Hi, I am working on a sierra 4i and want to remove the rear springs is this a simple job or do I have to remove the drive shaft to drop the arms low enough, it has a LSD diff whats the easiest way to do this? any help is appreaciated.

 

undo the shock absorber from the trailing arm mate, it should allow the arm to go low enough for you to get the springs out

 

As above, sometimes just need a little help from a lever to lift up slightly from the seat, I used to fit them sliding them down a tyre lever by hitting with a hammer when fitting.
tabetha

 

Yeah thats the problem, the shock is out but the arm wont drop low enough, ill give it a go with a bit of brute force and ignorance

 

have to do both sides at the same time, or you will be fighting the ARB also

 

The std 4i arb is so weedy at 10, or 12mm there won't be much fighting could push the arm down with one hand very very easily, they hardly do a thing the arb on the rear of these.
tabetha

 

increadable hulk tabetha

 

Out of interest are you doing this with the car in the air or on the ground? I want to also change the rear springs but everyone I have spoken to have said you need the car in the air, but Haynes and what I can see thinks otherwise, btw if it's any help Haynes says you need to remove the drive shaft at the outboard end, although i don't think this is necessary?

Martin

 

I am doing this with the car in the air but I have also changed the fronts and the compliance bushes/rubber components, the car has sat in the garage for 10 years, its not mine its my dads and he wants to keep this fair inexpensive and for this reason I am saving for my own mk3escort or mk2 fiesta track car. this is basically a learning curve and the plan is to MOT it, when I get my own itll be done much more extensivley.

 

Does the haynes manual mention the size of the hub nut at all.

 

you can drop the subframe a few inches if the springs are that tight. NO driveshafts need come off!

 

If you have standard springs in there m8 I would go ask advice somewhere else cos 90% of what you have been given here is utter bollocks

 

I must have changed at least 5-7 sets on xr4i's I've had two my dad has one currently, the complete bollocks printed here worked for me perfectly everytime, suppose 45 years practice helps also.
Shortened springs are that bit easier as no grunting/shoving/pushing involved, this also worked for the 3 door set I changed for std ride height avo ones on monday.
tabetha

 

So you can remove Standard rear springs just by taking out the bottom shock bolt and levering the spring out can you.

I must having been doing them all wrong for the last 30 years then

Can you also change water into wine

 

i wouldnt be undoing shafts thats for sure! if they are that tight drop the subframe a few inches

 

Thanks for all the tips, im not up the garage till next thursday so ill let you know the outcome then.

 

You don't need to touch the hub nut. if you have the standard drum rear brakes you can undo the 4 bearing hub bolts through the drive flange, the complete shaft will the pull out from the swinging arm and the shaft will be out of your way.

If its had rear disc's fitted then un bolt the drive shaft at the diff which will allow you to swing it out of your way to give you more room.

Anti roll bar, take the two mounting bracket bolts out and allow it to drop.

Flexi Brake pipe. clamp and disconnect, levering the swing arm down to get the spring out will over stretch it and you don't want that.

Having done all that your still need to lever the standard spring out of the swinging arm or if you have a small bottle jack you can place it between the swinging arm and the chassis rail and jack the arm down.

 

have to say when i went to take mine off my cossie i had nothing but ball ache trying to take them out when i fitted my coilovers!!! Relating to the above the brake hose was going taught meaning i couldnt lower the arm enought to prise the spring out without removing it, so in the end as they were standard springs i just cut them in half and slid them out lol.

 

Well, we did this tonight and although we didnt take any driveshafts out, we did have to loosen the ARB brackets just to give us those few more inches, tried to lever out of the seat without but just wasnt happening.