[alfa] Re: Spider rear spring replacement.

["Graham Davis" <grahamldavis@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 18:01:02 -0500
Jeff Greenfield writes:

 Jason -

 No spring compressor is required to change the rear springs on a spider.
All
 you need in addition to some hand tools is a decent floor jack.

Well, perhaps not quite.  Don't forget a good pair of jack stands.

 Unbolt the sway bar links from the outer end of the bolt. Unbolt the
bottom
 nut(s) that hold the shock to the control arm. Support the rear most end
of
 the control arm with your jack and remove the bolt (pin).

Pin removal may be difficult.  Your winters are longer than here in St.
Louis; your car is older than my wife's '89 thus you may have more
fastener rust-bonding to deal with.  Rent (borrow) a 'C' clamp ball joint
press from your local AutoZone store (nfi); you may need it.  I used this
tool to press out the stepped pin.  The 'eye' of the clamp fits neatly
around the pin's hex head and with an appropriate sized 1/2" drive socket
to protect the 10mm sway bar threads, the screw bears against the pin
shoulder.  It took lots of grunt and penetrating oil and is much
easier if you have air.  25" long breaker bar is handy too.

 You may have to loosen the front trailing arm bolt a bit to allow enough
movement. Lower     the  jack and slowly and remove the spring.

 Installation is the reverse of removal, be careful guiding the bottom of
the
 shock into the hole in the control arm on the way up, pulling the shock
back
 down with the spring in place is a little difficult.

Especially without the factory spring tool so again, you must
innovate.  Stack a bunch of bricks, bags of sand, shovel dirt or bribe
the two fat broads from down the street to stand in the open trunk to
compress the springs far enough to thread the nuts on the shock rods.

 Be sure to tighten all suspension bolts with the suspension 'loaded' in
its
 normal position.

Do only one side at a time and allow a full day for the 'maiden voyage';
especially with only hand tools.

 Take a close look at the trailing arm bushings, any signs of dry rot,
 cracking, or separation of the rubber from either the outer bushing or
inner
 sleeve is an indication that they should be replaced.
 

And only with urethane bushings (www.performatek.com) as they are sooooo
much easier to install.  Allow yourself another full day for this little
task too.

My 2 cents.

Graham L. Davis Various Alfas but never too many St. Louis, MO

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