Need tips for removing front and rear springs at a junk yard...

[brian0128]

I read Jared Fenton's write up in the tech section but I was wondering if there are any other tips for removing front and rear springs from a car in the junkyard. The car in the junkyard is junk so I'm not worried about messing anything up, I just don't want to hurt myself while removing the springs.

Here is what I'm planning on doing:

Fronts: Remove (2) 13mm bolts on front caliper using 15mm open end to hold the nut, remove 19mm nut for the tie rod, use a tapered fork arm to seperate tie rod, remove 19mm nut for front sway bar drop link, compress springs(not sure where to find a spring compressor yet), undo 3 nuts at the top, then remove the 19mm bolt for the strut rod using channel locks to hold the strut.

Rear: Remove muffler straps, jack under the trailing arm, 13mm nut for the rear sway bar drop link, then jack(again this is on gravel) under differential and remove diff mount with 2 open end wrenches(not sure of what size...anyone know), then stand on the trailing arms and remove springs.

Do I need to bring 2 jacks or can I get away with 1? Anyone have any other tips that will make this easier? This will be in the junkyard and the car is already pretty screwed up...so I'm not worried about damaging the car.




This part isn't important, but if anyone is wondering what I'm working on:

I've got an 87 320i with all original suspension and the car has 135k kiliometers on it. I just picked the car up to use for the next 3 years that I'll be in Germany and I'm very satisfied with it for the 1000 dollars that I paid for it.

The suspension is a little (ok, a lot) soft and there are many junk yards in the area so I figured I'd do what I could for cheap to replace what I can.

This is a cheap car that only has to last for the next 2 years that I'm here that happens to be in great condition and I'm just trying to make it nicer and safer to drive while I'm here but I don't want to put too much money in this car.

Over 80mph, this car is a little scary. 80 mph is about 130km/hr here and on the autobahn I consitently drive at about 175-180km/hr everywhere I go outside of the speed limit zone. A member here is giving me a set of stock shocks and struts with only 25k kilometeres on them from a stock BMW 325 series. I'm not sure what model 325 it is, but at least they are better than what I've got. There is a car at a local junkyard that has a brand new set of H&R springs installed that don't even have any dirt or grime on them. They must be fairly new and must be better that what I have now.:up:

[Erick]

Rear springs: raise the car up -> unbolt the bottom shock bolt -> watch trailing arm lower -> pull spring out.

The front directions look alright, I just cant recall if those are the right nut sizes.

[brian0128]

Thanks for the tips on the rears. That should save me quite a bit of time. Maybe someone will know a tip with the fronts that will keep me from having to get a spring compressor. I'll get the rear springs tomorrow since that'll be a quick...not sure when I'll be able to borrow a front spring compressor. Maybe on Wed when the auto hobby shop is open, I just hope nobody takes the fronts before then.

[Erick]

you can get the whole front strut assembly without the need of a spring compressor, as long as you dont unbolt the shock bolt located on the upper strut mount.

[brian0128]

Thanks for the tips on the fronts as well. I'll just pull the whole assembly at the junk yard and take it to the auto hobby shop and take the spring off their when I install them on my car.

[Borat]

undo the top nut holding the springs in while the assembly is still in the car and the car is on the ground. Then jack the car up and the spring will slowly extend.
Remove rest of strut assmebly as you would normally.
A bit bodgy but just be careful and theres no need for a spring compressor.

[browntown]

undo the top nut holding the springs in while the assembly is still in the car and the car is on the ground. Then jack the car up and the spring will slowly extend.
Remove rest of strut assmebly as you would normally.
A bit bodgy but just be careful and theres no need for a spring compressor.

dont know about your u-pull-its, but good luck getting the car on the ground. Every car at the junkyards I go to is 3 feet in the air balanced on ancient wheels welded into T's

[brian0128]

dont know about your u-pull-its, but good luck getting the car on the ground. Every car at the junkyards I go to is 3 feet in the air balanced on ancient wheels welded into T's

This particular car is balanced on 4 steel rims and tires at each corner so I won't be able to lower it.

[golde30]

dont know about your u-pull-its, but good luck getting the car on the ground. Every car at the junkyards I go to is 3 feet in the air balanced on ancient wheels welded into T's

LOL thats how they are around me also...i always wonder how many ppl have been crushed by falling cars...

[brian0128]

Ok, I'm having a hell of a time with the rear bolt on the shocks. Wow. I'll get it tomorrow. It's soaking in WD-40 right now. As for the fronts...I might not have had all of the proper tools and maybe I was a little lost. Since I'm doing this without a spring compressor, I was going to remove the strut, spring assembly complete without uncompressing the spring. I have the tie rods undone, the brakes off, and the 3 bolts up top loosened. How do I seperate the strut/spring assembly from the control arm. I undid the bolt, and I tried to use a tie rod puller (pickle fork tool) to seperate them but it wouldn't work! No matter how hard I tried. I didn't have a big hammer to hit the control arm itself, but will that work to seperate them?

[Rocla]

Ok, I'm having a hell of a time with the rear bolt on the shocks. Wow. I'll get it tomorrow. It's soaking in WD-40 right now. As for the fronts...I might not have had all of the proper tools and maybe I was a little lost. Since I'm doing this without a spring compressor, I was going to remove the strut, spring assembly complete without uncompressing the spring. I have the tie rods undone, the brakes off, and the 3 bolts up top loosened. How do I seperate the strut/spring assembly from the control arm. I undid the bolt, and I tried to use a tie rod puller (pickle fork tool) to seperate them but it wouldn't work! No matter how hard I tried. I didn't have a big hammer to hit the control arm itself, but will that work to seperate them?

Hammer the portition of the struts where the "pin" of ball joint goes trough it. Don't try to hit strut "upwards" of CA "downwards", but hit it so that youll make the hole on strut flex a bit, after few hit's you be able separete them. If your rod puller will fit, you can leave it on pressure while hitting the strut.

You can disassemble spring from strut without spring compressors if the yard lets you use air tools, just be careful, place upper strut mount againts the corner of wall, so that you can place socket into top shock nut, and drive the nut off with a bolt gun. Placing top mount against the wall makes spring tension to distract to strut, not so much on top mount, How ever it will kick to your direction too, BE CAREFULl IF YOU CHOOSE THIS METHOD. The flying top mount or nut will hurt you.

[T.Dot_E30]

Rear shocks are damn cheap here. $20ea for the cheap line.

I'd get those before i consider used stock ones.

[brian0128]

Rear shocks are damn cheap here. $20ea for the cheap line.

I'd get those before i consider used stock ones.

I'm just getting the front and rear H&R Springs...I don't need the shocks and struts.

[WlknGenius]

Rear springs: raise the car up -> unbolt the bottom shock bolt -> watch trailing arm lower -> pull spring out.

Are you sure? My bentley says you have to lower the diff a couple of inches. And when I replaced my rear shocks, the trailing arm didn't seem to lower that much.

[Rocla]

Are you sure? My bentley says you have to lower the diff a couple of inches. And when I replaced my rear shocks, the trailing arm didn't seem to lower that much.

Why would you lover diff? Sometimes sawybar must be loosened to get trailing arm to move enough, but can't see why differntial should be lowered.

When trailing arm is in furthest possible position, just pry spirng out with something you can use as lever.