removing springs

hypaTG · backyard mechanic Joined: 15 Oct 2002 Posts: 524

Hey everyone,
I was just wondering, how exactly do you remove the springs from a TG to "modify" them and how do you put them back in?
What modifications can be done to the standard niki carby?
Cheers again everyone,
Mat

Knobby · tinkerer Joined: 09 Oct 2001 Posts: 172

hmmm, modify, if by modify u mean chop, then, #1 make sure u cut 1 coil at a time, i.e. don't do 1 and 1/2 coils, other wise the spring won't sit in properly. for the front... presuming you already have them out... place the spring back in, making sure you have the rubber boot on the top of the spring, and as long as you've cut 1 or 2 or 3 or however many full coils, the spring will sit in the little lip in the lower control arm. just force the spring in, if you have trouble, pull the caliper off the rotor, that way the control arm will open further. to get it back in, get a jack under the control arm, and jack it up untill the spring is in place...

for the back, the easiest way to do it is jack the car up at the diff, take off the wheels, jack the car higher, put car stands under the rear jacking points on the car. (at this point leave the jack holding / supporting the diff) undo the shocks, then slowly lower the jack, the diff and axle housings (buggered if i know if there is another name for it) will drop, and and your springs should just be sitting there. we 9me and a couple of my mates) used car stands which were about a foot high...

nikki carby, i don't really know a lot about, but i was talking to paul from stafford tune who said if you fully recondition a nikki carby, and jet it correctly it will go at least as good, if not better then what you will get a weber to do on a standard gemini inlet manifold.

knobby..

hypaTG · backyard mechanic Joined: 15 Oct 2002 Posts: 524

thanks for that dude, helps a lot, but how do u get the front springs out? do you just do it the same as the back?

Knobby · tinkerer Joined: 09 Oct 2001 Posts: 172

undo the two bolts holding the upper ball joint to the upper control arm, loosen the bolt holding the upper ball joint to the rotor. hit the ball joint on the side with a hammer, untill the ball joint pops out. (tip: leave the bolt on so u don't hit and dammage he thread) then take off the tie rod end ( the place where it connects to the lower front side of the rotor ) by the way, make sure you jack the car up, take the wheel off (obvioulsy), get a car stand (in place of the jack) then get the jack under lower control arm. lower the jack slowly after u get the ball joint, brake calliper, and tie rod end off. once the jack is all the way down, get a concrete brrraker (not kidding) one that is like 6 feet long, stand back, and jimmy the spring out. where about are you?

hypaTG · backyard mechanic Joined: 15 Oct 2002 Posts: 524

Sounds like that'll keep me busy for a while. I'm in Melbourne. How many coils should i cut off to get the car sitting about 2-3 inches lower?

ByteMe22 · backyard mechanic Joined: 28 Dec 2001 Posts: 591

can you get the springs out using a sring compressor. you know the spiraly thing with hooks on each end. if you use one of them can you do it without taking the oher stuff apart??

Gemini Driving Yobbo · petrol head Joined: 26 Feb 2002 Posts: 3897

remember that the front springs ratio is like 1:2. so if u cut 2inches of teh spring it will drop the car about 4inch. i think its like that.if MIGHT be the other way around i dont remember. u will probly need a spring compressor to put the front springs in and get a fat arse mate to stand on the rear control arm when putting the rears in. but go and buy some commodore springs and chop them dude u will get a better ride outta them. also the size of your wheels determine the hieght that your car will be dropped as when i had 13s on mine i couldn get outta my driveway but now i have 14s i dont hit but it looks roughly the same. just remeber chopping springs are dangerous so where eye protection when doing it hahahahha

Reddez · tinkerer Joined: 29 Oct 2002 Posts: 353

I don't agree with the cutting of springs, not a good idea, but i'd say you're doin it for looks and not performance though, spring compressors will do it, but you may have probs gettin them in there, i know i did, you can also wrap wires from top to bottom (decent wire mind you, eg fence wire thickness) when its compressed/got weight on it, then lower the lower control arm and it should pop out, if not you can twist the wire tighter to compress it more, very fiddly, but effective. Speak to a suspension shop if you wanna know exactly how bad choppin springs is... You could even get em reset, but i still say just buy a set of lowered springs...