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The best way to do this is to compress the strut spring continuously in tiny increments, switching back and forth between both sides. You should do this until sufficient tension has been relieved from the strut spring. The ABN 9210 MacPherson Strut Spring Compressor takes tension off to safely remove strut and spring assembly.
Slowly jack up the floor jack and you will see the LCA begin to lift the shock assembly into place. Remember that prior to raising the whole assembly with the floor jack, the bolt that comes out of the top of the shock is sitting right below the level of the top strut mount. Therefore, when you raise the whole assembly with the floor jack, you need to do it very, very slowly with very slight increases in height. Remove the large center nut and this will disconnect the spring and shock from the upper shock mount. Therefore, when you bring the LCA down along with the spring and shock, it will be supported against the upper shock mount when decompressing the spring.
How do you compress springs to lower a car?
This professional strut spring compressor is made of drop forged steel and has locking pins for safety. It's designed for use on most passenger vehicles, whether domestic or imported, as well as light trucks. Replacement parts are available, and it comes with bilingual instructions. To disassemble the pair, the spring must first be compressed. With MacPherson struts, there’s a housing with an integral bottom spring perch, and an upper perch plate and a bushing at the top that looks a bit like a man’s hat. The bushing contains a bearing, as the whole point of the design of a MacPherson strut is that it absorbs the shock as well as rotates when you steer the car.
When a shock compresses, it loses volume, so there is a small area filled with nitrogen gas or air that can compress or expand as the hydraulic fluid requires. Granted, the Europa is only a 1600-pound car, but still. If you make the wire diameter larger, you will make the spring stronger and if you make it smaller, you will make it weaker. This is because, by making the wire diameter larger, you are also making the spring’s coils tighter which reduces the spring index.
Loosen the Lug Nuts
The spring releasing all of its compression energy can seriously injure you, if not kill you. Do your research, watch videos online, and do as much learning as possible to completely understand how the suspension components work before trying this yourself. Unlike lowering springs, coilovers offer a much greater range of adjustability including ride height, spring pre-load, shock damping, and rebound. Typically, coilover sets feature even stiffer spring rates than a set of lowering springs alone, again sacrificing ride quality for cornering performance. The compressor is rugged and durable, so it resists bending or warping under high tension. The hex nuts are easy to turn, so they can better grip the springs.
Press up on the shock and move the LCA down so that the lower mount hole lines up with the LCA mount. Then insert the lower mounting bolt through and hand-tighten; you still torque this after the strut assembly is reinstalled. This will allow for articulation of the lower control arm , which will allow the LCA to rotate and provide additional room to remove/install the front shocks/springs.
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The last method for compressing springs is using the No Spring Compressor Tool. In my opinion when this is done in a safe and controlled manner, it can be much safer and effective than using a standard spring compressor hand tool. You’ll still need to do a few steps in order for the lower control arm to swing down and also allow the floor jack to support and lower it securely.
If you use a commercially-available spring compressor designed for your application, you’re on the safer edge of the envelope. Conversely, if you hastily jury-rig something using ratchet straps or, worse, hose clamps (don’t do either of these things!), you’re risking disaster. A plate (or "fork") style spring compressor is the correct way to replace your strut springs. Hook style compressors do not work on most BMW springs! This set is supplied with every thing you need to get the job done like a pro. Interchangeable jaws are easily changed to correct size for the application.
Whichever method you choose, make sure you’re careful not to damage the spring or yourself in the process. You will need to use the removal procedure in reverse order to do this. One tip to remember when reinstalling is that it is a lot easier to first place the bottom bolts in. This helps to support the strut before installing the rest of the bolts to secure the strut to the car.
There are two sets of threaded rod, each with two hooks and pin detents to latch onto the spring coil. You have to work slowly and tighten each side a little at a time, but they can help you safely compress a spring’s height. These compressors are most often seen in repair shops, but they can be affordable for someone who does enough suspension work in their own garage. These strut spring compressors work with threaded handles on large bolts to compress springs for suspension work. These compressors only work on struts and springs that are not installed in a car. They can’t be used on a vehicle, so if you have to compress your spring inside of a wheel well, these are not for you.
Several users have stated they were unable to loosen and remove them after use. I solved this problem by clamping a small Vise Grip on the downward-facing side of each hook to prevent it from sliding. Taking great care to never have the compressed spring aimed at any part of my body, I was able remove the retainer, unscrew the turnbuckle, and remove the spring. This method may take a few tries to get the spring compressed enough, but it will eventually work. Once the spring is compressed, you can remove it from the strut and proceed with your repair. Once the compressor is attached, tighten it until the spring is compressed enough to work on.
However, the rods bend under pressure before straightening once they're no longer under tension. Even though they flex under pressure, that's not uncommon, and they return to normal after removal. Also, it's not strong enough to compress the springs of certain vehicles and will not fit over the strut springs on others. These compressors need to be built from the strongest materials to withstand the forces exerted by coil springs.
Plus, I don’t have the means to cut that big of a hole in plate aluminum. Rotate the handle on the top of the compressor until the spring is compressed, take off the lower retainer and lock nut, and drop the shock out through the bottom of the spring. In most cars, the rear coil springs are quite similar, and most times, they are a lot easier to replace.
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