Replacing struts...

[Acuity30]

So I recently replaced the rear shocks on my mundane daily driver with new Napa units. Well priced and significantly improved the handling. At the rear of the car the springs and struts are separate, so it's as simple as removing the wheel and undoing 3 bolts and the shock falls out.

Late last year I had one front coil spring replaced, the mechanic at the time said the fronts are seeping oil and are pretty knackered but the top mounts were in good shape. Yesterday I used some calipers to measure the distance from top of tyre to arch liner and there was a 5cm difference on either side.
Looking online I couldn't source a quick strut anywhere other than one random brand on Amazon. So I've ordered new Napa struts, springs, bump stops and dust boots, thinking well how hard can it be.
I've since read a load of horror stories about spring compressors and completely put myself off doing it DIY. If I must DIY it, I think I'd be better off ordering new top mounts too so I can at least reduce downtime significantly by assembling the new struts loose, but that still requires me to compress the new springs to get them on.
Am I just being a wimp or are they widow makers? I've called 2 garages to quote to simply assemble the new struts for me, both said £60 which I think is excessive for 20 minutes of work.

[E-bmw]

Acuity30 said:

So I recently replaced the rear shocks on my mundane daily driver with new Napa units. Well priced and significantly improved the handling. At the rear of the car the springs and struts are separate, so it's as simple as removing the wheel and undoing 3 bolts and the shock falls out.

Surely, you meant to say spring?

If so, it may be as simple as 1 bolt each side.

Acuity30 said:

Late last year I had one front coil spring replaced, the mechanic at the time said the fronts are seeping oil and are pretty knackered but the top mounts were in good shape. Yesterday I used some calipers to measure the distance from top of tyre to arch liner and there was a 5cm difference on either side.

Shocks weeping won't cause 5cm of difference one side to the other, surely you mean one of the springs is snapped?

Acuity30 said:

Looking online I couldn't source a quick strut anywhere other than one random brand on Amazon. So I've ordered new Napa struts, springs, bump stops and dust boots, thinking well how hard can it be.

What car is it, others might have more luck searching?

Acuity30 said:

I've since read a load of horror stories about spring compressors and completely put myself off doing it DIY. If I must DIY it, I think I'd be better off ordering new top mounts too so I can at least reduce downtime significantly by assembling the new struts loose, but that still requires me to compress the new springs to get them on.

Correct, you will still need spring compressors.

Acuity30 said:

Am I just being a wimp or are they widow makers? I've called 2 garages to quote to simply assemble the new struts for me, both said £60 which I think is excessive for 20 minutes of work.

Well as you have already found out, you have a simple choice either stump up or get a pair of spring compressors, and by the way THEY ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

[Acuity30]

E-bmw said:

Acuity30 said:

So I recently replaced the rear shocks on my mundane daily driver with new Napa units. Well priced and significantly improved the handling. At the rear of the car the springs and struts are separate, so it's as simple as removing the wheel and undoing 3 bolts and the shock falls out.

Surely, you meant to say spring?

If so, it may be as simple as 1 bolt each side.

No, the shock is what I replaced, springs were fine.

Acuity30 said:

Late last year I had one front coil spring replaced, the mechanic at the time said the fronts are seeping oil and are pretty knackered but the top mounts were in good shape. Yesterday I used some calipers to measure the distance from top of tyre to arch liner and there was a 5cm difference on either side.

Shocks weeping won't cause 5cm of difference one side to the other, surely you mean one of the springs is snapped?

No, what I was saying was the spring replaced late last year is causing the height difference as one is old (but not snapped) and one is much newer and probably a different brand, hence ordering two new springs.

Acuity30 said:

Looking online I couldn't source a quick strut anywhere other than one random brand on Amazon. So I've ordered new Napa struts, springs, bump stops and dust boots, thinking well how hard can it be.

What car is it, others might have more luck searching?

2011 Volvo S40

Acuity30 said:

I've since read a load of horror stories about spring compressors and completely put myself off doing it DIY. If I must DIY it, I think I'd be better off ordering new top mounts too so I can at least reduce downtime significantly by assembling the new struts loose, but that still requires me to compress the new springs to get them on.

Correct, you will still need spring compressors.

Acuity30 said:

Am I just being a wimp or are they widow makers? I've called 2 garages to quote to simply assemble the new struts for me, both said £60 which I think is excessive for 20 minutes of work.

Well as you have already found out, you have a simple choice either stump up or get a pair of spring compressors, and by the way THEY ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

No i agree they aren't, the proper hydraulic ones would be a safer bet. Although I do have a Litelock X1 I could also wrap around the coil as a failsafe

[dontlookdown]

Changing springs is a DIY job so long as you are careful and methodical.

If you do go ahead, do not skimp on spring compressors. Get good ones - the best I have used are the kind that have two u shaped jaws that wind up and down on a threaded pillar.

The main thing to keep you safe is to always be aware of the large amount of energy that is stored in a compressed spring, and treat it with care and respect. Don't just chuck it around, and never put yourself in the path the spring would take were it to let go.

[Richard-D]

This is one of those jobs that people make a giant fuss about. It's a bit like mentioning you're going to use a chainsaw. If you say that on here, a load of people who've never used one will pipe up to tell you all about it.

Just buy a decent pair and do everything so it's not pointing at you if it lets go (which it won't). I've done it dozens of times, it's fine.

[SAS Tom]

Spring compressors aren’t scary as long as you use them properly. Not something I’d want to use often but definitely not as terrifying as people make out.

[donkmeister]

dontlookdown said:

Changing springs is a DIY job so long as you are careful and methodical.

If you do go ahead, do not skimp on spring compressors. Get good ones - the best I have used are the kind that have two u shaped jaws that wind up and down on a threaded pillar.

This type?

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/draper-n1000b-coil...

Out of interest, when people use quick struts, how are disposing of the old one?

[GreenV8S]

SAS Tom said:

Spring compressors aren t scary as long as you use them properly.

It's possible to use them safely, but you absolutely should be afraid of the consequences of a single slip. Many decades ago a cousin of mine put the threaded stud of a spring compressor through the concrete wall of his garage, through the double brick wall of his house, across the living room and through an internal dividing wall. It was finally stopped by the double brick wall on the far side of the house. Treat loaded spring compressors like you would treat a loaded gun, because they can be just as deadly.

[Richard-D]

GreenV8S said:

It's possible to use them safely, but you absolutely should be afraid of the consequences of a single slip. Many decades ago a cousin of mine put the threaded stud of a spring compressor through the concrete wall of his garage, through the double brick wall of his house, across the living room and through an internal dividing wall. It was finally stopped by the double brick wall on the far side of the house. Treat loaded spring compressors like you would treat a loaded gun, because they can be just as deadly.

That didn't happen. They can of course kill or injure if used wrongly but that story is utter bullst and a perfect example of the sort of thing that get touted whenever spring compressors are mentioned on here.

[Ritchie335is]

Richard-D said:

GreenV8S said:

It's possible to use them safely, but you absolutely should be afraid of the consequences of a single slip. Many decades ago a cousin of mine put the threaded stud of a spring compressor through the concrete wall of his garage, through the double brick wall of his house, across the living room and through an internal dividing wall. It was finally stopped by the double brick wall on the far side of the house. Treat loaded spring compressors like you would treat a loaded gun, because they can be just as deadly.

That didn't happen. They can of course kill or injure if used wrongly but that story is utter bullst and a perfect example of the sort of thing that get touted whenever spring compressors are mentioned on here.

Agreed, I m a qualified mechanic and tbh if I m in a bit of a rush I ll not even use compressors to release the spring, YOU SHOULD! I just lay the strut flat on the floor, stand on the spring with my work boot then rattle the nut off with the impact gun. Obviously you have to be aware of what s in the firing line but on *most struts this works ok, obviously it s a still a bit dodgy. Sometimes you can even get the nut on the strut started by hand without compressors if you put as much weight as you can on the spring to compress it, generally this is only possible on smaller, light cars, with softer springs, or lowering springs as they are obviously shorter.

ETA, the OPs statement of “20mins work” is wrong. An hr maybe.

[Ritchie335is]

Richard-D said:

GreenV8S said:

It's possible to use them safely, but you absolutely should be afraid of the consequences of a single slip. Many decades ago a cousin of mine put the threaded stud of a spring compressor through the concrete wall of his garage, through the double brick wall of his house, across the living room and through an internal dividing wall. It was finally stopped by the double brick wall on the far side of the house. Treat loaded spring compressors like you would treat a loaded gun, because they can be just as deadly.

That didn't happen. They can of course kill or injure if used wrongly but that story is utter bullst and a perfect example of the sort of thing that get touted whenever spring compressors are mentioned on here.

Agreed, I’m a qualified mechanic and tbh if I’m in a bit of a rush I’ll not even use compressors to release the spring, YOU SHOULD! I just lay the strut flat on the floor, stand on the spring with my work boot then rattle the nut off with the impact gun. Obviously you have to be aware of what’s in the firing line but on *most struts this works ok, obviously it’s a still a bit dodgy. Sometimes you can even get the nut on the strut started by hand without compressors if you put as much weight as you can on the spring to compress it, generally this is only possible on smaller, light cars, with softer springs, or lowering springs as they are obviously shorter.

[dontlookdown]

[quote=donkmeister]
This type?

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/draper-n1000b-coil... /quote]

That's the badger.

[Krikkit]

dontlookdown said:

donkmeister said:

This type?

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/draper-n1000b-coil...

That's the badger.

I've got a cheap Chinese knock-off of this kit and it's fantastic

[GreenV8S]

Richard-D said:

That didn't happen.

Yes, it did.

[Acuity30]

Cancelled the parts order anyway. A mechanic told me Volvo sometimes put a spacer in the assembly which won't show on parts diagrams and the only way to know is to disassemble the entire shock to check. Seems odd to me, if that were the case you'd think all the aftermarket suppliers would include it.
These are all the parts I ordered (and later cancelled)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236088173165
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317079681858
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317016949343
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/336032386021
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236196196690

tbh after all that faff I'd rather just get a quick strut but no one reputable supplies them in this country apart from 'A-Premium' on Amazon, and since I fit Napa shocks at the back I wanted Napa all around

[InitialDave]

Richard-D said:

This is one of those jobs that people make a giant fuss about. It's a bit like mentioning you're going to use a chainsaw. If you say that on here, a load of people who've never used one will pipe up to tell you all about it.

Just buy a decent pair and do everything so it's not pointing at you if it lets go (which it won't). I've done it dozens of times, it's fine.

This.

Quite a few struts I've done, the spring has been totally decompressed and loose before the nut reaches the end of the thread. You just have to be sensible.

My tip is to clean up the threads on the shaft really well, and use penetrating oil repeatedly a few days beforehand, if theres access before you remove them.

Many struts have an internal hex to use to hold the shaft static while you undo the nut, so it doesn't just spin. A crusty thread can mean needing enough torque that you chew this up, which makes the job far harder than it needs to be. Though if the struts are going in the bin, you can just put mole grips on the shaft.

If using the internal hex, a hollow "vortex" ratchet set to put the hex key through is very useful.

[InitialDave]

GreenV8S said:

Richard-D said:

That didn't happen.

Yes, it did.

That sounds like either ludicrously strong spring or a really sttily built house.

[Richard-D]

InitialDave said:

That sounds like either ludicrously strong spring or a really sttily built house.

Just applying logic to it should tell anyone it's waffle.

For a start a spring compressor won't snap in such a way that it throws only the threaded bar. The tension is between the two clamps so as a minimum it would always throw at least one clamp with it.

The force is also not applied in line with the bar, it's offset as the hook of the clamp can't be directly in line with the centre of the threaded bar. That means it would be spinning as it was travelling away from the shock.

So you have a spinning projectile made up of a chunky clamp attached to a threaded bar that will have clattered the shock/spring as it let go. The projectile will only have part of the energy that was stored in the spring as other components will also be ejected at the same time (notably the two halves of the spring). The first sheet of plasterboard would take all the energy out of it so all the talk of concrete blocks and multiple brick walls is laughable. I don't know why people make these silly claims, maybe his cousin told him it happened but he should have the common sense to know that it didn't and not repeat the story.

A kid I used to work with once told me that his uncle's Golf made 1000BHP. I didn't need to take the car to a dyno to know that was bullst too.

But it's a thread about spring compressors, so the doom mongers (with their tales of airliners being downed and NATO being called to their mates' house) will inevitably appear.

Edited by Richard-D on Friday 18th July 15:18

[InitialDave]

Richard-D said:

Just applying logic to it should tell anyone it's waffle.

For a start a spring compressor won't snap in such a way that it throws only the threaded bar. The tension is between the two clamps so as a minimum it would always throw at least one clamp with it.

It depends, some cheap ones are basically just a bolt, so one end isn't really captive in the clamp, I can see that ejecting the bar if it let go at the threaded end.

I agree that it going through brick walls sounds like guff.

[Jakg]

Acuity30 said:

I've since read a load of horror stories about spring compressors and completely put myself off doing it DIY. If I must DIY it, I think I'd be better off ordering new top mounts too so I can at least reduce downtime significantly by assembling the new struts loose, but that still requires me to compress the new springs to get them on.

Don't forget top mounts, the strut bolt, the spring perch, bump stops, shock cover etc. It's all separate and not terribly cheap.

Acuity30 said:

Am I just being a wimp or are they widow makers? I've called 2 garages to quote to simply assemble the new struts for me, both said £60 which I think is excessive for 20 minutes of work.

One of my least favourite jobs is doing springs.

dontlookdown said:

If you do go ahead, do not skimp on spring compressors. Get good ones - the best I have used are the kind that have two u shaped jaws that wind up and down on a threaded pillar.

Agreed - I've got a couple of cheap sets and have had to upgrade to that style for a BMW X5 spring and it's much better.

InitialDave said:

If using the internal hex, a hollow "vortex" ratchet set to put the hex key through is very useful.

Or a spark plug socket - they typically have an external hex to be counter held.