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Rear Coil Spring Removal/2" Rear Coil Spring Spacers
Before
After
I had already got a second-hand 2" lift kit comprising of 4 shocks, 2 uprated tortion bars for the front and 2 +2" coil springs for the rear. However, the coil springs seemed to be quite "tired" as the rear still had some sag (see "before" pic above) and when I mounted my motorbike rack on the back it sagged way too much.
I got another set of +2" coil springs hoping these would not be as tired as the last set as well as a pair of 2" rear spring spacers, hoping this would help even out the back and mean less sag with heavy loads. The spring spacers came from Roger Brown (4 Crawler Off Road) in the US and with shipping and UK taxes cost £90. The spacers are made of "tough, self-lubricating Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene" which basically means they should not break or squeak and you can get other sizes if you do not want 2":
Fitting - Tools/Equipment Needed
- Coil Spring Compressors
- Heavy-Duty Axle Stand/s (1 will do although 2 is better)
- Jack
- Socket set with extension bars etc.
- Wheel-nut wrench.
- Crow-bar or some sort of lever
- Mallet or hammer & block of wood
- Air Wrench/Ratchet will speed things up!
Fitting
First, while the truck was still on the ground I loosened all the wheel nuts on both rear wheels. Then I used a normal trolley-jack to jack up one side of the truck so the rear wheel was off the ground. I put an axle stand under the chassis rail and lowered the jack. I then did the same the other side (although it would be possible to just do one side at a time). Then I took off the wheel nuts and wheel revealing a lot of mud and some suspension components. |
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Then I attached the spring compressors to the springs. There is not a lot of room here to get the sockets onto the spring compressors so you have to make sure they are placed in exactly the right place. TIP: Before attaching the spring compressors use a jack under the hub and jack up the wheel to partly compress the spring - this saves a lot of time as you do not have to wind the compressors as much. Once I wound the compressors enough I was able to remove the spring (they are not bolted in or anything).
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To fit the springs back in with the spacers I had to undo the lower shock absorber bolt and pull the shock off the lower mounting so that the axle could move further down. I undid the bolt and carefully used a crow-bar between the shock and the axle to push it off the mounting. I then stood on the hub while someone else put the spacer in first, and then the spring. Then I used a hammer and a bit of wood to knock the shock back onto the lower mount and did up the shock bolt again. Then it was simply a case of uncompressing the springs. TIP: if you use a jack under the hub you can partly compress the spring and give yourself less work unwinding the compressors). |
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Disclaimer
I have taken a lot of time to ensure the information above is correct, but please remember vehicle manufacturers make alterations and design changes during the production run of a vehicle. No liability can be accepted for loss, damage or injury caused by any errors in, or omissions from, the information given above.
If you think any information is incorrect, confusing, misleading or incomplete, please feel free to contact me.
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