[alfajp]

All,

Trying to reinstall my front coil spring (passenger side - have not yet taken apart driver's side so I have a full suspension reference). I bought external compressors and an internal one as well. Had to cut the threaded part of the internal on down to 150mm in length to get it to clear the upper spring housing, after I pre-compressed the spring with external ones to get the internal one to bite on its hook.

Long story short, to get the compression I need, I have to put the internal one on the second to top coil and I can't get the spring to seat properly with it still attached. I am including a few pix.

Is there a trick to getting the coil to install more correctly (and hopefully more easily)?

Thanks, JP

 

[DPeterson3]

One doesn't use spring compressors on this. You use three or four long threaded rods with nuts welded onto one end. After positioning the spring within the suspension assembly, you screw the three or four long threaded rods up through the corners of the spring pan, compressing the whole system. Then, bolt up one corner at a time after removing a threaded rod. I use my impact wrench to speed up the job. Use hi-strength threaded rod.

 

[IRONBLOCK]

One doesn't use spring compressors on this. You use three or four long threaded rods with nuts welded onto one end. After positioning the spring within the suspension assembly, you screw the three or four long threaded rods up through the corners of the spring pan, compressing the whole system. Then, bolt up one corner at a time after removing a threaded rod. I use my impact wrench to speed up the job. Use hi-strength threaded rod.

I second what Don says except I used four threaded rods (on a Duetto) and double nuts (locked together) with washers on one end of each rod and a single nut and washer on the other end of each rod. Keep in mind that you do not want a spring 'getting away' from from the spring perch so tighten or loosen the nuts in equal and small (1/2" -1") increments. Also, a little lubricant on the threads makes it easier to turn the nut with less wear and tear on the rod and nut. Be careful!
Mark

 

[alfajp]

Thanks Don and Mark! I think I understand what you are saying and hope I can make that work. Will look at it tomorrow and translate your directions into the setup I need.

I will be careful....I know how much compression these springs are under.

Thanks,

JP

 

[alfajp]

OK, guys....not seeing how to implement your solution after all. I totally get it for the rear coils because the rear end drops a lot further.

Attached is a pic and my questions:

1. Don't see where to put in threaded rods short of drilling holes in the coil cup
2. Not sure where to screw in the other end of the rods, the opening for the top of the coil is just a metal frame
3. With the lower a-arm on, the spring has to be pre-compressed some way because it is so long relative to the length of the lower a-arm to the top of the coil frame

What am I missing? Thanks again, you two are great to give me all the support you have and I appreciate it!

 

[alfa2go]

John, here is a good thread I use for reference.
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/192358-front-suspension-change-dummies.html

Please keep posting all your little restoration battles soon as I will be starting on my new project soon and I find them very useful. I wish all the old posts on the archived yahoo group still had pictures.

Keep up the good work!

 

[alfajp]

Thanks for the thread and for the kind words, Derek! Trying to get all this done so I can update my post on the front caliper conversion to BMW 7-series units.

 

[alfajp]

OK...now I get it....found this pic from the following thread:

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/picture-room/26532-installing-front-spring-compression.html

This makes perfect sense! Thanks again for all the help!

 

[TorW]

Yup. Here's a snapshot from when I did the same thing on mine. Note: I used three rods, not just two.

Please be very careful when you do this, and be absolutely positively sure that the threaded rods are long enough. I borrowed some threaded rods from a friend which had been used to lower the front springs on a GT Veloce. I was very surprised when they suddenly ran out of thread, and very lucky that nothing happened!

 

[IRONBLOCK]

I like TorW's set up with the long nut on the bottom for a little extra security.

I totally get it for the rear coils because the rear end drops a lot further.
It is not necessary to use the treaded rods on the rear springs. Bruce Taylor in 'the Essential Companion' has a nice write up about taking out the rear springs by shortening a bolt about 3mm with an angle grinder. It worked well for me.

Mark

 

[TorW]

If the Montreal is already on stands, just let your jack touch the lowest and rearmost part of the trailing arm. Remove the lower bolt(s) securing the shock absorber (not the upper one) and slowly lower the jack. If the car is high enough on the stands, the spring will decompress fully before the jack bottoms out.

The shocks will have to come out at the bottom since the steep angle of the rear seat makes the workshop manual removal method impossible.

 

[DPeterson3]

As I sort of described...

My method on the front was to weld a nut on one end of the long threaded rods. Two are fairly long, while one is a slight bit shorter to fit through one side at the rear. Then, with washers and grease, I run the rods up from the bottom so I can get the impact on the nut under the spring pan. With a wrench on the upper nut, it is a quick job to compress or relax the spring pan and spring. I just go from nut to nut bringing the whole thing up equally. Generally, I don't bother with the 4th rod, as that is where I'm going to put the real bolt and nut when it's compressed anyway. There has been a time or two I use a fourth rod, and then clamp the spring pan to the lower A-arm so I can get the bolt through with enough left over to get the nut started.

The only challenge is to make sure that the pan and A-arm holes are lined up so that the bolt will go through. I use a tapered brass drift so that the holes end up aligned once they get close together.

 

[alfajp]

Pix of:

1. My tooling setup....worked perfectly. Coupling nuts were key as well as fact I would not ever have felt comfortable using less than 4.

2. Finished product

Thanks for all the help and guidance. Now off to do the driver's side.

JP