E class springs

[V6H]

Im thinking of lowering my e200 1997 car what sort of job is it to change the front springs it looks simple to me but a few people have said that there a nightmare to do . Anyone on here changed there own?

 

[television]

You do need an MB compressor to do the job,,its easy with that

 

[V6H]

MB compressor that doesnt sound cheap. thanks for the info.

 

[television]

MB compressor that doesnt sound cheap. thanks for the info.

£99 is the cheapest, and it does take the edge off DIY

Some people disconnect the bottom wishbone and use the weight of the car to do it,,but they are dangerous things springs

 

[robs-mbz]

A safe and cheap way to remove the spring is to get yourself a length of 24mm screwed rod and a few nuts and flat washers from your local engineering merchants, shouldn't cost you more than a couple of quid. You will also need a couple of steel plates about 16mm thick, 150mm long and about 50mm wide with a 24mm clearance hole in the center, again your engineering stockist should help. Cut the screwed rod about 250mm longer than the distance between the top of the spring mount and the underside of the lower wishbone. Pass the screwed rod up through the hole in the lower wishbone and out through the hole in the top spring mount, leave the excess screwed rod underneath the wishbone and fit one of the plates to the top together with a washer and a nut. Fit the other plate, a washer and nut to the bottom of the rod and wind up the nut until the plate just tightens slightly against the underside of the wishbone. it is now completly safe to remove the wishbone pivot bolts and the bottom ball joint. then you can simply unscrew the LOWER nut, safely de-compressing the spring. When all the spring tension is released, take out the rod and plates and seperate the spring from the wishbone. Refitting is a simple reversal of this process.
I've possibly made the whole process sound a lot more complicated than it really is, but use your common sense and it makes what can be a daunting and extremely dangerous task quite safe and simple!

 

[carabind]

sounds OK and should work. Just one work of warning about the screwed rods, nuts and flat washers, really need good spec stuff., not low strength stuff. If anything is weak, and it snaps/give way whilst you are working nearby, you could loose an eye/finger etc

 

[jibcl500]

sounds OK and should work. Just one work of warning about the screwed rods, nuts and flat washers, really need good spec stuff., not low strength stuff. If anything is weak, and it snaps/give way whilst you are working nearby, you could loose an eye/finger etc

I wouldn't worry about an eye or finger, Ive seen one take someones face off...... DONT PI$$ ABOUT WITH THE WRONG EQUIPMENT, EITHER GET A PRO TO DO IT OR BUY THE RIGHT TOOLS!!! A COIL SPRING LETTING GO CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE TO YOUR CAR AND YOU.

JIB

 

[robs-mbz]

Believe me, you aint gonna break a 24mm screwed rod! Its a perfectly safe way of decompressing and removing the spring. It worked a treat for me, I'm an engineer by trade and have worked on equipment vastly more complex than a W210's suspension! I would'nt have posted this reply if I thought I was describing a dangerous practice.

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

Believe me, you aint gonna break a 24mm screwed rod! Its a perfectly safe way of decompressing and removing the spring. It worked a treat for me, I'm an engineer by trade and have worked on equipment vastly more complex than a W210's suspension! I would'nt have posted this reply if I thought I was describing a dangerous practice.

WORKING WITH 210 SPRINGS IS VERY DANGEROUS, THE REASON WHY MAKING YOUR OWN TOOL IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN USING THE CORRECT ONE IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE GENUINE TOOL HAS CUPS WHICH OVER LAP THE SPRING THUS REMOVING RISK OF SLIPPAGE.

I BET YOUR TOOL IS STRONG ENOUGH, IVE MADE SIMILAR TOOLS. BUT RUNS MORE RISK OF SLIPPING.

I PERSONALLY DONT USE A TOOL, I JUST USE A LONG STAND UNDER THE WISHBONE, IS QUICKER FOR ME BUT IVE DONE 100'S OF THEM.

 

[robs-mbz]

If you use the method I described it is impossible for the spring to slip, it remains trapped between the lower wishbone and the top spring mount until all of the tension has been taken off the by slackening off the nut on the screwed rod. Only when all of the tension has been removed can the screwed rod be taken out and the spring removed.
A genuine MB compresser will obviously do the job safely and efficiently. I tried four different types of universal compressors, two of which I owned and two that I borrowed from friends. I could get none of them to fit properly and to be honest none of them appeared strong enough. Again, I can confidently recommend the method I used!