As some of you know I had a concept that I explored, in pulling the springs without the MB compressor. Well that part was fine. It felt controlled and safe. Putting it back is another story. It seems that the measurement of 1 to 2 inches that I needed to compress when removing the springs, was impacted by the normal bow of the spring into the spring case. When installing the spring it has no such bow and therefore more than 1 to 2 inches is required. More than I am comfortable trying to get out of the Harbor Freight outside compressors.

Need to ponder a different approach to get it back together.

Don

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

It's a wrestling match, but you can get the spring back in, but you need some sort of spring compressor. I managed with simply the two piece compressor that you get at AutoZone.

Good luck and be careful,

The next time you make a garage floor.... you place some pieces of half inch steel embedded with the flat at floor level... then when you need to do something like this you put a chain around the frame and weld the two ends to the floor... then use the floor jack to push the lower control arm up... then when you are through you cut the chain off the floor pad and go on your way....
However, I believe in using the proper spring compressors myself...

I have put the spring in using a threaded rod from the top when the spring is seated in from the top only. Then, I possitioned the bottom when the threaded rod compressed the spring about 3 inches.
Good luck, Adam

Close if not the same to my current thoughts.

Get 2 plates of steel (3/8"?)
In one plate Drill 4 holes for bolts that make sure it won't slip out of spring
In both plates, drill a hole for a 3/4" shaft
Insert shaft through engine compartment, through plate one down to and through plate 2, position nut and spin shaft into it.
Spin nut down ontop of plate 2 and tighten away.

Don

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

Don,
I think that's going the extra mile and would work great with good safety back-up if you do it that way. No way am I going to pay those big bucks for a spring compressor when they built pyramids thousands of years ago using simple physics.

how to compress: 2-ways
1. two people, one with strong hands
2. strong bailing wire
3. very large channel locks
4. various pliers and wire cutters

compress 2 rungs of spring with channel locks
while second person wraps tightly with precut
wire. move up the rungs a few inches and repeat ect
until spring is compressed enough.
if you can do with only one person, clamp the
channel locks with a clamp, maybe lock grips.

could also compress the rungs with two steel bars
and two screw clamps. this seems easier. one
person. i like it


don

If I got my information correctly. It takes about 300 lbs per inch to compress the front springs on a SD.

Don

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

Ling threaded rod, couple nuts, couple U brackets to hold the spring, old wheel bearing and a foot of ridgid conduit. Home made spring compressor. Worked OK, bent one of the lower spring holders, neeed to be of stronger material. I can take pics if anyone is really interisted, but it's the same theory as the other two gentlemen posted. That hole underhood is the key, a base sits there and the rod down through the spring with something to hold it from the inside and you simply screw it up. Pretty simple.

__________________
One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

Without sloting the plate, it won't go through the spring (duh) so I am looking at 2 approaches.

1. Take spare spring case (saddle the spring sits in on control arm) and mount it to my floor jack (maybe the whole control arm). Jack the spring up into the upper pocket then secure the compressed spring, remove jack...etc etc.

2. flat steel strip going through the spring with u-clamps holding it to the spring. Threaded rod from engine compartment.

Don

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

Red,
I did number 2 in your suggestions and it worked great.

Taking a break and letting my "experiment" sit to make sure it is safe.

My floor jack has a hole in contact point, so I bolted a spare spring case (saddle) to it and set the spring in it. I rolled it under the upper pocket and jacked it up. Once compressed enough, I put on the harbor freight compressors and 2 rachet tie downs. I have released the jack tension out have it under the spring, waiting to see if it secure and safe.

I felt safer using the jack because it is lots stronger than the spring and while the harbor freight compressors are rated for the load, I didn't like the idea of cranking down on the nut while it was under tension and watching the shaft bow. I respect the power of these springs.

While doing this it became I think reasonably apparent, that higher rated (5000 or 10,000 lbs) racket tie downs might be the simple and easy solution, however I have been working on the front end for 3 days and I just want it finished! I can experiment more on the next one, my wifes 300TD.

Pictures will follow once I know the proceddure worked.

Regards
Don

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

I first tried the route of using the jack to raise the spring and then secure it. Not a good way to go for a number of reasons so I built a compressor from parts at the hardware store. Basically it is a 5/8" threaded rod with various steel plates at both ends. Felt controlled and safe, but to be sure I kept the floor jack under the spring and used it to push the suspension up and then took up the slack on the shaft.

The drivers side is basically done.

This has been alot of work. I wonder what the labor cost would have been to have a pro do it?

I replaced, ball joints, trailing arm bushings, guide rod mounting (at the LCA) Bushings and bearing in the bearing support housing and shocks. Cleaned and painted everything.

Don

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it

In case it does not work..
How about leaving a note on your kitchen table telling your wife how to find this forum and leave us a note.....like which hospital we can send flowers to.... you know... basic ' did not work ' information....

Life has it risks and at times we are called to carryout a task with higher risks. I have done things and been through things with much higher degrees of risk than the springs. If your not intuitive with tools and cause an affect scenarios one could get into trouble really quick with these springs. For myself, while I didn't enjoy most of it, I would do it again and most likley will on the 300TD, once I feel the ride difference. God I hope so. Picture of it almost done

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
1980 300TD-T (82 Turbo and Trans) 159,000 Miles "Jackie-O"
1983 300SD 272,000 Miles "Aristotle"
1987 Jeep Wagoneer Limited - keeps the MB's off the ice and out of the snow
1994 BMW 530it