Ok, I'm posting this from my phone since I am currently stuck where I am. Why? It's because my front left spring as snapped.



Any tips or suggestions?

__________________
1983 Benz 240D - 263,060 (Current)
1983 Cadillac DeVille - 130,000 (Scrapped - Stupid HT4100)
1992 Dodge B350 - 150,000 (Sold)
1984 Mazda 626 - 299,997 (Scrapped)

Jack the car up and try to stick it back in. Sounds crazy, I know, but if I was stuck on the road (In the freezing cold), that is what I would do.

Drive carefully. If you have a ratchet strap of some kind, perhaps use it to secure the spring to one of the perches. This may prevent the spring from falling out when the suspension unloads while driving. (we have to do this in some race cars with shorter springs than suspension).

Let us know how you make out.

Atleast you have internet....

__________________
85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

Where exactly should I jack it up because I normally put the jack stand where the spring is.

__________________
1983 Benz 240D - 263,060 (Current)
1983 Cadillac DeVille - 130,000 (Scrapped - Stupid HT4100)
1992 Dodge B350 - 150,000 (Sold)
1984 Mazda 626 - 299,997 (Scrapped)

at this point, anywhere you can. Even if you are only jacking it a bit in order to pull the spring out. Move the spring to a different spot under the car, and set the car on the spring temporarily, in order to get your typical jack point back.

This may seem like a chinese fire drill, but some emergencies require these time consuming little steps.

Again, best of luck.

Note: you may have to remove the wheel to access installing the spring. I am not sure. Just be careful that the car doesnt move while on the jack.

__________________
85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

Note: be sure to chock the wheel at the opposite corner from rolling forward or backward. The jack lifts but provides no protection if the car starts to move.

The reason for chocking the opposite corner is that weight typically transfers to the opposite corner of the car, so chocking there is the most effective. Use what ever you have available to you on site.

Note to all: portable wheel chocks are a great item to add to your spare tire kit. They are available for sale new, but also can be found in many 'high end' japanese cars of the eighties. (for those that scour the yards).

Best of luck.

__________________
85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

I carry 4 bricks in the trunk of my car at all times, along with 2 jack stands and a crawler.

__________________
1983 Benz 240D - 263,060 (Current)
1983 Cadillac DeVille - 130,000 (Scrapped - Stupid HT4100)
1992 Dodge B350 - 150,000 (Sold)
1984 Mazda 626 - 299,997 (Scrapped)

Sorry, just read your posts again.

If you have a jack and stands then you are in much better shape (safety wise).
There are SO MANY other places to put your jack stand. Clearly when working on the suspension, we dont typically place the stand under the suspension, but rather the chassis, to allow the suspension to achieve 'full droop'.

Best of luck.

__________________
85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

What do you mean by snapped. Has the spring broken and come out. Or did it pop out. If it popped then something has gone bad to let the spring come out. If it's broken there is not use in trying to put it back in. You'll have to get towed home.

I really doubt your going to get that spring back in without a spring compressor. The spring compressor squeezes the spring down several inches. And the cup at the top of the spring is couple inches deep. It's a bit of of fight to get the compressed spring in. Maybe if you take the rubber spacer at the top of the spring you'll be able to get the spring back in w/o compressor. But make sure you get the spacer back in later.

__________________

my advice is only assuming that the spring is broken short enough that you can get it back in w/o compressing.

Or get a compressor from the auto parts store ( some have a tool rental/return program).

__________________
85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

Yeah, it snapped basically at the bottom coil ( or top coil, I don't know which way is up on these things. ) and there is no way I could get that back in without detaching the shock and a spring compressor. Am I able to drive a short distance without the spring? We're talking less then a mile back to my apartment.

__________________
1983 Benz 240D - 263,060 (Current)
1983 Cadillac DeVille - 130,000 (Scrapped - Stupid HT4100)
1992 Dodge B350 - 150,000 (Sold)
1984 Mazda 626 - 299,997 (Scrapped)

I would drive it that short distance. New spring is $65 but you could probably get one on the parts forum for next to nothing.

__________________
"Life is tough...it's even tougher if you're stupid." John Wayne


Dave
Pawleys Island, SC

'79 300CD

I would. Weight the opposite corner w/ a couple friends, <5mph, flashers on, avoid all bumps, Use common sense & don't be stupid. Stop & re-evaluate for any screeching, grinding, rubbing or scraping noises. When you replace, do both.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

does the tire touch fender?

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Ok, I'm back home, but I would not recommend driving without the springs. I actually took my nice snow tire off and replaced it with my ratty old spare. There was about a 1/2in clearence between the tire and the top of the wheel well, so i heard it rub a couple of times. Plus, you really cannot turn at all with it like that. I've already ordered 2 springs from here (they were the cheapest out of the people who actually STILL carried any) and it looks like I might be looking for a "new" spare tire.

__________________
1983 Benz 240D - 263,060 (Current)
1983 Cadillac DeVille - 130,000 (Scrapped - Stupid HT4100)
1992 Dodge B350 - 150,000 (Sold)
1984 Mazda 626 - 299,997 (Scrapped)

Glad you made it! Does the spring look rusty where it broke? Or did it just break clean?

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)