Spring & Shock replacment

[slihp]

Hi Guys;

I was wondering how difficult is it to replace my springs and shockabsorbers. I currently have a 2'' lift on my defender and have got replacement 2'' spings and shock so was wondering if it is something i could tackle myself (still learning) or should i get my mechanic mate to helpout. I cant remember if i saw a technical archive here or on some other site. any advice most welcome.

[Les Henson]

Rear - Slacken the wheel nuts, raise the vehicle and support it on the chassis on both sides. Remove wheels. Place jack under the axle and support it. Remove the shocks and then lower the axle down - keeping an eye on the brake hoses. The axle should drop down far enough for the springs to come loose. Undo the lower spring retainer plates if you have them fitted, and take the springs off and replace. Jack up the axle, replace the shoicks, and the jobs a good-un

The front is more complex. Remove the shock tower turret covers from under the bonnet (several little screws and you may need to move the header tank bracket (10mm spanner and socket))

The top fixings for the shocks can now be seen. If you are replacing the shocks, then just cut the tops off with Mr A Grinder.

The shock tower is held in place by 4 x 13mm head nuts onto a ring that is held captive on the top of the spring. These usually just snap off, but give it a go anyway The tower will lift off, then raise the vehicle the same as the rear and the springs will hopefully come loose. Undo the shock lower mount (19mm nuts usually), lift the shock out through the top spring mount and then lift out the spring. You can stand on the axle to get it to drop further, but keep an eye on the brake hoses.

You might also find that your front brake pipes are attached to the shock tower with a small clip, so make sure you don't just wrench the thing off. If you can't get the axle down far enough to remove the springs, then either disconnect the brake hoses or get a spring compressor.

Forgot to say - the tower securing ring will come off when the front springs are removed - make sure you replace it. Forgetting to do that is a teensy bit annoying.

Les.

[Gromit]

now you have Les' how-to, go for it. It's a pretty easy job. I did +2" springs without spring compressors. Front brake hoses were just long enough. Might be worth getting new turret rings if the existing ones are in bits.

Edit to add that a stilson is handy to hold the shock while you undo the lower nuts.

[slihp]

Great info guys as usual. may tackle this and post it as my first tech archive

[Gromit]

may tackle this and post it as my first tech archive

Yep, always good to read someones first time doing something, as it helps others out in the same situation.

[Litch]

I think you will get away without the need for spring compressors, certainly I have never had to use them with standard or HD springs and it has not been so tight to make me think that extended springs would be any different.

If the lower nut on the front shocks is siezed then turning the body of the shock with a pair of Stilsons inserted through the (extended) coils of the spring while locking the nut with a spanner is a simple, sure-fire way of doing it. It destroys the shock but you will be replacing them with longer ones anyway.

Don't bother trying to reuse any fixings, turret rings etc, new fixings are so cheap and make it a nicer job to do.

Check your front turrets before you start as if they are rotten you will have to replace them (no point taking them off again at a later date), pattern ones are really cheap but even the galvanised tubular ones are getting cheaper now and they make cleaning easier.

I have done the job a few times now but the last time I last did a full set of springs, shocks & front turrets I had the whole job done in well under 5-hours and that included cleaning/undersealing the spring-mounts & adjacent chassis area. This isn't workshop time but working on my driveway with a few cups of tea included.

[dantd5]

It is one of the easiest.... I have done it over 6 times for friends... But then it was not a td5 110 99 model... But with that training the Defender was like ABC..

And the best thing is that the car drives smoothly....

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll194/d...gsandPAS005.jpg

[letsgetdirty]

I just finished replacing all mine with a 2inch lift,its easy,get a heat gun for tough nuts or the grinder,took me 5 hours to do mine....suprising how easy it is!!

[JimAttrill]

Great info guys as usual. may tackle this and post it as my first tech archive

Don't forget the pictures!

That makes a big difference. Take the photos and download them to your pc. If you don't know how to post them there are instructions on the forums.

The tech archive is better than a manual, the more the better!

Though sometimes I think we need audio files as well, to capture the swearing!

[ThreePointFive]

I'm doing the rear springs on my car, I only have a bottle jack, axle stands and a hi-lift, I was planning on doing the job one side at a time rather than both. I want to support the chassis with the hi-lift on my rocksliders, and use the bottle jack to lower the axle onto the axle stand at its lowest setting. I think that will give me enough travel with the shock removed. Is there any saftey issue doing it this way or does it have to be done with both sides at the same time?

[Marco]

I'm doing the rear springs on my car, I only have a bottle jack, axle stands and a hi-lift, I was planning on doing the job one side at a time rather than both. I want to support the chassis with the hi-lift on my rocksliders, and use the bottle jack to lower the axle onto the axle stand at its lowest setting. I think that will give me enough travel with the shock removed. Is there any saftey issue doing it this way or does it have to be done with both sides at the same time?

