Can anyone give me detailed instructions on how to change all four suspension springs on my 99 2.8. Any advice would be appreciated.
Diggler
Changing suspension springs
Rears:
- Jack up and put the car on axle stands (either jacking points or the subframe crossmember.
- Place the jack under each trailing arm in turn to take the weight as you undo the 18mm bolt at the bottom of the shock.
- Working inside the car undo the two 13mm nuts for the shock top mount (under the rear parcel shelf trim which, when the corner clips are removed, "unhooks" from from the plastic trim running around the top)
- With both trailing arms drooping you can sometimes lever the springs out, otherwise you might have to compress them a bit.
- Then put the new springs in and reassemble.
Fronts:
- Jack up, wheels off etc
- Undo the 18/19mm cross nut and bolt on the strut and the two 18mm bolts at the lower part of the strut. It should then be loose at the bottom from the hub.
- You need to steady the hub somehow so it doesn't fall and strain the brake hose
- Undo the three 13mm nuts on the top mount whilst holing the shock up.
- Withdraw the strut making not of the orientation of the wiring (ABS wire, Brake pad wire etc)
- Compress the spring, undo the top nut and take off the top mount, washer, spring top plate and replace the spring. Sometimes its easier just to slacken off the top nut when the car is on the ground.
- Jack up and put the car on axle stands (either jacking points or the subframe crossmember.
- Place the jack under each trailing arm in turn to take the weight as you undo the 18mm bolt at the bottom of the shock.
- Working inside the car undo the two 13mm nuts for the shock top mount (under the rear parcel shelf trim which, when the corner clips are removed, "unhooks" from from the plastic trim running around the top)
- With both trailing arms drooping you can sometimes lever the springs out, otherwise you might have to compress them a bit.
- Then put the new springs in and reassemble.
Fronts:
- Jack up, wheels off etc
- Undo the 18/19mm cross nut and bolt on the strut and the two 18mm bolts at the lower part of the strut. It should then be loose at the bottom from the hub.
- You need to steady the hub somehow so it doesn't fall and strain the brake hose
- Undo the three 13mm nuts on the top mount whilst holing the shock up.
- Withdraw the strut making not of the orientation of the wiring (ABS wire, Brake pad wire etc)
- Compress the spring, undo the top nut and take off the top mount, washer, spring top plate and replace the spring. Sometimes its easier just to slacken off the top nut when the car is on the ground.
Really? I find them awkward to do even with the shock out of the way and all the extra slack that gives the arm to relax the spring.TonyCal wrote:The rears can be done without removing the shock.
There is a full how to with pictures on my web site, even a full list of the tools you will need too. Click the www button at the bottom of this post go to the mods section and then suspension and brakes.
Actually, thinking about you only need to undo the 2 18mm bolts at the base of the shocks to release the trailing arms which slackens the springs (ie don't have to undo the top mount since not replacing the shocks).
