Easiest way to remove rear springs?

[sammyhale22]

I had to get my dad to help!
I removed large bolt holding bottom of shock in place. Then my father had to literally push down on the brake disc with his foot to lower it enough so that i could lever the spring out! It was even more of a game getting the damn spring in!! There has to be an easier way that doesnt require you to literally force the spring in ??
I thought it would be alot easier if there was a way to axle stand the entire rear of the car but you cant because of the linked suspension setup, its so awkward!!

Sam

 

[Bodge!]

without sounding sarcastic here.............

Spring Compressors

 

[bmh.01]

Jack the car up and put it on stands on the sills at the back, take the weight of the rear beam off the shocks with the jack. Then remove both lower shock bolts and lower the jack, the beam will drop away from the car allowing you to easily change the springs over. Reverse to refit, lower bolts want torquing up to 77ft.lb/105nm iirc.

without sounding sarcastic here.............

Spring Compressors

Not necessary or useable on the back.

 

[Jon.L]

remove the bolt form the rear shocks that join it to the rear beam then jack the car up with a trolley jack idealy either side then due to the fact the shocks arnt joined to the rear beam the shell will lift and the rear beam will stay on the floor therefore creating the gap for the springs to fall out. then reverse it to re fit

 

[edde]

jack the car on the rear beam or jacking point on the shell and its no problem

 

[Ali]

lol! soon as you take that bolt out, te beam will drop! Piece of piss! You dont even need to take the wheels off!

 

[Fred@BTM]

if it takes you more than 15min, step away from the spanners/tool box for life

 

[sammyhale22]

I`m sure the very first time you fitted rear springs it didn`t take you only 15 minutes Fred. So cut the crap.

 

[Fred@BTM]

it took me 20min first time ever (f**k me that was nearly 8 years ago!), its 2 bolts and a jack

 

[mattjk]

Took me more than 15 minutes too, purely because I cross threaded the bolt

Yes I am a tard

 

[AlexG]

Put something under the axle though otherwise when it drops it might snap your bolt?

Jack it up on the sills, axle stand under the axle by the disks, undo both low shock absorber bolts, raise the car up a bit more and the springs will fall out.

 

[Fred@BTM]

just undo the 2 locker shocks bolts with the car on the floor and then jack it up, easy peasy, leave the wheels on

 

[AlexG]

just undo the 2 locker shocks bolts with the car on the floor and then jack it up, easy peasy, leave the wheels on

didnt think of that

 

[c__w]

You will need to undo both sides even if you're only replacing one spring as the anti roll bar will resist any downward movement you put on the trailing arm when trying to remove the spring.

I did two recently on a 1.2 16v (I assume the 172 is the same method), I jacked up the car in the centre under the subframe a little, undid the shock bolts then raised the car fully up. I used a length of bar inside the end of the trailing arm to pull it down (this might differ on the 172 though).

 

[A18XHO]

if it takes you more than 15min, step away from the spanners/tool box for life

lol even though you wrote your guide pissed i still managed it in 20mins

 

[Fred@BTM]

where is my pissed guide?

 

[A18XHO]

guides section i think, it says you had a few stellas lol, im pretty sure it was you? how to change springs or something?

 

[sammyhale22]

its ok saying leave the wheels on when you jack it up so the springs drop out. But how do you hold both the springs perfectly in place so that when the car drops back down neither of them fall out...without getting jammed under the car ? lol

 

[A18XHO]

let it down enough so you can just pop the spring in place top and bottom (will need to crush the spring abit with your hands) or get somebody to hold them until they are in the carriers whilst you let it down slowly

 

[Aluco]

undo both shocks then the axle goes loose and they just fall to the ground with a satisfying clang. If you think the rears are bad then god help you when you do the fronts, there easyish to get off but getting them back on is hellish.

 

[Aluco]

its ok saying leave the wheels on when you jack it up so the springs drop out. But how do you hold both the springs perfectly in place so that when the car drops back down neither of them fall out...without getting jammed under the car ? lol

Use a jack under the axle whilst the car is jacked up align them and put the bolts in then lower the can with the other jacks.