StratfordShark

Well I finally got time today to resume work on changing rear shocks. This project has been going for at least a month but no hurry over winter...

I'm reusing the springs (hence rusty look -honestly the flash makes it look much worse than it is). I left job with old RR shock removed, so today I wanted to take off old spring and reassemble it on new shock.

What's concerning me is that when I released spring compressor with spring on new shock (with other hardware in place ans top nut torqued) the spring did not coil back neatly into the top perch. I positioned the perch so that end of spring was in the stop/flange, but it didn't 'unwind' itself so that a whole coil sat in the perch.

As a result the spring is not sitting true over the shock - at top the shock is nearer one side of the spring.

I didn't check whether it was like this originally when I removed it, but I didn't have same problem with the other side. The lower perch is fine, but then the spring stayed in that perch and popped out of top perch when compressed.

I recompressed the spring and tried again with pretty much the same result.

So does it matter that the spring is sitting like this, and if so is there some trick I'm missing to make sure the spring sits properly in the perch when compressor is released?

Thanks in advance,

Adrian

SeanR

Upside down?

Always test fit stuff before you button it up.

StratfordShark

Not upside down Sean - the spring released from top perch when I compressed it and stayed firmly in lower perch (needed to drift the lower perch off the old shock where it had welded itself to the adjuster nut). So it's come out of top perch but somehow is not coiling back into it when it's not compressed.

SeanR

That is really odd. Sorry I don't have any good ideas. I think your springs are shot.

nosnow

how are you compressing the springs? I had a simular problem with a set of Subaru springs when I was using a set of spring compressors I bought at a auto parts store. I ended up taking the spring assemblies to a shop that used a hydrolic press and had the springs seated properly in about 2 min.

Leon Speed

Did you verify that the spring end is sitting against the stop in the spring plate?

John Speake

Adrian, the sping is nowhere near central to the shock body.....

StratfordShark

Is that based on the rust patches Sean, or fact that it didn't go back correctly when decompressed? I do kind of wish I'd sprung (no pun intended, but it's a convenient one) for shiny new springs to go with the Boges.

StratfordShark

Problem solved. I just used a hammer and punch to (gently) tap the top coil into the perch. Didn't need much force as it 'wanted' to sit that way. Made a resounding 'ping' and now it's sitting nicely (centred on shock John!).

Thanks for all the comments.

John Speake

Good, now cover all that rust with Waxoil or similar ..... !

the flyin' scotsman

Now that the problem is resolved why not take it apart again, bead blast the spring and give it a fresh coat of paint like Tremclad.

StratfordShark

I agree that proper way to do the job would be to prepare and repaint the spring.

In my defence that's what I did on the other side (and the perches). Problem was that as it's been so cold here, the paint (Hammerite) took literally days to dry which put me off repainting the other one, though once I brought assembly indoors it dried well.

Now that it's all together I think I'll take John's easier route and apply Waxoil...

the flyin' scotsman

Adrian............cold is relative, -20C here this morning.

When I did my front calipers I brought them indoors after doing all the cleaning outside. Being indoors for 24 hrs they were at room temp. when painted then I baked then in the oven for a few hours.

Might be good to wait until the significant other is out visiting

StratfordShark

Good idea Malcolm - have used that ruse when using dishwasher to clean parts

StratfordShark

Trust you lot to keep me on straight and narrow. Haven't disassembled the strut but I have wire brushed the rust and repainted everything with Hammerite.