Front Springs - Part One

Well, today was the day to install the flash new front springs...  Today's post brought to you by Jason Sheather Plumbing...  Jason's sticker was present, even if he wasn't.



 

Damian compared the height of the new spring (yellow), Booger Mobile's original spring (rusty) and the Lovell's spring (blue).  Clearly the new spring is both taller and more heavy duty than either of the other two (although it's probably a similar height to the original spring prior to it being in the car for 45 years!)

Damian attempted to compress the new heavy duty spring with his spring compressors, and found they failed dismally, so back to Autobarn he went, exchanging (and paying a bit extra) for some heavy duty spring compressors...

Partially compressed, wonder if it fits yet?

Nope.  And that bit is in the way, making it heaps harder to fit...  Let's remove those bolts that haven't been undone for 48 years!!

Voila!!

Tightening down with a ratchet...

Getting so hard to tighten that leverage was required!!

Drop the top ball joint from the upper control arm, this will give about an extra 2cm of space...

Cram the spring in - note that the spring saddle (below the spring) isn't in the correct position yet.

Gentle persuasion for the spring to get it seated correctly...

Voila!!

Leverage required to undo the spring compressors...

One out...

Both out... strut installed so that if the spring decides to let go, it can't escape the strut.

Through the magic of the interwebs, the spring is in, and the upper control arm reattached to the ball joint.  This process actually involved some tricky jacking and persuading, a couple of near misses as jacks slipped, and some assistance from Tricia. 

It was a debacle!!

The top view of the spring and strut with the strut tower removed, and mounting bolts in place.

Custom strut tower (2" shorter to account for the 2" taller springs).

What a complete and absolute debacle that was...  and that was only the driver's side!!  Tune in tomorrow when Damian will attempt to get the passenger side spring inserted!!