"InfinityAero" (infinityaero)
06/23/2016 at 01:11 • Filed to: None
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"InfinityAero" (infinityaero)
06/23/2016 at 01:11 • Filed to: None | 0
| 9 |
Spent 5 hours trying and failing to install a front spring tonight. Internal spring compressor seems too big for the fiat spider, any suggestions? It wants to spin, only catches on one side at first...
Berang
> InfinityAero
06/23/2016 at 01:13 |
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Clamshell compressor?
Ross Kraz
> InfinityAero
06/23/2016 at 01:26 |
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Chop a few inches off the spring to make it easier #stancebro #lowlife #yeahshesquats
Curious, though, were these raised up to meet US bumper height/collision requirements like the Spitfires were?
Caleb "If a rally car can do it, so can my Malibu" M. S.
> Ross Kraz
06/23/2016 at 01:41 |
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I remember hearing something about that on CTG (Clarkson Top Gear) in the classic car episode.
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InfinityAero
> Ross Kraz
06/23/2016 at 01:52 |
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Haha! I’d like to lower it further, but from some research going below the 60s/early 70s ride height leads to bump steer issues from changing the suspension geometry, and essentially makes the suspension inherently unstable instead of stable. There’s a process where you drill out the crossmember, lower the lower A-arm bolts by about an inch, and lower the tie-rod connectors using a part from the 131 (I think) to maintain the suspension geometry while lowering it. Even so, I’d still be relying on a very small surface area connection point on the lower A-arm while jacking it up from a poor position, if I were to cut the spring and use a jack to install the new one. Do-able, probably fine, kinda terrifying.
I did remove my bumpers so even with the “sport” springs I bought it’ll likely ride in between the two factory ride heights. Good for the roads where I live, and I plan to take her camping and other things like that.
They didn’t use blocks at the top like the MGs did, but they did use longer springs and added the 5-mph rubber bumpers, along with increasing the displacement, adding EGR and smog BS, and decreased the compression ratio to transition it from “appropriately powered, circa 1969" to “I think I can I think I can I think I can....”. I think the Aussies got the good springs through the run, but they (mostly?) stopped selling them in Europe around the time the changes became required for the US market.
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InfinityAero
> Berang
06/23/2016 at 01:57 |
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I... don’t know what that is. Web searches are pulling up something that looks fairly large, not sure how I’d use that in the constrained area, unless the idea is compress the spring with that outside of the vehicle, and then decompress it on the correctly set internal spring compressor while holding the ends in place against sliding...
It’s a double-wishbone setup, so I basically need to compress the spring enough to get the upper A-arm threaded through the shock tower— I’m a little terrified of loaded springs so I’m thinking I’ll give the internal spring compressor another try... I’d be less terrified of combining that with a floor jack, versus trying to do it via floorjack alone.
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Berang
> InfinityAero
06/23/2016 at 02:27 |
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That’s what I use on the Saab’s small diameter springs.
Anyway, it seems like a common question:
https://www.google.com/search?q=fiat+…
brianbrannon
> InfinityAero
06/23/2016 at 09:46 |
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Clamp vice grips on the spring so that the compressor arm hits it and can't spin
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InfinityAero
> Berang
06/23/2016 at 10:55 |
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Yeah, the O’Reilly one they’re recommending is basically what I rented yesterday; looks like the exact same unit... have to use a spacer at the bottom. I was a little surprised that it only seems to start with compressing on one side, and that it seems to rotate... I think using the internal spring compressor with the spacer setup I put together with some vice grips to hold it in place is likely going to be the solution.
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InfinityAero
> brianbrannon
06/23/2016 at 10:56 |
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I think this is going to be my solution... thanks!