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MGB Spring compressor for MGB front suspension

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I wholeheartedly disagree (obviously) with your reasoning for using a spring compressor, and so does the factory manual quoted above. But to each their own and it's your own car, and your own fingers! I'll leave it at that since my intention is not to change your way of working on your car, but rather to educate those who may not know the recommended procedures listed in the aforementioned manual and I believe that goal has been achieved.
 
Yep - good discussion....now everybody can make up their own minds.....ain't this forum great!
 
Steve_S said:
tony barnhill said:
Steve - What you're using isn't the proper tool either!
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Correction, it isn't the factory tool. However it is the proper tool to compress a coil spring and allow safe, easy removal.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]If you want to go to the trouble of installing that compressor - go for it...but it's a waste of time!
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Safety is never a waste of time, especially when we're talking about 90 seconds to mount the tool to the spring. You then disassemble everything by hand. No jacks or special care required.

Using jacks, chains, 2x4 blocks of wood, clamps, wire, metal rods, comealongs, removing shock bolts or any of the other methods I can't think of will all work. It's all simply a matter of how much risk a person is willing to take.

When I work in the garage, my goal is to never be "that guy", if you get my drift! :smile: [/QUOTE]

Oh please.

I have dropped at least 50 MGB coil springs using the aforementioned floorjack/jackstand approach and never, ever had a safety issue. Ever.

There's safety, and there's sheer overkill.
 
I agree that on most cars with front coil springs, you need a spring compressor to safely remove the front springs. Not doing so is very dangerous.

Except for our MGs with the "Issigonis" front suspension. As Tony Barnhill points out, quoting liberally from the manual, be it Haynes, Leyland/Bentley, Lindsay Porter's, you can use a trolley jack under the lower arm/spring pad after you have the car properly & safely in the air. There is really not much of a load on the spring at that point. Like Tony said, un-bolt what he said to & slowly lower the trolley jack & the spring pretty much falls out. I've done this numerous times, and I'm pretty anal when it comes to safety.

Now, if you've taken the front crossmember out, with the front suspension still assembled, and you want to take the spring out then yes, that's when you need to use a spring compressor.

Colin
 
I just posted on another site this same thing...so I found a tool and had it fabricated to fit yesterday. This morning...if all goes well and I'm not de-fingered...I'll be doing it to my 76B that I just sold. Simple, safe and easy. Everyone has a way to do it..hopefully mine will work for me.
 
Colin said:
Now, if you've taken the front crossmember out, with the front suspension still assembled, and you want to take the spring out then yes, that's when you need to use a spring compressor.
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NAH!! If you've ever been to my place, you know I have a shed with all sorts of MGB front & rear suspensions sitting in it - fully assembled.....when I neeed to take something off a front suspension, I just go out & do it the way I described....what happens then is, as the spring stretches, it lifts that side of the suspension a little....then, I just roll the beam over, pull the wishbone assembly down as far as possible & allow the spring to roll out.

I have a tool I built that is a copy of the factory tool - I used it to put the new springs under Jerri's GT that doesn't yet have an engine....but, I followed the factory approved method of bolting the entire new suspension in place, then sliding the spring & spring perch up into place from the bottom, then taking the spring's pressure on the wishbone assembly while I bolted the spring perch to the wishbones....what a pain in the ----, but it was the only way I could do it with no engine & the car on a QuikLift........have never used the tool since!
 
I've done a few B's myself and always put the jack under the pan and use car's body weight to help. They don't go "Boing" and all is well.

The struts on my Beemer are a different story. I'll need to get a strut compressor to do that. Not expensive from Harbor Freight and I hope it will do the job. Spring compressors are not that expensive.
 
vping said:
The struts on my Beemer are a different story. I'll need to get a strut compressor to do that. Not expensive from Harbor Freight and I hope it will do the job. Spring compressors are not that expensive.
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Be careful what you buy. Many won't fit as the coils are too closely wound. I have two or three that I've used over the years; including a set that my father custom machined from titanium many years ago. They're beautiful.

I need to replace the front struts on my wife's X5 soon. Hopefully something I have fits.
 
Looks like it does it from the outside. I'm leaning towards getting it if it will work but have been on the fench and can't make up my mind.
 
Tony...had the tool built...but after a freind showed up we lowered it with a jack..with car on rack..rolled the spring out and popped out the A arm..stripped, cleaned, rebuilt and popped it back in. Left side will take minutes as compared to over thinking the right side.
 
jackq said:
Tony...had the tool built...but after a freind showed up we lowered it with a jack..with car on rack..rolled the spring out and popped out the A arm..stripped, cleaned, rebuilt and popped it back in. Left side will take minutes as compared to over thinking the right side.
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Yep, Jack - that's the easiest way to do it!
 
I kinda cross threaded a bit. I was just commenting on stuff and we started a side conversation on Beemers.
 
I like to drop the entire suspension beam...paint the beam & install it with new bushings between it & the car & then build the new suspension/steering under the car.
 
Ahem, MacPherson, is the proper spelling.


Invented by Earle S. MacPherson while he was working at Ford of England. Started working for Ford in Detroit area, moved to England and went to work for Ford of England..

My ol' man sadly was Earl F. MacPherson, soooo close..
 
:lol:

s'oaky Ron. We still like ya. :laugh:
 
Well I used the Harbor Freight Jammie and 3 hours later, both Struts and front rotors are replaced. Tomorrow night I'll tackle the rear.
 
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