Not to be a smart ass, or overstate the obvious, locate the OE tool. that’s works the best. If you’re a North American Jag club member or a local member (which some of the dues go to the national club) then you can rent the OE spring compressor can be rented from the North American Jag club.
I’ve done this task several different ways. None of which involved the OE spring compressor.
First off getting the spring out is easy peasy.
- I’ve done it with a QUALITY floor jack, not one of the little narrow $29.95 versions. This is an important distinction. the jack has to have a wide stance so it’s not knocked over. Anyway.
heavy duty tie down (strap), & 1 jack stand. Putting all of the cars weight on the single corner, with the tie down threaded through the spring and the upper and lower control arm (there’s a hole behind the upper control arm mount where the OE spring compressor attaches top side)
loosely. The strap is to prevent the the padoing factor taking out you or your neigbors pet.
Once all of the weight is on the front corner, and the spring is totally compressed, then loosen the bolts a little bit at a time paying close attention to the position of the spring pan - whether the spring is stilll under tension and pulling away from the control arm in which it was attached to. if so, keep jacking the corner of the car up. until the gap is closed back up. snug up the rachet strap to take up some of the slack as a preventative measure.
Then one at a time replace each bolt with threaded drill rod (ready rod works, but can get caught up on the threads) about 6 or 8" long (I can’t remember I’d have to go look). replacing each of the bolt with the long rod one at a time. Then very very slowly lower the car onto the 1 jack stand, once the spring is completely uncompressed, raise the car with your second floor jack and put two jack stands under both sides of the car. then slide the spring pan and spring out from under the control arm. There is a bit of pucker factor this way
Then I’ve also used a spring compressor like this
removed the hooks, took the other bit, and flipped it upside down so the flat parts where facing each other. Took one end off , ran the acme threaded rod up through the center of the spring, and screwed into the end that just came off which is now located behind the upper control arm. then tightened compressed the spring, removed the bolts screwed the thread drill rod, and uncompressed the spring.
Now getting it back in. is a serious PITA. the guide rods used to remove it are your last ditch hope of getting back in. This is where using drill rodd, or a very long grade 8 bolt threaded just at the end so the rod itself is smooth and the spring pan wont hang up on the threads of the ready rod.
I’ve put the spring back the both ways as I removed it once with a floor jack, the other with the modified spring compressor. either way, it’s a bitch to get the pan and the spring flat against the back in it’s rightful position and the bolts back in.
The modified spring compressor does appear to be safest and somewhat easier; though what I found, is that it tends to not want to line up, and there’s not much leverage if things do get out of wack.
I suppose that maybe the ready rod could help with getting things lined back up. My biggest concern with using the ready rod solution is the thread engagement wasn’t real stellar and wiggled around way too much for my loose comfort level, I put a bottle jack up the center just to add something else that could injure me if things went sideways.
In the not to distant future, I will be doing a video series on rebuilding the front suspension. Granted it’s an XJ6 - but for all intent and purpose, it’s the same thing.
Sincerely,
Mark
correct.
