Spring/shock help

[Projectpat115]

I cant get the spring off of the shock. Bottom is the perch and on the top is the mount. the spring will not clear going up or down. what do i take off? the mount or the perch? i'm thinking mount on top of spring.

 

[jtmcinder]

1. install spring compressors
2. remove nuts from shaft on shock and take off plate
3. remove spring

skip step 1 and gain a new nick-name, like "one eye"

- Jtoby

 

[dlh1999]

You can rent spring compressors from Auto Zone, etc...I believe it's like $20, all of which you get back when you return them. They make the job MUCH easier and MUCH safer.

 

[Projectpat115]

Yah i work at autozone. it was 40. I got the shock assembly off the car in like 25 minutes but i cant get the spring off the shock. Im pretty sure it is suposed to go up the shock and off but i cant get that mount on the top of the strut off. i heated it and used deep creek and pounded the hell out of it but it will not come off. the spring is stuck on the shock.

 

[jtmcinder]

The mount is held onto the shock's shaft with a pair of nuts on the end of the shock's shaft. So, the first thing is to remove those nuts. If you already have them off, but the mount still won't come off on shaft, then loosen the spring compressors (with the assembly pointed across in front of you, so neither the shock nor the mount will hit you) and let the springs push the mount off the shaft. If that still doesn't do it, throw the entire assembly out a window and let the impact break the rust welds (as well as being quite entertaining).

If you can't get the nuts off the shaft, then you'll have to cut the shaft and trash the shock.

- Jtoby

 

[Projectpat115]

I got that whole top part off put there is a like bowl type thing that that the "lid" bolted on to. The spring gets smaller torward the bottom and the spring cant slide up. i think the piece is just soo rusted to the shock that it wont slide off. ill post pics soon

 

[jtmcinder]

That "bowl" is the dust-cap. It should slide up the shock's shaft and off.

Time for some anger and muscle.

- Jtoby

 

[Rx3]

More like a cutting wheel.



Funny you should have this problem, as I just got through the same ordeal. I'll bet the same thing that happened to me happened to you, since you live somewhere in the snow belt. Your pillowball mount has a metal sleeve, and it rustwelded itself to the shock shaft. So now the shaft has a larger diameter and because of this, you are probably unable to pull the dust shield and bumpstop off of the shaft to remove the spring. What you need to do is compress the spring with the spring compressor as much as possible. Put the assembly flat on the ground (on it's side), and have someone hold it secure for you. Take a cutting wheel, steady yourself in front of the assembly and cut the dust shield from it's top. Make four cuts, which will separate the shield, and leave a metal "Square" on top. Take a grinder, and grind down the square corners and the rust-welded metal until you have enough clearance to remove the bumpstop. Then you can slide the spring off. As long as you are steady with the tools, you won't harm your shock at all.

 

[Projectpat115]

Got coilovers on and old struts apart. i just decided to take a torch to the old shocks and buy new ones. I just torched the top shaft on top the the piece i needed of in half and hit it off. Shocks arent to cheap but a autozone employee discount helps. thanks alot