is there any write ups or guides to replacing the front springs? Done my rears yesterday and that was easy enough .. but dont want to bite off more than i can chew with the fronts .. only used to really working on bikes not cars

Rears you can drop the rear arm after disconnecting the shock, fronts you need spring compressors, just done mine so strut needs to come out, if your up for it about 3hrs work. I'd put in a pair of top mounts if yours has covered a lot of miles while its out.

 

Its covered in the fabia chassie workshop manual downloads in the Fabia section but I can't find the link to the manuals at the moment

Edited 21 November, 20169 yr by ituksw

Horrible job, get someone else to do it. Not much fun and you need quite a few bits to do it more easily. Filthy job too.

(Far easier to put in lower springs than originals which need to be quite heavily compressed to get out the hub).

 

Compressors, strut widening or something equivalent to open the hub up to get shock/in out, and all sorts of sockets etc.

In fact on mine I think I shaved down the big socket for the top shock tightening.

(Edit: as you are dropping the socket into the top mount cavity I mean, and the allen key goes in the middle of the socket so the only way to get purchase on the outer part of the socket easily is to have a flatted side you can get an adjustable wrench on or something).

 

Plus if you get in there to save future messing about maybe worth doing full overhaul of everything while you are in ?

ARB bushes, links, etc, not fun to have to go in there twice. Be prepared like me for ARB mounts to give you a fair bit of fun too.

Also when you are doing it and putting everythign back make sure everythings right, springs right way up and meeting the top/bottom mounts where they should be, all the bits in right order etc

 

Its just that kind of job its worth paying someone to do IF you can unless you like the piece of mind of doing yourself, or take satisfaction of saving a few hundred quid.

Edited 21 November, 20169 yr by vRSAnt

thanks for the replies, I've already done the rear ones .. but for when (if) I do the fronts, I've got new top mounts and new drop links to fit at the same time, I'll get some new arb bushes too, may as well for the sake of a tenner .. it definitely sounds like more of a pig to do than the rear, although it would be lowering springs id be fitting not just replacements

Edited 22 November, 20169 yr by JLawson90

About 300% more time consuming (unless you are used to doing the job by heart),

you can do the rears without even thinking about it as its doesn't need any particular effort to change them.

 

Don't even attempt the front without some kind of hub splitter tool and compressions.

 

My ARB clamps had 2 bolts seize in the ARB so don't expect that to go like a dream, worth spraying all in penetrating fluid before touching anything.

Oh and unscrew them from the back in case you are puzzled why nothing fits that seemingly siezed nut visible - not the first time people have mistook that lol

Edited 22 November, 20169 yr by vRSAnt

any recomendation on a hub splitter tool? .. and i presume the spring compressors that are like claws on a threaded bar you operate via a socket/spanner at the top would work? as i already have some of those, dont fancy paying out for a hydraulic one!

ok so after a little looking around i think these two (links below) will be it .. are they ok? is there anything else i'll need?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BGS-1-2-Spline-XZN-M14-x-100-mm-Bit-Socket-Non-Tamper-Pro-4364-/271345553915?hash=item3f2d7491fb:g:5JQAAOSwNSxU32Fw

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Laser-Tools-Strut-Nut-Tool-2pc-1-2-drive-3396-/321785122799?hash=item4aebe34fef:g:69MAAOSw-vlVgXBB

ok so after a little looking around i think these two (links below) will be it .. are they ok? is there anything else i'll need?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BGS-1-2-Spline-XZN-M14-x-100-mm-Bit-Socket-Non-Tamper-Pro-4364-/271345553915?hash=item3f2d7491fb:g:5JQAAOSwNSxU32Fw

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Laser-Tools-Strut-Nut-Tool-2pc-1-2-drive-3396-/321785122799?hash=item4aebe34fef:g:69MAAOSw-vlVgXBB

 

Those are fine. And yes the spring compressors are the ones with claws on threaded bar.

 

Compressing the springs in situ can be a bit of a pain but it can be done. I replaced both my front struts that way. I remember the driver's side being the most difficult because the lower arm won't drop as much. If I was doing it again I think I'd remove the strut complete with hub carrier but that requires driveshaft removal and some of them are bonded to the hub splines which can be a pain in itself.

 

These are the compressors I used...

 

Edited 23 November, 20169 yr by TMB

I mirror the comments about this being a nasty job, made nastier if doing it at this nasty time of year with low temperatures.

 

I did the O/S on my wife's old Polo back in Dec/Jan  04/05 or 05/06 - really had to do it as car could not be reversed up the driveway with the spring broken at half height!

 

That side was done without the hub expander tool, but with lots of swearing, a couple of months later, once the weather was warmer, I did the N/S but had all the necessary tools then, so much easier then!

 

Remember, it should be the top mount bearings that you really will need/should be replacing when you change a spring/strut, as the old ones will have rusted up and will probably fall apart. These bearings don't cost much from ECP etc. I have a "drive through" set of sockets and sockets with bits in them so getting the nut off the top of the strut was easy - some of the older large plug sockets will do there if they have hex flats on them - instead of a "drive through" socket set!

 

Edit:- remember replacing the rear springs is just about a "10 minute job" - I replaced the rear shockers on my wife's old Polo due to one leaking badly, about 4 months later it failed its MOT for about 1/2 inch missing from one spring, I grabbed the car, bought a pair of new springs and had that car back into the MOT place within a couple of hours - that included getting a bus to the garage, picking the car up and driving to ECP then driving 12 miles back home, replacing the springs and driving 10 miles back to the garage. I could not have done that with the fronts, maybe add in a day!

Edited 23 November, 20169 yr by rum4mo

I too removed the whole lot, the driveshafts came out with a sharp tap using a soft drift, obviously the lower balljoint unbolts, as does the drop link and the track rod end needs a splitter to separate it, be careful of the ABS sensor, unplug it before even trying to remove the strut and hub and you can remove the brake caliper and hang it out of the way without disconnecting the hose, oh, and it's HEAVY so mind your fingers. If you're just replacing the springs you don't need to remove the strut from the hub but it would be a shame not to replace the lot having done all that hard work removing it.

is it possible to do one side at a time? as in the whole lot .. spring, top mounts, drop links & arb bushes

 

that way i can tackle one side while i leave the other side completely intact, then do the other side another day (wont be driven inbetween)

is it possible to do one side at a time? as in the whole lot .. spring, top mounts, drop links & arb bushes

 

that way i can tackle one side while i leave the other side completely intact, then do the other side another day (wont be driven inbetween)

 

Of course, best way to do it, jack it up nice and high on one side, prop with an axle stand and tear its knickers off with your teeth.

Do the driver's side first and then you'll know the next one will be a bit easier :p

the spline socket i bought from that link doesnt seem to fit, and the cars on axle stands in bits .. great!

Tried giving it a little tap in with a hammer?  Obviously, don't force it if it definitely looks wrong.

it looked far too big at first .. but ive stepped away had a cuppa and went back to it with a fresh mind and it seems to go in fine with a tap now! just plenty of crud around it i guess

Make sure it goes all the way to the bottom before you apply any torque. For initial 'breaking any corrosion' loosening, hold the bolt head still, and put the effort into undoing the nut off it, if you see what I mean.

yep that makes sense.. ive got the drivers side one off, but the offside is stuck on good so ive give it a good spray and going to leave it a little bit with more applied periodically .. 

 

while im doing that, i cant seem to split the hub! cant see any places for the 'strut nut tool' i bought to go into

ive got the offside shock is so i now know where it goes, its just terrible for access! really hard to get the tool in square and be able to turn it .. is it possible to get the drivers side off without compressing the spring? my compressors are rubbish 

ive got the offside shock is so i now know where it goes, its just terrible for access! really hard to get the tool in square and be able to turn it .. is it possible to get the drivers side off without compressing the spring? my compressors are rubbish 

 

Told you it was easier to just whip the whole lot off, much quicker too.

i may do that with the drivers side! any specials tools needed as i dont fancy having to buy and wait for yet more things

i may do that with the drivers side! any specials tools needed as i dont fancy having to buy and wait for yet more things

 

Only a splitter for the track rod end.

im also having trouble with getting the damn top mount off this one, it seems to be compressed enough (i can turn the shock body and move spring up and down a little bit) yet the bolt wont budge.. it seems to be a 7mm allen key in the middle, typically my set goes straight from 6 to 8! so ive had to file an 8 down and its not a perfect fit.. how tough should it be to undo?

It's tight, but it's a self-locker so once it moves it should be fine.