Weekend work - Pulling an IRS

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Search the forum for postings on IRS removal. There are plenty. I posted my notes in March 2016: [E-Type] IRS Removal Notes

Consider your own safety:

  1. I suggest that you be very careful about securing the IRS to whatever lifting device you use. I used stout rope and a HF jack. It’s center of gravity may be forward of where you think it is, with the radius arms tilting it forward, potentially causing it to topple off the trolley jack or whatever.
  2. The rubber IRS mounting blocks and their bonding to the metal are safe when in compression. They are not safe in tension/unsupported. Do not get under the IRS with only the suspension rubbers holding it up.
  3. Once removed, be aware the the IRS is very heavy. If there is any unevenness or slope in the concrete of your garage or driveway, be aware of the IRS’ inertia and of gravity. Roll it around slowly and if it starts to fall off the jack, let it fall. The IRS and gravity will win. Your back and groin muscles won’t. Ask me how I know. (so refer to prior point on securing it to the jack with rope or something.)

As someone else said, the radius arms removal from the body attachments can be the biggest hassle with removal. A helpful tip is to remove the bolt and ““washer” at the front of the arm and then reinstall the bolt (only) to use it as a fulcrum point for the lever you then use to lever the arm off. I used a ~1/2” wide hex cold chisel inserted into a socket of the same hex size on a 24" extender bar to create a lever. Others have used other improvisations. (This is one area where I suspect PB Blaster by the gallon has been wasted over the years in a vain attempt to get it to penetrate the wrong surface/thing.)

You are fortunate that having a late S2, you can easily remove the trailing arms from the IRS after removing the unit from the car, because the shock absorber lower mount is in two pieces. That may not seem important, but it can be convenient.

When eventually you reinstall the IRS, a come-along winch attached to the IRS and to the front suspension may be needed to pull it into place so that the trailing arms re-engage with the body.

Don’t take any of my comments as discouragement. For me, It was easier to remove the IRS the first time than to remove the oil pan the first time. :wink:

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