Can this be done using common spring clamps, rather than the special Churchill tool?
I have used the latter a few times, with my mechanic, but his tools are locked up in a container, as he is moving.
I don’t think there is space for it. Since the same spring (XJ) smashed my finger two weeks ago I will never ever do anything without the churchill tool (I made a substitute with large thick aluminium washers, steel washers, threaded M14 rod which is the bare minimum and nuts, two locked at the top so they don’t come off… all that just so I could get the suspension back together, and for the other side).
The substitute works well. Using the spring pan and thin long rods instead of its bolts works; but I don’t know if I like it.
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I understand what you mean and you are totally correct. I should have renembered.
The reason I want to remove them is to place thick rubber pads from the rear springs on the BMW coupe from the early 70s. They are the same dimension. This will raise the front of the 420G by about 1/2”.
Another problem with new front springs is that they squeak when crossong speed bumps at low speed, and on uneven roads at normal speed.
NO!!! They are compressed in an arc. If you can’t get the correct tool then there are a few examples of ways to do it safely using threaded rod in place of the lower spring pan bolts or make a facsimile of the tool like I did.
Correct about the arc. This is the set up I made for my XJ6 last year. A 20mm threaded rod, a wedge shaped timber block, a big base plate and four high tensile studs. All are visible in the picture. At the top you need to emulate the Churchill tool so that any tool you make drops and stays in the “vees” at the top of the upper suspension arm. Removal and refitting in the pictures.
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I have made a toolset specifically for this job, and I checked a mechanical engineering table and it is stronger than a Churchill Tool
I use it in preference to the Churchill tool, which I have access to
1 metre of grade 8 rod and bunch of nuts and washers…cut into 3 x 33cm lengths
several long bolts grade 8
take out each pan bolt one at a time, ensuring you place 3 long thread and nuts tight, one at a time
add the 2 long bolts with sockets on the pan
gradually undo each of the 5 evenly with a ratchet spanner
you could use 5 x 33cm rods if you want, just takes longer and not needed, as pressure relaxes as the spring unwinds towards the bottom
it goes like silk, or clockwork lol…will add pics later
I have pics somewhere of another way that will make you gasp with shock, and I think it may even be safe…some engineers may want to comment
comment…you can put a “safety” rod up the centre if you want, but as I said 5 x theaded rod exceed the yield strength of the single 3/4" thread on the tool…which makes perfect sense
imagine this scenario, your front wheel is pounded down into a pothole and the spring fully compressed…what stops the pan flying apart…5 bolts…same thread…subject to multiple times the force of a spring removal scenario
This picture comes from another forum
4.8 mm 22kg Breaking Strain
7.6 mm 55kg Breaking Strain
The person that removed this spring has been around the block
I do not have the data on how much force it takes to compress a single Jaguar spring.
When I did my calcs, I used data that was available for a 20,000lb locomotive wagon