complete waste of a day

started to take my suspension off today,didnt realise what a shit job it is to do.

i am normally quite good at doing the odd jobs on cars but got really fed up doing my suspension.

got the clamps on unbolted the top mounting,got the bottom bolt out all was going well.

i then couldnt get the shock out the bottom of the car,undone one of the drop link bolts the other was siezed solid so i had to cut the whole thing off with an angle grinder.

still couldnt get the proper leverage i needed to get the shock off as i was on my own.

about 4 hrs later i gave up put it all back together minus the drop link which i now have to order 2 of as its not worth doing one without the other.

so i might just have to pay someone to do it instead..

i hate jobs that dont go to plan

i know what you mean,i normally enjoy this sort of thing.

Hate to say this now but you can do it without taking the drop link off;)

Hate to say this now but you can do it without taking the drop link off;)

I was thinking that, the suspension does come out fairly easily, bit of a struggle as a one man job, but it can be done (I had to do it in the rain this year....)

any tips would be a great help.

with xmas coming up could do with out not shelling a couple of hundred.

kids there gifts and all that.lol

Front or rear? I believe there is an Ian C tutorial on here somewhere.

front mate

Front's are easy...Roughly,

1. jack the car up, wheel off,

2. then undo the big bolt holding the top wishbone to the car body...

3. with that moved out the way it is a case of pushing down and pulling the spring and damper out in one piece. (once you have undone the bolts holding it in that is)

I remember doing mine with Dave F, was a bit of a nightmare too!!

the top wishbone is that the one that goes round the suspension arm.

i tried to get the bolt out but it hit the body of the car,i didnt take the inner cowling off though.

i feel like a tit for asking all these questions

Front's are easy...Roughly jack the car up, wheel off, then undo the big bolt holding the top wishbone to the car body... with that moved out the way it is a case of pushing down and pulling the spring and damper out in one piece.

Will add one comment to this, if you jack up in the middle of the front cross member so both wheels are off the ground its a lot easier to push down on the bottom joint as there is not extra tension on the anti roll bar.

the top wishbone is that the one that goes round the suspension arm.

i tried to get the bolt out but it hit the body of the car,i didnt take the inner cowling off though.

i feel like a tit for asking all these questions

Take the cowling off, or at least enough to move it out the way.

will have another crack at it tomorow night i reckon..

Good luck for tommorow fella & I hope it goes better then today for you

cheers for all the comments.

i will have to order some drop links from steve manley,but i will get the rest done tomorow night.( i hope )

just done a search on top mounts,how easy are they to take off and refit.

god i feel like i ask so many questions,please dont get peed off with me.

i feel its important to get the best advice.

Ooops. I didn't say for certain you'd have to take the drop links off

It was quite a while ago when I did it, sorry.

edit: phew! It's not my fault :

I think it's possible to do it with them still attached but it's best if you can undo at least one side on each end from what I remember.

Passenger side front needs the water tank moved to get the wishbone long bolt out, I had to remove the droplinks on the rear but still made 30mins a side. Fronts take longer with the arch liner, I hate refitting those things.

cheers for all the comments.

i will have to order some drop links from steve manley,but i will get the rest done tomorow night.( i hope )

Doh this happened to me when I attempted my springs. The passenger drop link allen key bit was worn out. Luckily they are still in good nick so i didnt cut them off especially at about £45 each.

Then i pulled the suspension down and the shock just dropped out (Kinda).

Magic.