japan-air Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 My story... For my front setup, yesterday I cut one coil of the spring with everything still on the car. Jacked up the car, and start cutting with heavy duty metal cutting disc. It was easy, but the springs popped, and didnt sit inside the perch. I was figuring out how to take the whole assembly to no avail. Any input? Thank you much... Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Describe what you're doing again. I'm not understanding, and I'm guessing I'm not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun40146 Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I think he tried to his springs while they were still on the car, and then they moved or something it gets fuzzy from there on. What he needs to know is how to drop the strut assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CArFAn Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 He cut a coil off the springs and the spring shot up but it did not sit in the perch correctly it happens when you don't have a spring compressor to slowly uncompress the spring back into the perch. As for removing the hole strut assembly to put the spring coil into the perch correctly i would buy some coil type spring compressors. If that is the situation you are in take what you need from it. I'm not 100% sure if thats what your asking but its what i THINK your asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 If these guys are correct, then I'd suggest that the stock springs are so soft that you should be able to manhandle them into place, maybe use a screwdriver or prybar for leverage if you need to. If that doesn't work than you can do it the old fashioned way and use a spring compressor. You can use the thread with hooks type like Harbor Freight sells with the springs still on the car. Grease the threads before you use it! http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3980 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticky280zx Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 first off if u dont own a chiltons GET ONE it will make life much easier....otherwise you have to take the whole thing out and it isnt fun but like others said buy a 40$ part or i KNOW autozone (maybe others) rents them (u buy them then get refunded on return) so youre not out any money...but dont do stupid things like cutting springs or taking the BIG nuts that hold them compressed without first putting a spring compressor on them first.....we dont want you in the hospital because of taking a "shortcut" on your z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 first off if u dont own a chiltons GET ONE it will make life much easier....otherwise you have to take the whole thing out and it isnt fun but like others said buy a 40$ part or i KNOW autozone (maybe others) rents them (u buy them then get refunded on return) so youre not out any money...but dont do stupid things like cutting springs or taking the BIG nuts that hold them compressed without first putting a spring compressor on them first.....we dont want you in the hospital because of taking a "shortcut" on your z Cutting springs is not stupid. There is nothing wrong with it so long as the cut is done in such a way that it doesn't heat up a large portion of the spring. A cutoff wheel does fine. As to the relative "danger" of the Z strut and the "necessity" of using a spring compressor, if someone had the spring rate, the free height and the installed height they could figure out exactly how much tension is on them. I don't think it's much. Enough to warrant caution, but not anything like some other cars I've worked on (Porsche comes to mind) which had a really high amount of preload on the springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japan-air Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Thank you all for the reply! I am sorry for the confusion as I was tied up in the office, hence the lightning fast typing this morning. Basically what happened was, yesterday I was cutting one coil of the front springs with everything still installed to the car (springs were compressed and sat inside the perch). Once the cut was complete, the springs then jumped and it no longer sat in the perch. I tried everything to pry it back in, but no luck. Of course the next method is to take of the whole strut assembly and open the top hat to compress the springs back into place. But my question is how do you take of the whole strut assembly? I am new at installing shocks and springs, but I am new with Z cars. Local autozone, or pep boys dont carry Chilton or Haynes for Z. Please help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japan-air Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Oh, one more thing, I have eibach springs, and I am surprised that it still needs to be compressed. I will rent one on my local autozone, and yes I have used them many many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Get a few worm type hose clamps. Open them up and put them around a couple of coils. Use a few. Tighten them incrementaly. Once you get to the piont of adequate compression , push/hold spring into position, and unscrew hose clamps, easing spring into position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasper Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 No Strut Removal Required! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japan-air Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Excellent idea! I was using garden wire but that was not good enough to compress it down.. but clamp must work better! Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allaboutdaz Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 wow teh ghetto way lol let me know how it goes bro i am looking at cutting a set of mine also since the car still seems too high Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticky280zx Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 i dont think cutting a spring is stupid but i do when its still in the car and has tension on it so when u cut it it pops out and hits ur hand and you get some fractures going on....i just like to take more time but do it safely i just think about my buddys 2002 mustang he changed springs on...just popping them out and they went flying thru the sheetrock walls in his garage...not cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun40146 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 This shows exactly how to remove the springs, shocks and housing on a 240-280z. It is a great DIY. http://www.biopatent.com/struts.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japan-air Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Oh my! exactly what I needed. Thank you much! I will try the worm clamp method first though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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