[alfa] Re: Spider rear spring replacement.

[Jon Pike <jhpike@xxxxxxx>]

> 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.
What may be simpler is to take them off by removing them thru the top 
towers and the panel in the rear firewalls. It's kind of more work,  but 
then the area is totally clear while you're working on the springs, and 
you can extend them all the way before dropping them back down if they 
don't naturally want to expand.  You pull them out,  mounting caps and all.

We were replacing springs, the trailing arm bushings and most everything 
else in the area.

Of the Sachs/Boge shocks I had on the car, one seemed to have internal 
pressure and would fully extend itself, the other didn't (probably a bad 
sign)  I got a set of used Koni Red's which I've put on instead, they 
weren't a problem with moving them thru the coils with fingers for final 
adjustment.  I guess that could vary with how easy your shocks move, and 
how big your fingers are.  The stock springs are pretty widely wound, 
but it was more of an issue with the W&D sport springs I got.

But, if you're going to remove springs, it probably would be eaiser to 
pull the shocks out of the top, to avoid having to mess with a shock 
loose insde the spring while handling spring, shock and trailing arm.  
On reassembly, getting the shock back in place at the top end would be 
much eaiser, as well.

Funny note,  one of the jobs I had my wife do was removing the shocks 
thru the top ends..  I hadn't thought about it too much, kinda gave it 
to her as a task while I did a few other things..  She did pretty well 
at it, but when we were done and started lowering the first arm,  she 
immidiately asked "So, why didn't we just undo that bottom bolt??"  and 
there was a little embarassment. Covered of course by lame explanations 
about ease of working on the rest of the area (which turned out to be 
somewhat true, but she wasn't buying it) and so forth. Sometimes she's a 
little too quick..  ;-)

Jon and Marcia
77 Spider
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