[Vwdiesel] Rear spring replacement

[paul lew]

Hi Sandy
  So if I'm understanding what you're saying,it's that once the car is jacked up, the springs
  are pretty much already extended all the way? That explosive spring comment is why I
  thought of the unbolt, then jack the car. Do they come out fairly loose, or spring out with 
  a little "spring"? and yes I'll be doing the shocks as well, as they look old, possibly origional
  it's a 90 Jetta Deisel. 
   
  Safety first even when doing brakes I do one at a time...
  When I was in my early teens (I'm 37 now), I was helping my dad do something on his
  Jimmy( I can't remember what...I can't remember what ) he had both sides up on regular
  sissor jacks and, because I was small (didn't have a belly) I was under it un bolting
  something, and it started tipping off the jacks and down, he pulled me out before it went all
  the way down.
   
  Thanks
  Paul

Sandy Cameron <scameron at storm.ca> wrote:
  At 12:33 PM 06/11/2007 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi all
> My rear springs are getting weaker and weaker (lower), I was always told
you need a special
> spring compession device, but I was at a local wrecking yard, and noticed
how farthe rear
> joints pivot, and the springs and shocks were removed on a couple of the
volks.
> Is that a trick to replace them?
> Having the car on the ground, unbolting the top, and then jacking up the
car till they decompress then just slipping them out/off ?
> Thanks Paul

My experience with A2s

Rear springs (unlike the explosive front ones) do not require a compressor.

BUT

Only change one at a time, or the axel can fall down and do bad things.

The best way is to jack the car until both back wheels are off the ground,
and support it on jack stands.
Be carefull when wrestling with the assemblies, that you dont dislodge the
whole car off the stands
(OUCH!) :^(

THEN

Change one spring/shock assembly (you WERE going to do the shocks at the
same time, weren't you??) at a time while the other one holds the axel up.

Sandy



 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com