Removing rear springs - Looking for some tips please

Right - Today I had a shot at replacing my rear springs on my 92 Range Rover Classic. It has the self levelling unit and anti-roll bars. Now I've done this job a few times on my 110 without issue (other than the normal seized bolts etc). On the 110 I simply jack it up one one side then support the chassis, disconnect the shocker and lower the rear axle on the side I want to change with a jack. The axle will drop to the floor if I let it. This gives me plenty of room to remove the spring with ease. The Range Rover is a different story. I did the same however the axle just doesn't want to drop anywhere near enough for me to remove the spring.
Can anyone give me any tips on this? What is likely to be stopping the axle dropping? The self levelling unit or the anti-roll bar? Or both?

well its either strip the bits that are stopping the axle from dropping or use your spring compressors simples

I used spring compressors on mine way back when. The radius arms and anti roll and panhard rods stopped it from dropping far enough!!

roll bar..

+1

Next weekend I'll give it another go. This time I'll unbolt the roll bar first. Thanks guys.

Saint.V8 said:

I used spring compressors on mine way back when. The radius arms and anti roll and panhard rods stopped it from dropping far enough!!

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bottle jack in between chassis and axle takes care of that with roll bar sill attached

Thanks James. Maybe I'll try that first.

jumping on also helps..bong bong bong SPRAG..feck..ouch..

Watch for flexy brake line

I don't remember having a problem when I did mine. Jacking is a good way to go or just use spring compressors, you'll need them to get the new springs in anyway. You're putting in the HD rear springs, I have the same ones - you need to really compress them to get them in, as I didn't have a spring compressor I cheated, put spring in my press, compressed the spring then tied it up with some skinny nylon rope - worked a treat.

There's a lot of power compressed in a hd spring. I don't feel safe with them compressed too tightly. I'll give it a shot hopefully next weekend. Hopefully it won't be raining lol

using a spring compressor can be dangerous...id say be carefull and watch your hands....

lucifus said:

There's a lot of power compressed in a hd spring. I don't feel safe with them compressed too tightly. l

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You're not wrong there.

What you putting on the front? If you put HD rears on, swap front springs for standard rears, keeps the front level unless you like the stance of a high rear end but theoretically it alters the handling because there is a shift in the centre of gravity tending toward slight oversteer or something like that. Good luck.

lucifus said:

There's a lot of power compressed in a hd spring. I don't feel safe with them compressed too tightly. I'll give it a shot hopefully next weekend. Hopefully it won't be raining lol

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Wire the compressors together through the spring, that will help to stop them slipping, now man up and get on with it.

tomcat59alan said:

Wire the compressors together through the spring, that will help to stop them slipping, now man up and get on with it.

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Lol. Man up and take a spring to the face when the compressors let go. I reckon I can get this done with the Jack technique and minimal compression. I knows hd rear springs on my 110 come out like that anyway.

Ok so I finished the job today. Thanks for the tips everyone. I managed to do it without even using spring compressors. My new angle grinder came in handy for the lower nut on one of the shockers. I have gained approx 5cm in height from the saggy old springs. I'm sure these new ones will settle in a bit. For anyone interested or if anyone finds this thread in future here is roughly how I did it -

Step 1 - Jack the car up and support the chassis with some axle stands. I used some extra height stands to support the rear chassis.

Step 2 - Use a bottle jack to jack the axle up on the side you wish to do first.

Step 3 - Remove the wheel

Step 4 - Undo the top nut on the shock absorber and also the anti-roll bar where it joins to the chassis.

Step 5 - Slowly lower the axle.

Step 6 - Insert jack between the axle and bump stop and jack until spring is loose

Step 7 - Undo lower retaining bolts from the spring and remove spring.

Step 8 - Insert new spring and put everything back together again.










And what I looks like now. I love the rear slightly higher stance.





Before

After

You will of course be aware that the tyres sticking out past the wings are illegal. Hope you bought some arch extensions with the wheels and springs. Don't go around any corners quickly.

Good lad, nice job. It's true that you ain't allowed wheels beyond the edge of the vehicle. Some say it's the tyres...

it will handle better too with rear abit higher than front

and its the tread pattern that must not show past arches.