Suspension disaster-how hard can it be!

Hey guys

just wondering if any one has experienced anything like this before. If so, how did you cope without a nervous breakdown?!

So i bought my 1996 disco recently with 33inch wheels, 25mm spacers fitted so just a little rubbing on the arches. I bought 2" lift springs to give it enough height to not rub. And saturday was the day to fit them. front driveds side first.

snapped a bolt off the top housing, then the other 3 were ok. popped underneath to the bottom nut of the shock and hey presto its rounded, really really rounded. 4 hours of filing 2 edges and jamming a adjustable spanner onto it later the shock came out spring changed no bother.

Sunday now onto drivers rear. both bolts holding the spring down at the bottom snapped so had to make a few of them 4 hours pass. sunday done.

I went out today to have a go at the passenger front and started at the top of the shock housing, snapped one bolt. looked for the rest but they were nowhere to be seen! Looks like the legend that had the disco before me snapped the first 3 already and in his infinate wisdom decided to secure it back he would weld the top of the housing to the chassis.

where do i go from here?
Is it a garage job? Pay someone else to worry about it?
Can i take top nut and bottom nut off the shock and slip it out with the spring?
Oh forgot to say the passenger side bottom nut is rounded too but not as bad.

sorry for the essay i just needed a rant.
phil

the turret ring bolts always snap just buy a new pair of turret rings. I usually use a recip Saw to cut off the nut and the bottom shocker threaded section, Top nut Cut down the centre with the recip saw or a 4"grinder Or split with a cold chisel. Spring retaining plates same again either cut the bolts or nuts If they snap that's a bonus.

Where about are you. Location helps peeps decide whether or not to offer to come round and give you a hand.

i never remove turrets to change shocks or springs ,unless turret needs changing

You can squeeze the shock out with the spring but its tricky. Reid saw idea is a great tip.

You have just had some crappy luck..

Thanks guys that's good tips. Was thinking of cutting the bottom nut off but i don't have anything that can squeeze in there. I'm in Ellon just north of Aberdeen. I think I would need a new ring with the studs and a new turret, the flared bottom looked rotten away or melted away from last owners dodgy welding.

Get an angle grinder cut the spring in half (be careful of shattered cutting discs though as the spring is still under compression well mine was anyway)
Slide both halfs of front srings up the shock and cable tie them out the way.
Then get the angle grinder out again and cut off the threaded part through the bush above the spring plate and the nut drops straight off onto the floor.

Slightly dangerous i know but it worked for me. Be warned cutting discs hurt when they explode.
i had a bit embedded in my hand for two days.

Goodness me, Rob! You're a braver man than me. What do you do for a job? Bulletcatcher?

robbh said:

Get an angle grinder cut the spring in half (be careful of shattered cutting discs though as the spring is still under compression well mine was anyway)
Slide both halfs of front srings up the shock and cable tie them out the way.
Then get the angle grinder out again and cut off the threaded part through the bush above the spring plate and the nut drops straight off onto the floor.

Slightly dangerous i know but it worked for me. Be warned cutting discs hurt when they explode.
i had a bit embedded in my hand for two days.

Click to expand...

recip saw is much simpler and safer

jamesmartin said:

i never remove turrets to change shocks or springs ,unless turret needs changing

Click to expand...

Me neither but as he's snapped the studs off already. he's gonna need new rings. and if turrets are gone, noo turrets.