Fitting coilovers/shocks advice

[charged_rs]

This is one for you've been framed.........

possibly one for the darwin awards too

[Steve]

Buy/borrow good spring clamps, its the only way to do it reasonably safely.

For the front suspension, take out the long large bolt holding the top wishbone on, move wishbone outwards and it'll come out. You don't have to split the ball joint then.

[hoopsbhoy]

So is pretty much every online guide wrong about this? most show the shocks and springs removed without spring clamps and then compressed afterwards?

[charged_rs]

So is pretty much every online guide wrong about this? most show the shocks and springs removed without spring clamps and then compressed afterwards?

[93 Mk1]

Not being funny but how will you remove the springs if not using spring clamps ? I ask only because I haven't seen any other ways.
Would it be possible to borrow a decent set of clamps to be safe ?

[rhysmate]

and no I will not use spring clamps

goodluck with that

Cheers, very helpful. Remind me to ask your advice in the future.

Neither of those two lads offer any helpful advice in any thread.. Just ignore them.. It's a shame because they probably have some useful knowledge between them i'm sure..

As for the spring compressors, have them to one side as you'll probably find you'll need them. And Steve's point is also a good one!

[charged_rs]

big sigh.... no i dont give advice to idiots who state from the outset that they refuse to use the proper tools for the job.
The fact i have changed suspension on these cars maybe 60 - 70 times is irrelevant as this guy reckons he has done it lots of times without spring compressors and wants to argue about why he should use them.
If anyone asks for advice, i am happy to give it but im not going to debate the merits of using the proper tools as that is a given in my book.
its easier to wish the numpty the best of luck and await the - im in casualty thread - and have a good old chuckle

remember there are no stupid questions, just stupid people.

[hoopsbhoy]

Ok well if you done it 60-70 times how come you weren't aware that it is absolutely possible to remove shocks from an mx5 without spring clamps? You can also explain to me how I removed 3 front shocks today and not a spring clamp in sight?

2 removed and replaced with new coilovers on one car and one corner removed, waiting on the other in the morning so that top mounts can be safely removed and transferred over.

To those who offered genuine help as regards the shock just being too long to be removed without being clamped, it actually wasn't there was plenty of space there one the long bolt was removed.

@03mk1 Friend has a wall mounted compressor/press that holds the shock more securely and safely, way to afraid to use spring camps.

[93 Mk1]

Which type of coilovers did you go with ?

[Steve]

cool, did you have to undo the anti-roll bar bracket bolts to make enough room for the long bolt?

[rhysmate]

Good work man! Did you put my old ones in yours?

[hoopsbhoy]

For some reason Steve I did on one side but not on the other, not even sure why it just seemed to slide out ok on one side but not the other. Took a bit of "wiggling" but not to bad and still have all my knuckles.

Ya Rhys yours went on mine. Front two are on at the minute, hopefully get the rears on tomorrow morning. Have a free run and no work to get both cars rolling again tomorrow.

[rhysmate]

Nice one! Pics of scraping tarmac please

[hoopsbhoy]

Hopefully later today or tomorrow.

Brought the two shocks out to get top mounts off today and I was genuinely surprised at how short the springs were (standard springs) once uncompressed. You could easily remove a shock and leave a top mount in place to change top mounts, I personally wouldn't do it myself for obvious reasons but both my mate and my mechanic said they would be happy to do it. So there is definitely no reason to use suicide sticks to remove the shock as a whole.

Personally I am happy in the knowledge that after 15 years taking cars apart and putting them back together, I hadn't actually lost my mind.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=403755
Thats pretty much how I removed them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrZals4D-BA
Although this video is with coilovers as i mentioned earlier both my mechanic and y mate said they would be happy to do it with standard shocks. Personally I wouldn't chance it.