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  #1  
Old 07-08-2011, 03:52 PM
scottmcphee's Avatar
1987 w124 300D
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Posts: 1,539
w124 front spring removal w/o compressor

I found it was quite easy to get the front spring out of a parts car without using a spring compressor at all - by using the car's weight and two jacks. Anybody else done this?

Jack#1 the car up normally at the front to get wheel off, jack#2 under the wheel carrier ball joint and jack it up a bit, put heavy wooden blocks under the coil spring area of the LCA and lower jack#1 until car comes down so LCA meets blocks. "Balance" jack#1 (up/down) until it and the blocks are each taking about 50% of the weight. Remove the LCA bushing bolt nuts, remove upper strut nut, remove outer sway bar bushing nuts and bushing, remove and hang brake caliper (In my case, I just cut the brake hose it was frayed anyway.) When you're ready tap out the LCA bolts - they should come out easily if your 50/50 balance is right. Lift jack#1. The spring dislocates the LCA out of its bushing mounts, strut comes down out of its hole, tie rod allows the movement, sway bar pops out of its placement, and the spring falls out.

I'm saying this is suitable for removal, not so sure if/how I'd modify the method to get a spring back in this way. It would be dicey lining up the LCA mounts with bolts. And for sure it would involve dropping a thick steel rod down through the middle of the coil, and through the holes in lower arm and the upper spring pocket mount... as a safety against something going sideways.

Now, I'm pondering using this spring to replace the one that has a broken 2/3 of lowest coil on my important car. This parts car spring has some skin cancer blotches all over it. And I notice it has a 1-bump thickness rubber shim whereas my ailing car has 4-bump (thicker) coil shims in it. Hmmm which shim would I use...

Or, is it just nuts not to do springs in pairs using only new parts, with new matching shims. But I guess the question still applies. What shim thickness? Searches here land on "matter of taste" rather than a prescribed ride height, and how would you know ride height before getting the coils in anyway? Hmm.

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Last edited by scottmcphee; 07-09-2011 at 10:59 AM.
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Old 07-08-2011, 09:23 PM
vstech's Avatar
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This is a very dangerous way to remove a spring.
there is no way to protect yourself or the car...
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Old 07-08-2011, 09:31 PM
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1987 w124 300D
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Posts: 1,539
Coming out of a parts car, I was less concerned about potential damage to car. And I stood to the side of the car, away from wheel well when lifting jack#1 - couldn't have got hit by a flying spring. It turned out to be a very controlled process, the trick being using solid big wooden blocks under the control arm resting on terra firma - that spring is just pressing down into the ground with a car sandwich on top.

This is just a junk yard method for removal.

To do anything with springs on the car I care about, it's going to be with a compressor!

My questions about re-usability of springs and shimming still apply.
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Old 07-08-2011, 10:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
This is a very dangerous way to remove a spring.
there is no way to protect yourself or the car...
X2
I have seen an unrestrained spring bounce off things next to a car & come sideways across a workshop.
You may not be in the direct line of fire but you can still get a serious injury from it after it bounces about a few times.
Maybe if you had it restrained via a strong chain & D shackles to the car it may work.
Its just not worth the risk. I would not wish to spend the rest of my life with a brain injury from a flying spring !!!
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Old 07-08-2011, 11:49 PM
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Location: central Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scottmcphee View Post
...Or, is it just nuts not to do springs in pairs using only new parts, with new matching shims. But I guess the question still applies. What shim thickness? Searches here land on "matter of taste" rather than a prescribed ride height, and how would you know ride height before getting the coils in anyway? Hmm.
X3 on dangerous... at least attach a chain to it from the other side so if you have miscalculated the forces.. or the car moves off the jacks... etc... you are not hit..

Yes, I think it is nuts to not do the springs in pairs and using only new parts.. meaning new springs also... for what they do and how important they are they are really cheap...
And there IS a prescribed ride height ... you can find that in one of the two Chassis Manuals printed by MB... and it is very important with relation to setting the geometry of the front end to get the best handling AND tire wear...
The ride height you would not know before hand....but since different ' wire sizes ' are available you might can guess closer with new ones from the factory... color coded to the wire size...then adjust with the rubber cushions if really needed...
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  #6  
Old 07-09-2011, 10:30 AM
scottmcphee's Avatar
1987 w124 300D
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Posts: 1,539
Lesjofors W0133-1623858 $82
or Mercedes only?

I've never heard of Lesjofors, any opinions from those who have installed them?

And if it's really hit-or-miss on needing / matching shims before seeing ride height, it's looking like twice the spring installs to get the right shims in there. Yuck.

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Last edited by scottmcphee; 07-09-2011 at 10:49 AM.
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