Any hints or tips?? Lost count of how many times I've fitted springs but I'd just like to check there's nothing hiding to bite me on the a$$.. cheers Steve
Apart from the whole hub carrier has to come off the car to get the shock out. The rest is pretty straight forward.
I think somebody on here described in a thread how he managed without removing the hub carrier... cannot remember who or how, though.. compressing the spring sufficiently, perhaps?
Yep outside the house... 1st front 1 took 2 1/2 hours 2nd took 1 1/2 hours as I knew what I was doing... Rears 30 mins Tbh I'd rather do it myself than pay someone else, I've got a garage full of tools etc so may as well use them Steve
You never needed to remove the hub in Clio 3 RS and it has a very similar set up (nigh on the same?) Get some pics up :-)
Tbh none of it was hard work just a lot to remove to get the whole lot out. Worse bit was compressing the new spring to get the top mount back on (had it'd been Saturday is have run both shocks to my mates garage and used his floor mounted Spring compressor).
The easiest way to remove the shock without removing the hub, is to drain the gearbox oil and pop the driveshafts out. That gives you plenty more movement of the hub downwards.
You can't get the shaft out without taking the hub off. Car looks good without the massive arch gap. Good effort.
Who said anything about completely removing the shaft? I just said pop it out of the gearbox. Allowing a few extra inches of downwards movement of the hub. Easier and quicker than totally removing the hub.
I'm 99% sure that shaft wouldn't come out the box with the other end in the hub. Plus the lower arm won't go down far enough before hitting the subframe. Doesn't matter anyway because he managed to do the job.
The lower arm is stopped moving downward by the driveshaft being at full stretch and hitting the subframe not the lower arm hitting the subframe. Once the driveshaft is popped out of the gearbox it gives you plenty more downward movement. It 100% can be popped out of the gearbox still connected at the hub. I mentioned it for the benefit of others that may try it themselves. It's less time consuming and I've seen plenty people do write ups where they've forced the driveshaft down to much and oil has pissed out of the gearbox. I've used this method twice. Much easier the second time when I fully knew what I was dealing with.
I can guarantee the lower arm won't let you go down far enough to get the shocks out. I've had the mk3 hub assembly apart more times than I can remember. You do know it's different on the mk3??
No idea how you managed that tbh. I'd like to see it done actually. Either way it's easier to take the hub off.
