Air springs

Just did the fronts on me P38, the hardest bit is the top clips, very hard to get big hands in there so I
devised a way using a screwdriver & some brute force. The inner wheel liner is tough as old boots & is
hard to move out of the way, so I stabbed a very long screwdriver through it & just like keyhole surgery
from above guided it all into place!! Whole job one hour, rears can't be done yet due to rain stopping
play!!!

They do look a bit more tricky to be honest!!!


Nige

Nige


--

Subaru WRX
Range Rover 4.6 HSE (The Tank!)

We might be going on a summer holiday, the Greece Ball rally!!!!

On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:39:46 +0100, "Nige"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Just did the fronts on me P38, the hardest bit is the top clips, very hard to get big hands in there so I
>devised a way using a screwdriver & some brute force. The inner wheel liner is tough as old boots & is
>hard to move out of the way, so I stabbed a very long screwdriver through it & just like keyhole surgery
>from above guided it all into place!! Whole job one hour, rears can't be done yet due to rain stopping
>play!!!
>
>They do look a bit more tricky to be honest!!!
>
>
>Nige
>
>Nige
>
>
>--?
>
>Subaru WRX
>Range Rover 4.6 HSE (The Tank!)
>
>We might be going on a summer holiday, the Greece Ball rally!!!!
>

You've probably seen the rumours that the clips on the rear rust solid
and can be a tad tricky.....

Did the fronts come with plastic clips?

Best of luck and please report back for those of us a little behind
you on the path!

David

Nige wrote:
> Just did the fronts on me P38, the hardest bit is the top clips, very hard to get big hands in there so I
> devised a way using a screwdriver & some brute force. The inner wheel liner is tough as old boots & is
> hard to move out of the way, so I stabbed a very long screwdriver through it & just like keyhole surgery
> from above guided it all into place!! Whole job one hour, rears can't be done yet due to rain stopping
> play!!!

Yeah, the wheel liner is a bugger - I took the drivers side out, but on
the passenger side I just used a couple of long screwdrivers in a
similar manner to yourself!

> They do look a bit more tricky to be honest!!!

I chickened out of doing my rears and took it to my local specialist!!

Don't know if you have the ally top and bottoms on the springs or not,
but I did and I'm glad I took it to the garage after hearing from him
what a nightmare it was to get the pins out - and he had it up on a
4-poster! If you've got the plastic ones then it isn't so bad - I've
heard some people say that getting the rears done is easier than the
fronts, tho I can't say I would agree with them after taking a look
myself. I reckon I could easily do a front in 15-20 mins now that I
know what to do, probably about the easiest job on a P38!

Matt

Matthew Maddock wrote:
> Nige wrote:
>> Just did the fronts on me P38, the hardest bit is the top clips, very hard to get big
>> hands in there so I devised a way using a screwdriver & some brute force. The inner
>> wheel liner is tough as old boots & is hard to move out of the way, so I stabbed a
>> very long screwdriver through it & just like keyhole surgery from above guided it all
>> into place!! Whole job one hour, rears can't be done yet due to rain stopping play!!!
>
> Yeah, the wheel liner is a bugger - I took the drivers side out, but on
> the passenger side I just used a couple of long screwdrivers in a
> similar manner to yourself!
>
>> They do look a bit more tricky to be honest!!!
>
> I chickened out of doing my rears and took it to my local specialist!!
>
> Don't know if you have the ally top and bottoms on the springs or not,
> but I did and I'm glad I took it to the garage after hearing from him
> what a nightmare it was to get the pins out - and he had it up on a
> 4-poster! If you've got the plastic ones then it isn't so bad - I've
> heard some people say that getting the rears done is easier than the
> fronts, tho I can't say I would agree with them after taking a look
> myself. I reckon I could easily do a front in 15-20 mins now that I
> know what to do, probably about the easiest job on a P38!
>
> Matt


The dampers are even easier!!!! My steering suddenly went all stiff today, i reckon the steering
intermediate shaft has seized after drenching with WD40 it has loosened a bit!!!

Bloody hell, i might as well buy a 60k new one at this rate!!! It's a good job i love the car & I'm sure
i can hear the rumblings of a knackered wheel bearing too!!!!

Nige

--

Subaru WRX
Range Rover 4.6 HSE (The Tank!)

We might be going on a summer holiday, the Greece Ball rally!!!!

Matthew Maddock wrote:
> Nige wrote:
>> Just did the fronts on me P38, the hardest bit is the top clips, very hard to get big
>> hands in there so I devised a way using a screwdriver & some brute force. The inner
>> wheel liner is tough as old boots & is hard to move out of the way, so I stabbed a
>> very long screwdriver through it & just like keyhole surgery from above guided it all
>> into place!! Whole job one hour, rears can't be done yet due to rain stopping play!!!
>
> Yeah, the wheel liner is a bugger - I took the drivers side out, but on
> the passenger side I just used a couple of long screwdrivers in a
> similar manner to yourself!
>
>> They do look a bit more tricky to be honest!!!
>
> I chickened out of doing my rears and took it to my local specialist!!
>
> Don't know if you have the ally top and bottoms on the springs or not,
> but I did and I'm glad I took it to the garage after hearing from him
> what a nightmare it was to get the pins out - and he had it up on a
> 4-poster! If you've got the plastic ones then it isn't so bad - I've
> heard some people say that getting the rears done is easier than the
> fronts, tho I can't say I would agree with them after taking a look
> myself. I reckon I could easily do a front in 15-20 mins now that I
> know what to do, probably about the easiest job on a P38!
>
> Matt


I just did both my rears in 45 minutes, the clips were rusted to buggery, but with loads of penetrating
oil & giving them a good twist to break the rust they came out without any struggle at all!! I wish i
could say the same about one of the airlines, i had to cut it as it would not come out. My airsprings
were all absolutely knackered & ready to burst. The rears are easier than the fronts by a good bit.

I reckon the springs i took off were the original ones, the clips are nearly rotten away!!!!

Nige

--

Subaru WRX
Range Rover 4.6 HSE (The Tank!)

We might be going on a summer holiday, the Greece Ball rally!!!!

rads wrote:
> On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:39:46 +0100, "Nige"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Just did the fronts on me P38, the hardest bit is the top clips, very hard to get big
>> hands in there so I devised a way using a screwdriver & some brute force. The inner
>> wheel liner is tough as old boots & is hard to move out of the way, so I stabbed a
>> very long screwdriver through it & just like keyhole surgery from above guided it all
>> into place!! Whole job one hour, rears can't be done yet due to rain stopping play!!!
>>
>> They do look a bit more tricky to be honest!!!
>>
>>
>> Nige
>>
>> Nige
>>
>>
>> --?
>>
>> Subaru WRX
>> Range Rover 4.6 HSE (The Tank!)
>>
>> We might be going on a summer holiday, the Greece Ball rally!!!!
>>
>
> You've probably seen the rumours that the clips on the rear rust solid
> and can be a tad tricky.....
>
> Did the fronts come with plastic clips?
>
> Best of luck and please report back for those of us a little behind
> you on the path!
>
> David


Hi buddy, the fornts dont use plastic clips, they are metal, easy to get on & off once you realise how
they work.

I just did my rear springs ion 45 minutes for both. Very easy job, just get loads of penetrating oil on &
twist the old clips to break the rust. You could always just chisel them off, you arent gonna re-use
them. I'm gonna put the full description on p38a website if it's not already been done!

New springs do make a large difference to the ride too.

Nige

--

Subaru WRX
Range Rover 4.6 HSE (The Tank!)

We might be going on a summer holiday, the Greece Ball rally!!!!