Hi guys, well good news I've got both uro upper shock mounts to replace the failed Welsh.

I've done the job many times before. Just wondering if there's any safe way to use my harbor freight 19 ton press to compress the springs instead of the impact wrench method I've always used?

I can't picture a way to do it, but I figured asking is free.

Thx,

John

 

Tool 204-476 Later version for dealer techs. Early adaptor plate in front.

Later adaptor plate marked for models.

Earlier tool 204-112 with adaptor 204-112/01
John these may give you some ideas. Both are very positive (ie: safe). The larger tool is very fast and replaced the earlier tool 204-112 or JD 125. All of these would have come through Mahwah. Perhaps Rally Motors or another dealer near you will allow you to borrow one of them. BTW there is a JD125 or 204-112 on E bay now (see Churchill Tools) Best of luck and be safe!

 

Thank you!!!

 

John - here is what I did the last time I had to replace -

 

Dont know about your shop press, but i bought this on Facebook marketplace a couple of years ago for about 250. Made the job, in my opinion, much safer and easy. Even if i dont use it often, it was worth it to me.

 

Steve, interesting and something I could do immediately. Thanks to everyone else, looks like I'll be shopping :-)

Steve, ok spring is compressed. What do you do to hold it compressed while you unbolt, remove, and replace shock spacer?

It's probably obvious, but please tell me.

I'm glad you included the picture, I'd never have trusted that something on the shock absorber would not break :-). I trust you though :-).

This does look like a super fast way, except for my question about securing the compressed spring.

Thanks, John

 

I've just replaced my shock mounts and used these compressors with great success. They are designed with more safety than the more traditional type as you can lock them to the springs to prevent any slipping..

 

John - I will take a pic of the plates the assembly is sitting on, but it is 2 pieces with cutouts so when placed side by side, there is an opening that I just used to insert the socket and remove the nut. Once the nut was removed, I slowly released the pressure on the press and removed the assembly so that I could put new bump stops, gaiter and new shock mount in place, then put it back into position on the press, compressed to where I could get the nut on snug, then released pressure and removed from the press

 

What Steve does has worked great for me in the past and I must say adding a swing type chain through the chain and around the press side with a bolt in the chain to keep it tight makes me feel a lot better.
Going under the press and pushing the shock stud into place (center of the washer) can give you a uneasy feeling, thus the chain.
I did buy a stand type Venor (SP) one and have the bugs on that sorted after some exciting times doing Jon's wife's mounts. Blown seals and plates not adjusted.
Still like the press for now.

 

John - here is a pic of the plates

 

Steve, see that I can predict the future- it was obvious as hell (no excuses i own the plates too!!

Darn - no excuses left now, guess what I'm doing this afternoon?

Thanks again!!

John

 

Johnken those plates are standard fare with a small press. If you look close I think Steve has drilled out a couple of holes for the studs. Hope it works but it sure does not look safe and especially not if you have adaptive suspension and have to deal with the internal wire! Too much time upside down with that in the press. It would be our luck that when it flew off it would miss us and hit the propane tank and take out the house and us! LOL Be careful and good luck!

 

Coventry- wow, thanks. I never would have noticed the screw holes!!!


Thanks again Everybody!

John

 

John the plate stand will have to be on the lowest setting to enable the release of the spring, if not enough room it will still maintain pressure on the top plate and cause a dangerous situation.
Don't forget the chain or some type of strap, it's not too difficult to get straight up and down and the holes in the plates does help kept it flat.

 

Thanks Wayne! Appreciated

 

Yeah never said it was an OSHA certified rig but it worked. The holes in the plate were there when purchased from Harbor Freight but if you look closely at the pic of the shock assembly in the press, the 2 plates have a bit of separation between then and the studs for the assembly are in the open space - just the top plate of the upper mount is resting on the spacer plates. I felt less safe having the studs be the pressure point for the assembly than I did the top of the mount

 

I have proudly posted this one a few times. Works like a champ, no springs escaping this thing. Anyone within proximity is welcome to use it, YMMV. TM

 

I keep eyeing these hydraulic spring compressors on Amazon because I'd had a situation with the threaded compressors before where I had spring compressed and trying to back it off, the threads started to gall up. I had to get another set to compress the spring a little bit more then very carefully cut the damned thing off. I'd used them on old Mustangs and such for decades without issue but old cars had spring rates under 200 lbs/in and modern cars are mostly well north of 300 (hence why Jaguar's magic carpet ride is gone). Except for the on-car situations like the old XJ8 where I don't have a choice, I don't think I ever want to use a threaded spring compressor again.

They're not very expensive, but what concerns me about buying one is that the pictured universal adapters that come with all the hydraulic units don't look like they'd fit many cars. I worry that often the coils are too close together to do it like they show. I see in the picture above it looks like adapters more appropriate to the particular Jaguar you are working on. Did you make those yourself or purchase them from somewhere?

 

FWIW Phil,

When I used to borrow the compressor from autozone, I found life was much easier to borrow 2 sets and use them both on a single spring. This was for similar reasons you mentioned.

Last year I bought 2 sets from harbor freight and they worked ok.

John

 

Agreed. If you are going to use regular spring compressors, it is always best (and safer) to use three or four of them positioned equally around the spring. That is what Wayne and I have done on multiple occasions....