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Can someone tell me if I need a spring compressor to tackle the back shocks in a L series wagon? They look fairly light but how much tension is on the spring when the shocker is removed from the car?

I started typing instructions on how to do it with a rattlegun but decided if you slipped and knocked your teeth out you'd probably blame me. Suffice to say it's possible but spring or strut compressors are a safer way to go.

nah not much pressure on the rear springs. only need the spring compressors for the front.

Thanks for the replies, I can get hold of a set of compressors as it turns out, so I might just play it safe as these falsies cost half a grand last time I needed new ones!

I had noisy front bits and I just squirted some WD40 on the rubbers/swaybar mounts etc etc etc and the noises went away.. give it a go - give it a squirt on movement parts.
Cheers
AP

Cheers for that AP, I have been under to look at the bushes in the back end and drowned them in CRC while I was there, some of them are worn but it did not affect the noise at all. It sounds like plastic rubbing on plastic and you dont have to move the car much to make it happen, just rocking it gently will do.
The shockers have a shroud over the shaft part and under the spring which blocks me from getting any CRC onto the shaft, and since they are the only place that I have not lubed yet I thought that I should remove and dismantle the spring off them to spray in there and see if that worked.
Any other ideas are always welcome.

Busdriver wrote:Cheers for that AP, I have been under to look at the bushes in the back end and drowned them in CRC while I was there, some of them are worn but it did not affect the noise at all. It sounds like plastic rubbing on plastic and you dont have to move the car much to make it happen, just rocking it gently will do.
The shockers have a shroud over the shaft part and under the spring which blocks me from getting any CRC onto the shaft, and since they are the only place that I have not lubed yet I thought that I should remove and dismantle the spring off them to spray in there and see if that worked.
Any other ideas are always welcome.

Fair enough..
No worries
Cheers
AP

no!!!!!!!!!

use spring compressors!!!

it still has some serioous force, you will hurt yourself if you dont use them! and you will need compressors to get them back on again!

never remove a spring without compressors, even if you think theres bugger all force behind them. Best to be safe than sorry,.


alex

yep totally agree, you should be able to pick up some spring compressors at super cheap, but it really sounds like you will have to bite the bullet and invest in new bushes and links ( have just done this and handles like a new car unbelievable ! ) spraying with wd40 will only mask the problem for a while. Good luck.

Thanks for that Tasscube, I was not trying to fix the squeak but to locate it by process of elimination, I would have to agree that any fix of this sort would only be temporary. As it happens I had me old man in the car on the weekend and I tried to show him the noise and the bloody thing would not do it! I wonder if it is related to having two people in the car? Whatever it is, it is not as bad now anyway so I guess that I will find out what it is later when it falls off lol!