New suspension, DIY or cough up the cash for garage
Discussion
I've recently purchased some new eibach suspension springs to hopefully improve the ride on my fiesta st. I have little to no mechanical knowledge and was planning to get this done at a local garage who are quoting around £200-250 plus vat. However a guy at work claims to have done this before and has offered to help me. After a bit of research i've become aware of how dangerous it is to mess around with the springs and my colleague is a little gung ho to say the least, he said when he did it he used ratchet straps as he didnt have any spring compressors (i have at least ordered some Am-Tech 2pc Coil spring Compressor Clamps!)
Anybody with experience in this got any thoughts? Is this the kind of job thats so risky i should just pay for the garage to do it?
Anybody with experience in this got any thoughts? Is this the kind of job thats so risky i should just pay for the garage to do it?
I've done it before and I'd probably pay a garage now that I'm a bit older - didn't really realise the risk back then.
I certainly wouldn't use those Amtech ones though. You want ones with "safety hooks" on them or a way of properly securing the compressor to the spring and ideally you want 3 instead of 2.
And unsure if I'm allowed to say this, but anything from Amtech I would avoid where safety is paramount. I wouldn't be surprised if the threads slipped or the hooks snapped and you'd probably be better off just using ratchet straps.
I certainly wouldn't use those Amtech ones though. You want ones with "safety hooks" on them or a way of properly securing the compressor to the spring and ideally you want 3 instead of 2.
And unsure if I'm allowed to say this, but anything from Amtech I would avoid where safety is paramount. I wouldn't be surprised if the threads slipped or the hooks snapped and you'd probably be better off just using ratchet straps.
It's not a difficult job, but I wouldn't do it without proper spring compressors and you need some generic tools as well which you may not have if you're not used to doing DIY mechanical work. You do have to be bloody careful with car springs, the amount of energy in a compressed one is pretty significant! I'd echo the comment about using three (rather than two) compressors.
Edited by kambites on Monday 20th May 14:45
Like others have said unless you're going to be doing it regular and with decent tools (sprigs are bloody dangerous) then pay the garage to do it.
You say your colleague is gun ho, this is not the right approach when doing a job like this. Also if u pay a garage to do it any problems then its down to them not you.
You say your colleague is gun ho, this is not the right approach when doing a job like this. Also if u pay a garage to do it any problems then its down to them not you.
As above, easy DIY job if you have the tools but can't stress enough that those spring compressors look lethal.
Also don't do as another poster recently suggested and use a gun - use a ratchet and do it by hand, evenly.
You'll need a lot more though - socket set, some spanners, possibly a breaker bar, all the equipment for jacking and correctly supporting the car in the air, some penetrating fluid...
Great if you're mechanically minded, but I wouldn't advise it if not...
Also don't do as another poster recently suggested and use a gun - use a ratchet and do it by hand, evenly.
You'll need a lot more though - socket set, some spanners, possibly a breaker bar, all the equipment for jacking and correctly supporting the car in the air, some penetrating fluid...
Great if you're mechanically minded, but I wouldn't advise it if not...
I'll just leave this here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY56ib3I-ew
(and this was relatively tame)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY56ib3I-ew
(and this was relatively tame)
If you're aware of the potential risks and take sensible precautions then there's no reason why you can't DIY.
All the videos that I've seen of springs dramatically launching themselves across the garage have been down to idiocy on the part of the person doing it.
If you're capable of jacking and supporting a car safely then you're capable of swapping springs safely.
All the videos that I've seen of springs dramatically launching themselves across the garage have been down to idiocy on the part of the person doing it.
If you're capable of jacking and supporting a car safely then you're capable of swapping springs safely.
It was one of the first jobs I did back when I knew nothing.
Don't skimp on spring compressors. Wind each compressor a turn at a time, alternate to keep the spring evenly compressed all round. Take your time and handle a compressed spring like an unexploded bomb. Don't get fingers between coils in case the spring bends sideways.
Budget plenty of time where you won't be able to use the car. There will be rusty old bolts that need to soak in penetrating fluid overnight before you get them off.
Think about anything else you might want done, ie future proof. If a shock absorber starts leaking next month you'll be doing most of the work over again. If they're pretty new then it's less of a risk. Inspect bushes and bolts before starting in case any of them need replaced too.
Don't skimp on spring compressors. Wind each compressor a turn at a time, alternate to keep the spring evenly compressed all round. Take your time and handle a compressed spring like an unexploded bomb. Don't get fingers between coils in case the spring bends sideways.
Budget plenty of time where you won't be able to use the car. There will be rusty old bolts that need to soak in penetrating fluid overnight before you get them off.
Think about anything else you might want done, ie future proof. If a shock absorber starts leaking next month you'll be doing most of the work over again. If they're pretty new then it's less of a risk. Inspect bushes and bolts before starting in case any of them need replaced too.
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