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Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

19th Feb 13 at 20:27

Finally got the main component for my suspension project today... the suspension!

All looks to be present and accounted for, bit mucky so my first job for tomorrow night will be to hose it all down and get it in a fit state for handling in the house - I'm not blessed with a workshop yet!

One of the rears:

I think I'll start off refurbing the rears as they're the ones which clunk. If it all goes smoothly and I don't get arse on with the rears, I'll do the fronts too just for "future proofing".

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 19:54

A few people who do this "refurb" comment on difficulty undoing the tophat nut which allows you to slide the spring away from the damper.

Some get lucky and it just breaks loose and comes off, and it turns out I'm not one of these people

For us unlucky folk the shock insert simply spins with the bolt.

By the sounds of it I've got two choices:

a) Twat it with a windy gun and it'll probably come loose

b) Get a 17mm swan neck spanner, stick an allen key in the slot to hold the insert still - then give it some elbow grease.

I've soaked both shocks in WD40 so I'll go grab a swan neck 17mm spanner on the way home tomorrow night. Hopefully that'll crack it, but if anyone has any suggestions for tackling this - I'm all ears.

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

BeetleGav

Member

Registered: 27th Jun 10
Location: lancashire, nelson
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 20:19

thats a better design than the corsa rear shocks! utter bastards!, id go for a swan neck personally

Jon_C

Premium Member

Registered: 7th Dec 05
Location: Suffolk
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 20:20

Can't you pop into a garage and ask them
Nicely to undo them with an impact gun. Don't forget to put some spring compressors on too

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 20:23

Good call on the garage, if I've not got it off by saturday I'll go round to the tyre place round the corner see if they can buzz it off for me for the price of a bacon sarny or something

Aye I've got compressors on, didn't fancy like a face full of suspension if it suddenly popped off

The guide I read says the following:

quote:
this is the one you have to insert a #6 metric allen wrench in the end of the rod to keep it from turning while you remove the 17mm nut with something like a socket with a couple of wrench lands ground into the sides. There are fancy tools for this but you don't need them

I'm curious as to what the "fancy tools" are.

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

BeetleGav

Member

Registered: 27th Jun 10
Location: lancashire, nelson
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 20:34

my guess is a hammer

Simon_16v

Member

Registered: 14th Aug 06
Location: Yorkshire
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 20:51

http://www.clubgti.com/showthread.php?148515-DIY-tool-for-mk2-golf-front-suspension-top-monts&s=0210ea9ed0d86ae25a68edd83a7a7f3d

Top 2 pics, seems a good method if you have a spare socket kicking about

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 20:54

Grinding away my 17mm deep socket is a good idea... but then I'd need a grinder, so I think buying a swan neck will probably make more sense

I did try holding my socket with molegrips and threading an allen key through the top but the socket just spins in the grips.... maybe something rubbery to wrap round the socket will do the trick.

I'll have a root about!

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Simon_16v

Member

Registered: 14th Aug 06
Location: Yorkshire
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 20:59

Or putting the mole grips on tighter

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 21:03

I'm trying, honest. I need some hired muscle for this

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

dan-sport

Member

Registered: 9th Oct 07
Location: Bushbury, West Midlands
User status: Offline

20th Feb 13 at 22:11

I'd just put the mole grips in between the spring on the shock, put shock on floor then use a socket and ratchet on the top nut stand on shock with one foot an stamp on ratchet with other will crack the nut off, but thats a last resort tactic.

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 09:03

Cheers Dan, I actually watched a YouTube video last night of a US guy changing springs on a Legacy and he did exactly what you said, with a towel wrapped around the damper insert to protect it.

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

3CorsaMeal

Member

Registered: 11th Apr 02
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 09:55

Mine is the same, i just use a deep drop ring spanner and i have a set of allen keys that fit into a rachet handle.

The other option is a socket with flats on the top that the mole grips bite onto

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 09:59

quote:
Originally posted by 3CorsaMeal
Mine is the same, i just use a deep drop ring spanner and i have a set of allen keys that fit into a rachet handle.

The other option is a socket with flats on the top that the mole grips bite onto

Aye, it seems that alot of suspension struts hang together in the same way. I read through an Audi guide last night which was similar and they had an extended socket with a cut out in the side for an allen key to slide in... clever stuff.

It's little jobs like this which make my tool collection seem so inadequate

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Ben G

Member

Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 10:36

allen key and swan neck spanner was what was used to get mine off.

the strut was gripped in a vice.

VrsTurbo

Premium Member

Registered: 8th Jun 10
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 10:42

I use a impact gun that runs off the mains makes all jobs on the car so much easier

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 10:48

quote:
Originally posted by VrsTurbo
I use a impact gun that runs off the mains makes all jobs on the car so much easier

Yep I think I'll definitely pick one up sometime soon. The 19mm bolts holding the struts to my hub are notoriously difficult so will probably need one for those too.

I take it the leccy ones are as capable as air ones? Battery ones to be avoided I'd imagine?

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

Ben G

Member

Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 10:57

sometimes good old air guns don't work. you'd be amazed how difficult it can be to remove a flywheel bolt after the locktite has gone off.

Steve

Premium Member

Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 11:13

iv got a leccy one is really good actually considering

VrsTurbo

Premium Member

Registered: 8th Jun 10
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 11:53

quote:
Originally posted by Kyle T

quote:
Originally posted by VrsTurbo
I use a impact gun that runs off the mains makes all jobs on the car so much easier

Yep I think I'll definitely pick one up sometime soon. The 19mm bolts holding the struts to my hub are notoriously difficult so will probably need one for those too.

I take it the leccy ones are as capable as air ones? Battery ones to be avoided I'd imagine?

Well saying all that i was at a garage last night and they had some snap on battery powered ones and wow they were immense. But i use a £60 machine mart one and its never come across a bolt that it cant undo.

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 12:26

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cew1000-electric-impact-wrench

Seems like a reasonable buy, it's got some good reviews.

I need a trolley jack and some stands too - so looks like a nice big order coming up

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

3CorsaMeal

Member

Registered: 11th Apr 02
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 12:44

i got a lovely trolley jack & stands from this place, 10 year warranty too

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/hydraulic-jacks

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 12:46

They seem cheap... £17 plus VAT for a 2tonne jack.

I shall have a proper browse in a bit, cheers 3CM.

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

3CorsaMeal

Member

Registered: 11th Apr 02
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 12:47

Thats basically the same as the halfords one, i took my halfords one apart after it broke.

i got this
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/hydraulic-jacks/trolley-jacks/tja125-aluminium-trolley-jack

Kyle T

Premium Member

Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline

21st Feb 13 at 18:15

I'm getting ever so slightly agitated now. Got a 17mm out of the cabinet at Halfords and straight away could see it was too chunky to fit into the tophat to reach the nut. The chap who was assisting me told me to try it anyway and bring it back if it didn't work.

Of course, it's miles off.

I've just spent 10mins outside filing the side of my 17mm deep socket down like a madman to try and give it a shape which the molegrips can purchase. It still won't do though, that bolt is properly on there... and really starting to wind me up!

I've got tomorrow off work so I'm going to take the strut down to the tyre place round the corner to see if they'll try buzzing it off for me.

Lotus Elise 111R

Impreza WRX STi

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