C2 struts

Thanks for all the details. I'm just going to order in the new strut mounts/bearings and rollbar droplink and do the lot. No doubt midnight the night before the car heads of to Uni with my daughter next year :rolleyes: :blackeye: We can't do anything until there is some urgency and pressure there right :clown:
 
Don't get crappy spring compressors and wind evenly. Springs can maim and kill. A very heavy screwdriver blade socket will open the hub. Other tools are standard, as per the video.
 
What spring compressors do you guys use? I really HATE the idea of trying to get a spring out. cars should have proper, safe hydraulic systems!
 
I have a set like the first image and made by Sykes-Pickavant. However, you might want to use the type in the 2nd image for this job. The disadvantage of the first type is that it is often difficult to get the hook over the coils at the end.

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Look at the raised lip on the inner inside edge that holds the coil in the tool.
 
I worry about the ones with one screw and forks even though they sit on the coil - there's a reason the big hydraulic workshop models have a cage. Sykes do make excellent tools. Some of the single screw models can be held in a vise, which is handy.

Mine were inherited, and likely now unavailable, but I would look for an acme thread like a jack because they can take considerable force, plenty of thread on the hooks for the same reason, and a catch to keep the spring coil from snapping off if the hooks aren't deep.

Sykes Pickavant is $$$ expensive, but don't go silly cheap. Get one like it. If it bends or breaks you lose a limb.

Maybe like this - https://www.sptools.com/product-cat...s/macpherson-strut-spring-compressor-set-2pc/ You can probably find a pair for a bit less.

You might be able to hire a pair.
 
seasink said:
I worry about the ones with one screw and forks even though they sit on the coil - there's a reason the big hydraulic workshop models have a cage. Sykes do make excellent tools. Some of the single screw models can be held in a vise, which is handy.

Mine were inherited, and likely now unavailable, but I would look for an acme thread like a jack because they can take considerable force, plenty of thread on the hooks for the same reason, and a catch to keep the spring coil from snapping off if the hooks aren't deep.

Sykes Pickavant is $$$ expensive, but don't go silly cheap. Get one like it. If it bends or breaks you lose a limb.

Maybe like this - https://www.sptools.com/product-cat...s/macpherson-strut-spring-compressor-set-2pc/ You can probably find a pair for a bit less.

You might be able to hire a pair.
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I like the pin to retain the springs on those SP ones. I just figured the design of the ones David has suggest would be a lot safer :confused:
 
There is a lot of energy stored in a spring. I know we all feel indestructible at some point in life, usually early on, but this is one area where decent tools are the smart option. Either type will work, but the twin clamps usually mean you have to compress the middle coils quite a lot. I've done dumb things like cautiously using improvised hardware-grade threaded rod (one step up from cheese!) on one particular front-end, but it's really quite a bad idea and I was lucky to get away with it without injury thinking back. For that job, I now have the correct and heavy duty Churchill spring compressor.
 
David S said:
There is a lot of energy stored in a spring. I know we all feel indestructible at some point in life, usually early on, but this is one area where decent tools are the smart option. Either type will work, but the twin clamps usually mean you have to compress the middle coils quite a lot. I've done dumb things like cautiously using improvised hardware-grade threaded rod (one step up from cheese!) on one particular front-end, but it's really quite a bad idea and I was lucky to get away with it without injury thinking back. For that job, I now have the correct and heavy duty Churchill spring compressor.
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I googled "churchill compressor'. They wouldn't work on struts? as the compressor sits in the area the strut needs to go.

I understand what you're saying now.

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I was thinking this type would be better as you are evently spreading the load over two tools.

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Where as this one has no re-enforcing down the opposite side of the spring. So the entire springs force is trying to bend the one side of the puller open. But you're right, the force would be much less, as you are compressing the entire spring, rather than just a few coils.

seeya,
Shane L.
 
seasink said:
Something tells me that for so little use it won't be a Sykes.
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Good grief. I don't think so. I should probably find out if I can hire one anywhere in town (generally I buy the tooling I need, but this feels a bit like playing with a hand grenade) The Vivo one will likely be ok. We'll just make sure it's always pointed away from any humans.
 
I have both of those styles of spring compressors and I can tell you that the threaded rod type bend...a lot. If you look carefully at the picture, you will note the spring is not under compression!
It's also a pain adjusting one side then the other to keep even tension on both sides. The "claws" that hold the spring don't engage correctly on the turns of the spring so the compressors sit on a wonky angle. They are cheaper and they do work, but they are a bit frightening to use.
If you have a look at my pics on the C3 site, you will see I used the "VEVOR" style compressor. I got one from Ebay at what I thought was a reasonable price. But you would need to decide if the dollars are a good investment considering it will probably get little use.
 
That's funny, how did you know I was just looking at your link.

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Is the whole spring compressor bending out of shape there ? It could be just the picture, but it looks like the "forks" that hold the spring are being outward.



You have saved me a HUGE amount of frustration. I would have got to this point and thought "what the hell".....

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Is that a special tool I need ?
 
The tool slips into the slot in the knuckle that holds the strut and turns 90 degrees to open it a controlled amount. I'm sure you can improvise with an old bolt ground down.
 
If I remember, the 'top' fixed point pivots a bit. The whole thing does bend slightly but it's far more substantial than the threaded rod type.
Having said that, I would only use it on light sedan springs! Forget ute, SUV or springs any bigger than that!

I got that tool from Ebay and it wasn't very expensive. As David said, you just wedge it into the joint in the back of the clamping part of the knuckle and turn it 90 degrees. You can use it for removing the ball joint from the knuckle and/or removing the knuckle from the shock.
The knuckle can be difficult to separate from the shock. Mechanics would use an air hammer to just knock the knuckle off the shock. But that's not an option for most of us.
If you intend to remove the knuckle from the shock, use plenty of penetrating spray before and during the removal. I would probably recommend removing the knuckle while the entire assembly is still mounted to the fender. So; remove the knuckle from the ball joint, remove the drive shaft from the knuckle, remove the tie rod end from the knuckle but leave the strut dangling from the fender. That way you can hold the strut while you remove the knuckle (with a few downward taps from a hammer). Then remove the strut from the fender. But you can assemble the knuckle onto the new strut before you install the spring and etc.
There is a locating tab welded onto the "back" of the shock strut to locate the gap in the knuckle that forms the clamp. As you are pressing the knuckle back onto the strut, try and line this up before you start as it's very difficult to 'twist' the two to get them aligned.
This locating tab, the droplink mounts and the brake line bracket are different from left side to right side (mirrored). You cant really assemble the strut incorrectly, but you might accidently put the assembly on the wrong side. No harm done, but it's a pain lifting the shock into position with one arm and doing up the mount with the other, only to discover that you have put it on the wrong side!
 
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Well I figured I better get around to this .... I figured this would take hours .... and hours ... and hours of screaming abuse at the car. about 1/2 hour later.....

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that little cheap ozito rattle gun .... even undid the driveshaft nut. It all just came apart really easily. Oh, if you see there is 3 bolts holding the lower balljoint on ... don't be smart and just whip them out thinking "that's easier than breaking a joint" .... Well you can't seperate them as one of the bolts won't come out. So you need to bolt the ball joint back on and pry the joint apart (its not a press/taper fit, and should push apart with some big levers).

Seeing this all just fell apart, there is no doubt, the strut mount will probably not be the issue :rolleyes: :blackeye:
 
Why is the hub still on the strut? You spread it while the strut is still on the car.
See the video earlier.
 
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