changin spring pads.....

[1SIKBNZ]

Ok so i attempted to try and change my spring pads out myself. (im mainly concered about doin the front ones) but i wasnt able to get the sway bar part to disconnect so that i could drop the a arm. i followed the instructions posted in another thread and it seems like it prolly woulda worked but ummm yeah.... anyways please if theres anybody in the bay area or even maybe down south that could help me with changin the pads out when im down there sumtime can you lemme know... cash is tight so maybe just outta the goodness of your heart and il buy lunch or sumthin? thanks!!!

[bc24]

Dont you a need compressor to do that? I want to change my pads too, but the springs have to be taken out and then the car needs to be re-aligned again, right? I hope I had understood this correctly.

[Mercguy]

Yes you would need a spring compressor so consider yourself lucky that the sway bay did not come off for you :confused: In my early years of tinkering I shot a spring 1/2 way into a shetrock wall and split the 2x4 in the wall.... :D missed my head thank frigging GOD.

2nd if you do drop to # 2 from say #4's you might be able to get away without an alignment. Your negative camber will be increased and the car will probably handle a bit better in the curves. The trade off for this is slightly less treadlife but with a small camber increase it is probably not all that much to be concerned with.

#4's to #1 might be pushing it though... I have yet to do this on my car but plan on doing #2 all the way around since I'm pretty sure I have #4's on all four corners now. I did this in my CLK430 and what a huge improvement in all areas it made...

Step one: Please get a spring compressor or just go to a decent shop that can squeeze the spring while its still in the control arm...this can be done with the rght spring compressor and I think their is even an access hole under the lower control arm to help access and cmpress the spring. Good luck, hope this helps.

[1SIKBNZ]

Anybody???.......

[Mercguy]

Get a spring compressor. what part of my post did you not understand :-)

[1SIKBNZ]

i understood all of it... i just dont feel confident doing it all on my own... (the compressor part)

[coolcarlskic43]

You will only need the spring compressor for the front springs,the rears can just come out . Once you take the inner bolts of the rear control arm out have the other person either pull out the spring or have them push down on the control arm while sorta easily taking the rear spring out.The front springs can be a bastard,but you will have to use a spring compressor for those.Make sure you have another person helping you if you are not doing this on a lift.The second set of hands help a whole lot!Trust me!Good Luck

[Linh]

You don't need a spring compressor if you know exactly what you you're doing. I done it on the slk and Clk (lat least 10 cars all without sprinf compressor) but then, not everyone can work on car.

[coolcarlskic43]

Originally posted by Linh
You don't need a spring compressor if you know exactly what you you're doing. I done it on the slk and Clk (lat least 10 cars all without sprinf compressor) but then, not everyone can work on car. Slk front springs are not as long as the front springs on the C43 first of all. And if you were not working on either a CLK55,CLK500,CLK430 the springs are perhaps easier to take out on a CLK320 and less.The Clk 320 and slk dont have to support as much weight.Shorter springs.Less spring pressure as well. The rear springs I found did not need the spring compressor.But anyway,good luck taking your life in your hands!!!;)

[Linh]

Slk front springs are not as long as the front springs on the C43 first of all. And if you were not working on either a CLK55,CLK500,CLK430 the springs are perhaps easier to take out on a CLK320 and less.The Clk 320 and slk dont have to support as much weight.Shorter springs.Less spring pressure as well.

It doesn't matter long/short spring to me. My technique is very easy. Here's a quick procedure for the front.

1) Put car on jack stand.
2) Place 2 hydrolic jacks under the control arm to suppose the control arm (one near each end of the control arm).
3) Remove the 2 bolts and bracket to seperated the front sway bar from susupension.
4) Remove the shock bottom bolt.
5) Now remove the 2 3" control arm bolt (the bolts that hold the control arm to the chassis).
6) Now slowly lower the control arm by release the 2 hydrolic jack slow until the control arm is low completely to the ground. That's !!! See, it very easy. This is the same method as you would change your flat tire.

[J Irwan]

Linh is right
you do not spring compressor if you know how to do it (the without spring compressor way)

I have done it on my own car 2 times already.

First time I lowered I used pad#1 on the front and it's become too low for my taste. Then I switched to pad #5 on the front.

Then After I got my ICE installed I switched to pad #3 on the front.

Each time I didn't used spring compressor.


PS: On the CLK I also switched the front pad on my friend car withouth a spring compressor as well. ;)

And the back obviously don't need a spring compressor to do it.


Regards,

[coolcarlskic43]

ok fair enuff:cool: