Front Suspension

[CraigMillwardCroft]

Do you need special spring compressors to reove old front suspension, ones I have just brought hit the turret before the spring clamps are in place. :bigcry:

[Pooky]

Surely is easiest just to take the whole strut off the car before thinking about removing the spring...?

[rstoughy]

Yep REMOVE the strut 1st prior to fitting the clamps.

If your in any doubt then get someone who knows what they are doing.
Have seen a coil spring just about take someones arm off while i was serving my time.

The clamps need to be 180deg to each other and tightend evenly.

[NZ_M3]

Whilst spring compressors are the right way to go about things, the CSL front springs are actually quite short and hardly compressed. I've pulled mine apart without a spring compressor numerous times and it's never fired the top hat off the strut in any sort of force.

You can even put one back together without a spring compressor as the top hat will push down on the spring just enough to get the locking nut over the strut with quite a few threads spare (hand tighten and the torque to spec)

Alternatively, you could leave the car on the ground, undo the top locking nut and then jack the car up slowly - no spring compressors needed.

So safe to do on the CSL ... but definitely not other cars.

[Rick H]

Resurrecting an old thread . . .

Spring compressor for a CSL front strut - needed or not?????

[Rick H]

Spring compressor bought - from Amazon.

£70 + £6 postage

[alexk]

Whilst spring compressors are the right way to go about things, the CSL front springs are actually quite short and hardly compressed. I've pulled mine apart without a spring compressor numerous times and it's never fired the top hat off the strut in any sort of force.

I was about to write exactly the same Tom.

But then... it could be that we are very strong chaps :thumbs:

[NZ_M3]

I was about to write exactly the same Tom.

But then... it could be that we are very strong chaps :thumbs:

Haha .. I'd like to hope so, but I am short and small, so if I can do it, the burly guys on the forums will probably be able to do it with one hand.

Honestly you are wasting time with a spring compressor (most spring compressors I've used don't compress the springs evenly and you risk doing more damage and harm to yourself using one) - they are NOT needed on the CSL stock shocks period. Heck, I've been able to replace bump stops, springs ect with the whole shock still on the car - they are that short that you can drop the front hub enough to take the spring out with the shock and top hat in place.