Suspension kits on ebay

[cooa99]

After a lot of checking, I'll stick with Febi on the top mount, rubber bearing, bumpers and dust covers.
With 2 struts, Meyle is £130, Sachs is £200 and KYB is £233
Which is better between the Sachs & KYB?

I've got someone to fit all for around £120.

It's tempting to do the job myself but I'll have to buy spring compressor at £25 and waste lots of Dremel discs to to cut the bolts off the drop links.

 

[DiyNutJob]

waste lots of Dremel discs to to cut the bolts off the drop links.

Wrong disc. Use this

DREMEL® EZ SpeedClic: Thin Cutting Wheels. Cutting | Dremel

The DREMEL EZ SpeedClic Thin Cutting Wheels are extra-thin cutting wheels ideal for making cuts in sheet metal and aluminum. They come in a pack of 5.

www.dremel.com

 

[Burnerman]

I’d use a 1mm slitting disc in a 4 1/2” angle grinder.
If the strut is coming out you can attack the ends at your leisure so cut it off in the middle.
Sachs and KYB are much the same, good quality gear.
I guess the springs are fine?
John

 

[mointainwalker]

I called then up
The shock/strut are Japko
Droplinks are Borge & Beck
bump stop and Rubbers are Febi
Top mount and Rubber Bearing is First Line

Borg & Beck were the crap drop-links I had ( brand owned by First Line ) Failed in seven months with only about 5 000 miles.

 

[cooa99]

Wrong disc. Use this

DREMEL® EZ SpeedClic: Thin Cutting Wheels. Cutting | Dremel

The DREMEL EZ SpeedClic Thin Cutting Wheels are extra-thin cutting wheels ideal for making cuts in sheet metal and aluminum. They come in a pack of 5.

www.dremel.com

Those are the ones I used when I took off a drop link few years back. I've still got some left.

I just remembered that the required flexible shaft attachment to positioning at the correct angle for cutting the bolt & nut in 2 halves was damaged (doing the droplink)so I'll need to buy another one. The heat generated while using it destroyed the attachment. I wish dremel did a shaft half that length.

 

[DiyNutJob]

I don't understand the cutting. What's wrong with socket and ratchet wrench?

 

[Burnerman]

It depends on how rusty the drop link nut and the exposed thread is......if you can hold the drop link end with a spanner (on some you can) then its easier but if the link has an allen key slot this often just gives up the ghost and rounds off.
Once the ball starts spinning in it's housing, your options are limited which is where the cutting comes in.
John

 

[DiyNutJob]

A nut splitter should work. The ball joint housing maybe easier to cut, then grip the ball.

 

[Burnerman]

Nut splitters have their place, of course......so long as there’s access.
I just slice down the nut and it breaks into two.
John

 

[cooa99]

I’d use a 1mm slitting disc in a 4 1/2” angle grinder.
If the strut is coming out you can attack the ends at your leisure so cut it off in the middle.
Sachs and KYB are much the same, good quality gear.
I guess the springs are fine?
John

I hope the spring is ok. are. No cracks that I can see. No noise/creak while driving along. Just the vibration shooting through the car when front passenger side hits a pot hole.

 

[Burnerman]

Sounds just fine......no one can tell when a spring is going to break, but any severe rust must be a weak spot.
I’m afraid they don’t crack, just fail but often that only shows up at a Mot test with a piece of coil gone awol!
I used to replace springs in pairs, but that was a waste of time so I do them singly now.
John

 

[cooa99]

Nut splitters have their place, of course......so long as there’s access.
I just slice down the nut and it breaks into two.
John

I've only ever taken one of an x5. This is was the easiest way to get it off. Not enough space for a nut splitter due to the design pf the surround's

On a slightly separate note, Having seen the mechanic take shocks & Springs off my wife's car using blow torch and air impact wrench. I was amazed at how good those things are with getting difficult bolts off. It would be nice to have one in my tool box having opted for impact sockets over standard ones whenever I buy sockets.

Will the cheap cordless or corded impact wrenches be just as capable as the air ones?

 

[DiyNutJob]

I am still confused why something like this needs to be cut:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/D2P-00-07-Front-Left-Anti/dp/B00DCPHB6Q

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Sounds just fine......no one can tell when a spring is going to break, but any severe rust must be a weak spot.
I’m afraid they don’t crack, just fail but often that only shows up at a Mot test with a piece of coil gone awol!
I used to replace springs in pairs, but that was a waste of time so I do them singly now.
John

Me too. Over time, springs used to sag, lowering the ride height. Not much of a problem if both sides sagged equally over time, but replace one and the car assumed an angle, so you replaced as pairs. They don't seem to sag like they used to, instead they snap.

 

[Burnerman]

I've only ever taken one of an x5. This is was the easiest way to get it off. Not enough space for a nut splitter due to the design pf the surround's

On a slightly separate note, Having seen the mechanic take shocks & Springs off my wife's car using blow torch and air impact wrench. I was amazed at how good those things are with getting difficult bolts off. It would be nice to have one in my tool box having opted for impact sockets over standard ones whenever I buy sockets.

Will the cheap cordless or corded impact wrenches be just as capable as the air ones?

As with everything, you get what you pay for.
I have a Hitachi 18v battery impact gun - it's as good as my air driven one. It cost somewhere in the region of £400.
Tools like these are essential to shift the strut top nut, when the whole thing wants to turn!
John