RE : Spring Removal - rear of 84 spider

["dion fields" <noid@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>Does anyone know of a safe and easy method to remove the 
>>rear springs from an '84 spider?  I want to replace the trailing 
>>arm bushings

Chris,

now that's good timing - i just pulled the rearend out of my GTV
today . . . here's what i did :

1. get the rear of the car up on jack stands - one under each 
trailing arm under the differential mounting points. you only need the wheels  to just clear the ground.  pull the rear wheels off to 
get access to everything.  don't forget to chock the front wheels
first, so the car doesn't roll away from you.

2. remove the swaybar endlinks from the rear of the trailing arms
- 17mm nut on my car.  then, remove the rear trailing arm to 
differential bolts - i used two 15/16" wrenches. using a jack under the differential to unload those bolts might  help.  

3. remove the lower shock absorber mounting nuts from 
under the trailing arms - 17mm double nuts on my car.  remove 
the nuts, but NOT the bolts from the front of the trailing arms - i 
used two 7/8" wrenches.  

4. remove the screw holding the parking  brake cable to the 
passenger side trailing arm.

5. jack up one side of the car from under the trailing arm just in
front of the jack stand.  move the stand to the reinforced area
on the chassis immediately in front of the forward trailing arm 
bushing.  now, SLOWLY release the jack.  the differential should 
be caught by the limit strap, the chassis by the jack stand, and 
the trailing arm should continue to drop until the spring goes 
completely slack.  luckily this method works well without a
spring compressor, unlike the front suspension.

6. remove the jack and you should be able to finess the spring 
out from around the shock absorber and the rear of the trailing 
arm.  if the diff gets in the way for removing the spring,  jack it up
until you have clearance.  remove the bolt from the front of the 
trailing arm, and bingo - one removed trailing arm.

7.  repeat steps 5 & 6 for the other side.

have fun,

-dion fields
-73 gtv
-los angeles







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