwise are taking unecessary risks.

my guides.
www.fubarnet.com/guides.html

 

[capturedbyjames]

I followed that guide - was spot on.

If the springs dont just fall out when you undo the rear dampners, then you probably have your car jacked up on the rear beam.

 

[Diesel_Power]

Spring compressor? Bah. I found a threaded bar, some metal brackets and a couple of nuts, worked a treat.

 

[DrR]

I did mine no problems and i'd never done a set before, but i did discover to jack up the entire front of the car, not just one side as the anti roll bar (i think) tries to push the wheel back up.

 

[fUbAr]

I did mine no problems and i'd never done a set before, but i did discover to jack up the entire front of the car, not just one side as the anti roll bar (i think) tries to push the wheel back up.

indeed, need the whole front end on axle stands.

 

[Terry172]

Me and a mate swapped all 4 springs and done the rear shocks just over a week ago and considering this was our first time attacking the fronts it only took us about 3hours.

Defo use this guide www.fubarnet.com/guides.html as it's spot on
as for changing the rear shocks all you need to do is follow the rear spring guide. Once the springs have popped out, completely undo the bolt in the boot and the shock will drop down. Replace shock, do up bolt in the boot and reverse the steps in the guide.

One thing to let you know: When putting the front suspension back together you will find the knuckle behind the brake disc will sit higher than the bottom of the strut. To line the holes up press down on the knuckle part and get a screwdriver into the top hole and use it to hold everthing in place for you to get the bottom bolt in

 

[Chris1.4RT]

So you don't really need a spring compressor to change the rear dampers?

 

[DrR]

So you don't really need a spring compressor to change the rear dampers?

Don't need a spring compressor to do any on the 172,

Rear ones are so easy to do, amazed they don't fall out to be honest lol.

 

[Terry172]

So you don't really need a spring compressor to change the rear dampers?

You don't need them for the rear as they just drop out once you lower the torsion bar on the jack

For the fronts I would use them as they will help you out big time in putting them back together and for the sake of roughly £15 I would rather pay that than have a spring in my face lol

 

[Chris1.4RT]

Torsion bar?

172 doesn't have one does it?

You mean the axle?

 

[davebem]

Its not a torsion bar its a trailing arm supported by springs and shocks. However the words torsion bar and trailing arm are mixed in the trade. The whole idea of a torsion bar is that there is no springs.

 

[DanS]

Is this guide the same for the mk 2 172 (02 reg)?

 

[-Leigh-]

Yes.

 

[mr angry]

You wont need coil spring clamps on the 172 just pull the damper out as far as it will go and re assemble the top mount.

 

[fUbAr]

You wont need coil spring clamps on the 172 just pull the damper out as far as it will go and re assemble the top mount.

its good practice to use spring compressors for taking a shock apart. Makes the job safer.

 

[B5 BDJ]

i did mine last month... took 2hrs max! used fubars guide (http://www.fubarnet.com/guides.html) and was spot on.

 

[bigboyaks]

how much does it cost to just get someone at a garage to do it for u if ur a lazy b*****d like me?

 

[mr angry]

You wont need coil spring clamps on the 172 just pull the damper out as far as it will go and re assemble the top mount.

its good practice to use spring compressors for taking a shock apart. Makes the job safer.

It may well be good practice if required but on standard springs and dampers its not necessary as the thread on the top of the damper protudes without any compression on the spring.