[s-cars] '94 UrS4 rear spring replacement

[Fred Munro]

Duncan;

The rear struts have a "twist" in them when properly assembled. There is a
special factory tool to make sure the shock insert is mounted with the
proper orientation to allow the bottom bolt to slide through. If the bolt
won't go in, it may not be the height that is stopping it, but the shock eye
may be twisted a bit such that the bolt can't slide through. Since most of
us don't have the special tool, you have to be careful with your match-marks
to make sure everything lines up right when you put the strut back together.
I usually slide a bar through the shock eye to make any "adjustments" that
are required to get the bolt to slide through. Looking through the bolt hole
will show you why it is hanging up.

Fred Munro
'97 S6

-----Original Message-----
From: Duncan Thomson [mailto:thomson.duncan at gmail.com] 
Sent: April 15, 2010 4:14 PM
To: Fred Munro
Cc: 'Theodore Chen'; 'S-CAR list'
Subject: Re: [s-cars] '94 UrS4 rear spring replacement

Thanks for the advice. Safety first!
I am very cautious around auto springs, and never really trust them
either. I'm constantly concerned about losing fingers to them.

My first attempt was as you said, got the top bolted in, and then tried
to jack, but couldn't get the lower attachment point to line up as I
jacked.

Will have to see if I can find a better method for the other side.

Thanks for the advice!
Duncan

-- 
On 16/04/2010 2:03 a.m., Fred Munro wrote:
> That spring compressor will likely have to be used with the strut off the
> car.
> I have replaced the rear springs on my S4 and S6 using a standard
bolt-type
> spring compressor with the strut off the car.
> If your problem is that you have the strut bolted in at the top and the
> bottom shock bolt won't go in, what I usually do is put a small hydraulic
> bottle jack under the bottom of the shock eye and raise the jack just
enough
> to push the shock eye up until the bolt slides in. 
> There is a tremendous amount of force stored in a compressed auto spring.
Be
> very careful when working with them. I don't even fully trust a spring
> compressor, and would never use a chain, cable, or rope to secure a
> compressed spring.
> Years ago one of the local lads was changing the front coil springs in his
> Chebby pick-em-up. His plan, which had always worked well in the past, was
> to compress the spring under the bucket of his front-end loader, chain it
> up, put it in the truck, and cut the chain. Unfortunately, as he was
putting
> on the chain, the spring got out from under the bucket, bounced off the
> garage wall, and hit him full in the face. There is only so much
> reconstructive surgery can do, and it couldn't do much for him. I always
> think of that story when I'm working with springs. My face may not be
much,
> but I've grown attached to it over the years :).
>
> Good luck!
>
> Fred Munro
> '97 S6
>