Useful tutorial or guide to fit lowering springs and shocks?

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stefano30
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:49 pm

Received my spings and shocks set in the post today. Any good websites or guides for fitting them than somebody has used? Cheers
Grrrmachine
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:50 pm

Yeah :D

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Captain_Birdseye
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:54 pm

I thought that handy diagram was Grrr's sig.
Grrrmachine
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:56 pm

Maybe it should be :D
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stefano30
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:05 pm

Grrrmachine wrote:Yeah :D

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Not seeing any sort of step by step tutorial in there.
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:34 pm

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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 8:01 pm

suedenim
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 9:09 pm

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!

Taken from this link:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ing_Struts

10. Compress the spring.

Make sure that you compress the spring with a suitable spring compressor. Failure to do so may more than likely result in injury, the springs have a lot of stored energy.
If you're really not sure what you're doing, find someone who does!!
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bmw9818
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Post Fri Feb 21, 2014 10:48 pm

^ +1 shitty halfords/ ebay specials will fail and it will take your head off, when compressing my original springs it broke loose as i tightened it and the spring embedded itself in my wall.

you live you learn though!
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stefano30
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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:22 am

bmw9818 wrote:^ +1 shitty halfords/ ebay specials will fail and it will take your head off, when compressing my original springs it broke loose as i tightened it and the spring embedded itself in my wall.

you live you learn though!
Is it just the 2 front spings that need compressed?
suedenim
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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:28 am

stefano30 wrote:
bmw9818 wrote:^ +1 shitty halfords/ ebay specials will fail and it will take your head off, when compressing my original springs it broke loose as i tightened it and the spring embedded itself in my wall.

you live you learn though!
Is it just the 2 front spings that need compressed?
Yes. Rears aren't under any real compression and can be levered out if you push the trailing arm down.
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BenHar
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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 1:25 pm

suedenim wrote:PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!

Taken from this link:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ing_Struts

10. Compress the spring.

Make sure that you compress the spring with a suitable spring compressor. Failure to do so may more than likely result in injury, the springs have a lot of stored energy.
If you're really not sure what you're doing, find someone who does!!
I did mine with ratchet straps. They worked fine for holding the springs while I changed the shocks, but I'm not sure how it would go trying to compress a new spring with them.
Probably be OK.

Ben
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jamlid
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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:07 pm

suedenim wrote:
stefano30 wrote:
bmw9818 wrote:^ +1 shitty halfords/ ebay specials will fail and it will take your head off, when compressing my original springs it broke loose as i tightened it and the spring embedded itself in my wall.

you live you learn though!
Is it just the 2 front spings that need compressed?
Yes. Rears aren't under any real compression and can be levered out if you push the trailing arm down.
For some reason, no matter how much I push the trailing arm down, the rear springs are still incredibly tight..
Grrrmachine
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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:53 pm

You have to unbolt the anti-roll bar to get the trailing arms to drop down enough.
Rav335uk
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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:03 pm

Don't need spring compressers. :D

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BenHar
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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 11:24 pm

Rav335uk wrote:Don't need spring compressers. :D

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For the rear springs, no.

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Post Sat Feb 22, 2014 11:52 pm

Rav335uk wrote:Don't need spring compressers. :D

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Ghetto... Keep them on and keep it low...
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Cypriotgeeza
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Post Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:50 am

bmw9818 wrote:^ +1 shitty halfords/ ebay specials will fail and it will take your head off, when compressing my original springs it broke loose as i tightened it and the spring embedded itself in my wall.

you live you learn though!
I've seen a spring shoot through the roof of my mates garage! Proceed with caution! :mad: 8O
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