Need advice. I have a complete front suspension from a 77 MGB that is removed from the car. Any advice on how to disassemble? Can it be done safely without spring compressor?

Mike

There is so much previous advice on suspension disassembly - search is your friend. At the risk of opening up the box of popcorn no spring compressor necessary. The springs are under very little tension but there are others who don't believe that and they come up with all sorts of methods to stop the springs going boing. A normal spring compressor doesn't fit.

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Convertible: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67. Owned since 3/77. 90% original sheet metal. 18GB +40 balanced with almost all new internals. Peter Burgess big valve fast road head. Piper 285. Fidanza FW. Basil's followers and pushrods. TR7clutch. TT exhaust. ARP everywhere. 123 ign. Needham 4synchro c/r box.. Stock rebuilt/replaced suspension. Superpro bushes. New brakes all round including all pipes in SS flex. Interior redone. CAMS approved roll bar and side bars. Lots more. Hybrid of o/e and show/fast road car. Not for sale - it's my toy!

GT: UK car built/sold December '78. Stripped back to bare shell (with extensive bodywork to come). Powered by 'worked' Rover 5 litre V8 (ex TVR Chimera) with efi. T5 box. FC IFS. CCE rear attached to Salisbury axle with Quaife. And a whole lot more to yet to come. Stealth is the word.

I have done three sets without a compressor. I attached ratchet straps that you use to tie stuff down with. When releasing the tension it was very anticlimactic. Both times the cross member was still attached to the car, but the engine was out.

No need for anything other than an air ratchet or something to undue the 4 shock bolts. Take them off and the shock will 'pop' up a bit but no big deal. Takes about 1 minute to do both sides. You will probably get all kinds of solutions involving some sort of restraint. Nothing is needed.

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Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

"Anyone with an intense emotional interest in a subject loses the ability to observe it objectively: You selectively perceive events. You ignore data and facts that disagree with your main philosophy. Even your memory works to fool you, as you selectively retain what you believe in, and subtly mask any memories that might conflict."

I use a drift to knock out the pin at the top of the shock. Moves about an 1".

Lloyd convinced me to just unbolt the shock bolts many years ago. I will admit that I cringed the first time, but it is a non-event.

So, no, you do not need a spring compressor.

Pete

And no problems messing up the threads doing it that way? That concern is why I use a drift.

I did the exact same thing. Used ratchet straps to take up the tension, but there was hardly any. Still, use them anyway just in case.

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"... the motor car, after woman, is the most fragile and capricious thing on earth." - London Daily Mail 1908

Was also a concern when I did it the first time but once again, not an issue.


Pete

Easy peasy, see a nut undo it, see a bolt extract it. Only wrenches needed, maybe a rattle gun if the PO was 300 lbs of wrenchmania.

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Chris Howells

1968 MGB Purchased already dis-assembled but which is largely back together so I'm a lot less ignorant.

You do however need a spring compressor to put it back together if you don't have an engine in the car. I tried and even with a person standing on the bumper there wasn't enough weight to compress the spring and get the top bolt in. Surprised the heck out of me, of course that was with new springs.

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Chris AKA "Defender405"
1975 MGB
1979 Porsche 924
1999 Porsche 996
1987 Nissan 300ZX

Or a ratchet strap. I put mine back together a few weeks ago with a ratchet strap 1
with the unit off of the car, no problem. I took the springs out without a strap easy. Just moved an inch or so. Did three from different years that way, all a piece of cake. Go for it!

"You do however need a spring compressor to put it back together if you don't have an engine in the car"

That may be your Experience but those of us who use the physics that Lloyd outlined oh so many years ago with strategic placement of jack stands at the rear of the leaf springs would suggest otherwise irrespective of engine in or out. Assuming that you're not assembling the front suspension off car. ICR the best method for that exercise but search will know.

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Convertible: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67. Owned since 3/77. 90% original sheet metal. 18GB +40 balanced with almost all new internals. Peter Burgess big valve fast road head. Piper 285. Fidanza FW. Basil's followers and pushrods. TR7clutch. TT exhaust. ARP everywhere. 123 ign. Needham 4synchro c/r box.. Stock rebuilt/replaced suspension. Superpro bushes. New brakes all round including all pipes in SS flex. Interior redone. CAMS approved roll bar and side bars. Lots more. Hybrid of o/e and show/fast road car. Not for sale - it's my toy!

GT: UK car built/sold December '78. Stripped back to bare shell (with extensive bodywork to come). Powered by 'worked' Rover 5 litre V8 (ex TVR Chimera) with efi. T5 box. FC IFS. CCE rear attached to Salisbury axle with Quaife. And a whole lot more to yet to come. Stealth is the word.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-04-17 02:34 AM by MGB567.

Not necessarily (again stolen from Lloyd) put your jacks at the very rear of the car and with judicious of timber planks you can re-install the springs without any compression device. I knew there was a Moment in Physics Class that would come to the rescue.

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Chris Howells

1968 MGB Purchased already dis-assembled but which is largely back together so I'm a lot less ignorant.

Apologies Baz, didn't see your post.

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Chris Howells

1968 MGB Purchased already dis-assembled but which is largely back together so I'm a lot less ignorant.