broken coil...

[darkbluevanman]

Due to the fantastic condition of our roads, a coil twanged on me... Not in the mood for spannering, been servicing nippers new car this weekend, any tips on easiest method, have spring clamps etc.

[Jim Archer]

Chock rear wheels securely -there is going to be a fair bit of levering of this going on - and jack up front under subframe as high as you can and sit it on blocks.

Wheel off.

Jack up outer end of wishbone to take the weight.

Remove the 3 bolts and slide bottom ball joint from wishbone. Tie the leg back out of the way unless you want to keep hitting your head on it.

A willing and hefty assistant is useful for this bit - using a big levering bar and plenty of swearing, force the wishbone down and pull spring and it's rubber buffer cap thingy out of top housing.

Swap rubber dodad onto new spring and refit into top housing, make sure to get the bottom tail in the wee location notch in wishbone.

Jack wishbone back up and refit bottom ball joint.

Job done.

Have the tracking checked - if it was tracked with a broken spring then the tracking man wants the broken spring inserted up his botty - but it rarely needs doing as the ball joint bolts are a pretty good location fit in wishbone and joint end.

Dragging dirt bikes up farm tracks and the like around you soon get used to doing it.

HTH

Jim

[darkbluevanman]

Chock rear wheels securely -there is going to be a fair bit of levering of this going on - and jack up front under subframe as high as you can and sit it on blocks.

Wheel off.

Jack up outer end of wishbone to take the weight.

Remove the 3 bolts and slide bottom ball joint from wishbone. Tie the leg back out of the way unless you want to keep hitting your head on it.

A willing and hefty assistant is useful for this bit - using a big levering bar and plenty of swearing, force the wishbone down and pull spring and it's rubber buffer cap thingy out of top housing.

Swap rubber dodad onto new spring and refit into top housing, make sure to get the bottom tail in the wee location notch in wishbone.

Jack wishbone back up and refit bottom ball joint.

Job done.

Have the tracking checked - if it was tracked with a broken spring then the tracking man wants the broken spring inserted up his botty - but it rarely needs doing as the ball joint bolts are a pretty good location fit in wishbone and joint end.

Dragging dirt bikes up farm tracks and the like around you soon get used to doing it.

HTH

Jim

Cheers, get the idea, have a couple of new BJ's I can fit whilst they're off

[darkbluevanman]

Done it today, gen ford springs off Ebay (were for 190! Thicker spring, but overall shorter!) jacked it up a bit, prolly sttle down a bit, tracking towing in now (was bang on before spring broke), some big bars and only one scuffed knuckle they're on, with 2 new ball joints....

Took a bit longer as a balljoint bolt was siezed (snapped, had to drill out), found best thing for pushing wishbone down was to remove BJ from wishbone, replace one of the front BJ bolts (to stop the opening spreading) and bent a length of box section then shove in the end, get light weight female assistant to just about do the job, also tie wrapped the rubber donut to the spring to stop it spinning at the top when locating in wishbone 'cutout' at the bottom.

Also if changing the BJ like I did.... when removing the big (30mm) nut it was spinning (could only get 1/4 of a turn at a time), (with the BJ still on the wishbone) I place a length of wood between the stub axle and the top of inner wing (next to shock mount), then jacked up the BJ (so it was pushing against the wood)... this made it bite the stub and stop the pin spinning

May have to jack the back a bit now....