Thread: Front Springs - Defender

Originally Posted by PAT303

BigJon is right.I changed springs and Koni's on my truck a week or so ago and had to take the towers out.There is only four nuts holding them in so I don't see what you are all going on about.It is easier than taking the panel out on top as you have to take the overflow tank out aswell which means draining the coolant.You have done it the hard way. Pat

I must have done it the easy-hard way, 'cos I didn't drain any coolant.........

















or remove the spring towers

It also depends on the shocks.The koni's when new are impossible to compress and you can't get them in unless you drop the axle right down and tilt the towers a bit to get the angle right.They go in quite easy,the whole job is not bad they just need to be fiddled with abit. Pat

Hmmm, interesting....

important thing is to undo the shocks before you take the weight off the springs......

this is more important than which method you use.......

Originally Posted by camel_landy

If you undo the top nut and compress the shock, it'll then let you drop the axle enough to get the spring out without having to fanny around with the tower.



M

Originally Posted by BigJon

Only if you can undo the top shock mounts. Sometimes they are a pita and you have to pull the towers so you can hold the shock to prevent it from rotating.

Yes I am having that problem. I can;t undo either the top or bottom bolts/nuts as the top one rotates but nithing happens in the undoing stakes, and the bottom one I can't do because the shock is rotating and I can't hold it tight enough between the coils of the spring.

Originally Posted by PAT303

It also depends on the shocks.The koni's when new are impossible to compress and you can't get them in unless you drop the axle right down and tilt the towers a bit to get the angle right.They go in quite easy,the whole job is not bad they just need to be fiddled with abit. Pat

Hmmm, not sure exactly what you mean there. Tilt the towers a bit ?

How do you get the shock out without undoing the top nut - sin't it connected there ?

Originally Posted by DEFENDERZOOK

important thing is to undo the shocks before you take the weight off the springs......

this is more important than which method you use.......

Why ?

A very large pair of multi-grips comes in handy when undoing the bottom shock nut. Use them to grip the shock while you undo the nut. Can scratch the paint on the shock though.

Originally Posted by haydofly

A very large pair of multi-grips comes in handy when undoing the bottom shock nut. Use them to grip the shock while you undo the nut. Can scratch the paint on the shock though.

^^^^ what he said

Lots of spray and wire brushing first

I pull the tower out, not undo the top shock mount