compress springs while on car?

[marked001]

ok... this may be a stupid idea, but its early..haha.. I think i want to raise my car up for the winter... I've got notched bilsteins... is it possible to compress the springs while everythings on the car...and slide the perch up a few notches? I dont remember how the perch moves out of the notches..any ideas on this? thanks.

[buck]

yes you can.... wish I took pictures this past weekend while doing that exact thing (on Coilovers anyway).

you'll need a strut spring compressor tool.

what's the difference in height between perch settings on your shocks?

[marked001]

I think its about an inch on the front..I believe theyr'e about a quarter inch apart...so I think its def. worth it..

[94jedi]

Originally posted by buck

you'll need a strut spring compressor tool.

is that a different tool than a regular spring compressor? I've only heard of a regular spring compressor.

[buck]

Originally posted by 94jedi
is that a different tool than a regular spring compressor? I've only heard of a regular spring compressor.

This thing:



Here's another way a fellow AZ'er Moops did it:




Too bad I didn't take a pic . I was getting the springs off of the perches by about 3/8". I probably could have got them to compress a little more - but it was enough for me to spin up my perches.

[marked001]

where'd you grab the spring compressor at? def. need more than half an inch though..

[94jedi]

Originally posted by buck
This thing:



Here's another way a fellow AZ'er Moops did it:




Too bad I didn't take a pic . I was getting the springs off of the perches by about 3/8". I probably could have got them to compress a little more - but it was enough for me to spin up my perches.

that ratchet strap/come-along method looks scary...

[Starting]

It's a tight squeeze to compress springs while on the car. Pull the two color caps in the engine bay and then remove the two 13mm bolts. Then just remove the bottom bolt and the whole thing will basically drop down with some coaxing.

[bitterchild]

the ratcheting tow strap is ghetto. That doesn't mean I won't try it sometime

[buck]

Originally posted by marked001
where'd you grab the spring compressor at? def. need more than half an inch though..

I just rented them from my local auto parts store (Canadian Tire). They lend you the tools, you leave a deposit, when you return them, they give you the deposit back.

I could have compressed the fronts more, while pushing down on the spindle arm (or whatever it's called). Be sure that the wheel on the other side of the car is unweighted also, such that you're not working against the sway bar.

... as for the straps - had I not found a spring compression tool - I would have resorted to that!

[SeanF]

yea, i found out you dont even need to remove the upper arms from the knuckle to get the strut assembly out...

you just have to push down on the hub to get the lower strut mount off and around the control arm...

[marked001]

hmm..maybe i'll stop being lazy and pull the suspension.. I was lazy and had it installed b/c it was so damn cheap..

[IKE20VA4]

I have the notched bilsteins from ECS and h&R race. I did the exact procedure to raise the car a little bit last weekend. I completely removed the suspension. It would have been hell to try and do it while on the car. I am on perch 5 (countin from the bottom) on the fronts and back now. I had to compress the springs a good 2 inches because each perch is about 1/2 inch. Plus the rears are harder to compress because the coils are closer together to begin with.

The perches move by just unclipping them and sliding them up or down. (needle nose pliers job) It's kinda hard to explain, but pull the ends apart from each other <-> like that instead of trying to pull them away from the shock body.