Front COIL Spring Snapped 1983 240D - Page 5 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Stretch · #61 01-13-2014, 02:41 PM

Blinking heck! Instant low rider.

Any damage to the upper body structure JB3?

JB3 · #62 01-13-2014, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

Blinking heck! Instant low rider.

Any damage to the upper body structure JB3?

Doesn't look like it, my fender isn't even damaged where the spring was touching it in the front fortunately. Just the spring seat

Stretch · #63 01-13-2014, 04:34 PM

Lucky lucky - just need one of those flying saucers and you'll be back on the road again!

JB3 · #64 01-18-2014, 05:18 PM

all fixed on mine, couple pics. One shows just how much of the bottom of the spring broke off compared to new, my bashed back into shape spring seat, and new spring installed-

JB3 · #65 01-18-2014, 05:32 PM

also, if you are sufficiently inventive and idiotic, here is a complex way in which you can screw up.

step one of the front spring job on a 123 should be take the center part of the spring compressor, flip it upside down, and widen the hole in the spring tower until the compressor body passed through without incident. Pic one illustrates what I mean.

A mod should probably put that info in 50pt font in the first post of this thread in red, for people like me.

So, lets say you haven't done that and you've installed the spring, and you now notice that you can't get the flipping compressor out of the center of the flipping spring. Lets say its pouring freezing rain and you are soaked and irritated, you might try and force the compressor up though the hole with a prybar and continuing to unscrew it.

The result of this scheme will be the snap ring that holds the threaded rod of the spring compressor will pop out with minimal force, and if you are sufficiently unlucky, the threaded center might have been at the bottom of the threads, the threaded center might pop up above the hole in the body, and the body of the compressor might now be jammed inside the spring, with no way to rethread easily. Plus the bearing of the tool will now be exposed and may fall out.

If you do all this, the only solution is another external spring compressor from the outside to straighten the spring so you can line up the body and threaded rod of your expensive compressor and re-thread it and widen the hole like you should have done minute one. Nothing will easily work except another compressor.

Stretch · #66 01-19-2014, 03:02 AM

^^^nightmare

JB3 · #67 01-22-2014, 10:48 AM

check out this pic-

This is the unbroken 370k spring compared to a new lesjofors direct replacement. the new one is 1.5 inches taller than the old one. Shows how much 370k and 30 years of spring fatigue has taken its toll.