Jim:
To *disassemble* the front end does not require a spring
compressor;
1. Jack up the car. Support it on jack stands.
2. Remove the front wheel.
3. Remove the four nuts under the spring pan that secure the
shock to the spring pan. Remove the
top 2 nuts that secure the shock to the shock tower. Drop the
shock out through the bottom
of the spring pan.
4. Place your floor jack under the spring pan, centered where
the shock used to be. Use a piece of
2x4 between the jack and spring pan. Jack up the spring pan
until the car just barely begins to lift
from the jack stands.
5. Remove all the bolts/nuts securing the spring pan to the
lower a-arm. This includes the bolt
securing the sway bar bracket to the spring pan.
6. Lower the floor jack. The spring pan and spring will drop
out.
You would think that you could simply reverse this procedure to
reassemble the front suspension, but I have had no luck with it. It is
too difficult to maneuver the spring pan to line it up with the bolt
holes in the a-arms during reassembly. You can try it, as your luck may
be better than mine. And no, you cannot use the multi-jaw ("external")
spring compressor to reinstall (or remove) the springs, as there is not
enough room to get it on the spring.
Instead, I made a MOSS type ("internal") compressor, total cost
was $9. I used 2 feet of 1/2" threaded rod, a castle nut and cleavis
pin, a couple of washers, 6" of angle iron and nuts for the threaded
rod. The washers are used to protect the shock tower while I was
twisting the top nut. All parts were obtained at Ace Hardware. I drilled
a hole in the center of the angle iron, and assembled the compressor per
the Moss picture. You will need to trim the length of the threaded rod
to clear the body. You only need to compress the spring about 1" to
reassemble the front suspension.
Cheers,
Vance
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-6pack@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Jim Farris
Sent: April 05, 2005 10:03 AM
To: Six Pack
Subject: Spring Compressors
Good Afternoon,
Does one have to use a spring compressor to safely get the front springs
out
of a TR6 during a complete front end rebuild? Will the multi-jaw model
from
the local auto parts store work? If not, is Moss the only supplier that
sells the threaded rod model?
Hopefully this will make the list and any replies will make it back
through
our spam filter - isn't technology wonderful!
Thanks,
Jim Farris
Montgomery AL
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