That's the way I've been doing it but using a hi-lift jack is always more dangerous. If you know what you're doing no problem but would not recommend to a novice mechanic.

[Guest wunntenn]

I can recommend the following - partially jack the opposite side to the side you intend to replace the spring. This compresses the spring to be removed a little bit extra. Get a pile of nylon twine/wire or whatever thats really strong and tie up the compressed spring like it was a bondage fetishist. Then when you jack up the side to be replaced, the spring cant extend and can be carefully lifted out (if it doesn't fall out itself). This reduce the amount of axle movement you need to do to get the spring clear of the turrets.

BE AWARE it is under compression and as such is a pretty lethal weapon. Best to cover it with an old jacket or something to prevent it boinging all over the place and hitting you in the face. Whatever you do DONT leave it lying around tied up - its an accident waiting to happen. For reasons I wont bore you with I had to do mine 6 times in three weeks. Got quite proficient at it. But used a lot of orange baling twine.

[bishbosh]

DO NOT USE A HIGH LIFT TO SUPPORT THE VEHICLE WHILST YOU WORK ON IT.

EVER!!!

Either borrow some axle stands that will hold the chassis up high enough or go buy some, it will be money well spent and they are not too dear.

[ThreePointFive]

Yeah the hi-lift wasn't my prefered option... I don't like using it.

Axle stands it is, I don't have anything twine wise strong enough to compress the spring safely.

[Marco]

DO NOT USE A HIGH LIFT TO SUPPORT THE VEHICLE WHILST YOU WORK ON IT.

EVER!!!

Either borrow some axle stands that will hold the chassis up high enough or go buy some, it will be money well spent and they are not too dear.

The message is clear, the font a bit to large IMO.

There are many occasions were a high lift jack can be used safely. People tend to blaim the jack for their own mistakes. It's always better to use axle stands in general but not that many people drive around with those stands in the back. The majority of the world population with a puncture on the road side will only make use of any type of jack while changing the wheel. And e.g. if you are in the deep sands or the mud the high lift jack is the only tool that will work for you.

Fo changing spring parts the combination of a hig hlift jack and hydrolic trolley or pot jack works fine for me. I enables you to lift/lower both the chassis and the axle independently. I've lost count on the spring changes so far since I got my first high lift back in 1991. But as I say it's not for the novice and many of us around just do not know how to operate it safely. A good positioned high lift (with right angle to balance the vehilce in such a way it can not drop) with switch and secured handle in upright position is a much firmer support than a small Chinese hydrolic jack many people do use (with one wheel removed only).

But yes, supporting the vehicle with axle stands, spare wheel, ammo boxes, brush wood or anything else to prevent it from dropping on top of you is always better.

[Reiny]

Rather than a stilson wrench to hold the shock absorbers, my personal preference is a chain wrench. It may be a bit fiddly to get the chain on at first but you won't damage the shock absorber at all.

[landroversforever]

when i replaced springs and shocks on a 110, didnt need anything to compress the old springs or the new +2" ones.

[ThreePointFive]

I have done one side, I jacked up one side of the chassis and used an axle stand with a block of wood on it, then used the jack to lower the axle, spring poped out and new one in.

Out of interest, from reading the first posts it seems the advice is to lower the axle in one go, what that be with a trolley jack?

[Les Henson]

You use a trolley jack to support the axle while you undo the shock absorbers. You still do one side at a time, so if you are doing the passenger side first, then put the jack under the axle tube - close to the hub. When that side is done - move the jack to the drivers side (under the diff is fine), then do that side. You only use a trolley jack to control how far the axle drops when the shock is released in case the brake pipes are stretched. If you have extended brake lines, then you are unlikely to damage them and the jack is only used to raise the axle back up to reconnect the shock absorbers.

Les.

[dantd5]

DO NOT USE A HIGH LIFT TO SUPPORT THE VEHICLE WHILST YOU WORK ON IT.

EVER!!!

Either borrow some axle stands that will hold the chassis up high enough or go buy some, it will be money well spent and they are not too dear.

Neighbor is always under car with high lift as a support. An old man well over 60 years. I told him this in a polite way though. He claimed "I have done this all my life". I replied, "One day the hydraulic might disappoint you" And he said "I never thought of that". The fear of being sandwitched under the car sends my spines, bones and body shivering. A slow death

[western]

Neighbor is always under car with high lift as a support. An old man well over 60 years. I told him this in a polite way though. He claimed "I have done this all my life". I replied, "One day the hydraulic might disappoint you" And he said "I never thought of that". The fear of being sandwitched under the car sends my spines, bones and body shivering. A slow death

no hydraulics in a hi-lift jack, don't get a hi-lift & trolley jack confused, but should always use axle stands with both types if intentions are to support the vehicle.

he's lucky something hasn't slipped.