hey, I'm replacing my front struts and had to pull them apart. I dont have a spring compressor, Im wondering
a)Is there another way?
b)How much do compressors cost?

Im stuck, please help.

thanks, Linc.
ps anyone want some sunny struts? otherwise I'll bin them.

Hi Linc,

I've employed a variety of methods in the past including using wood, wire, trolley jacks, over weight friends, bench vises and a rocker cover that Chris Lott
doesn't know I've got.

All are dangerous and I'd strongly recommend borrowing a set or buying - it's the only way to go. I learned the hard way....

If you have already pulled out the springs you may be in a bit of trouble. On Monday I lowered my coupe by doing the dodgy method of lopping off some coils with the use of an angle grinder.
To get the springs out and in again I jacked the car up, placing the jack under the lower control arm as far as i could. This compresses the spring as far as it can go. I then ran a loop of
chain around a few coils and bolted the chain together to make a strong loop holding the spring compressed. Then you simply lower the jack and jack it back up under the crossmember or
somewhere similar. Undo the 2 bolts near the ball joint and the three nuts on the suspension tower (under the bonnet). The bolt near the caliper (disk brakes) will not come out unless you move
the caliper whcih is a pain in the ass. Instead undo the other bolt and remove it. Now twist the strut so the lower part of that arm the bolt goes through is exposed and lightly hit it with a
hammer while pulling on the strut. This should give you enough room to move the strut out without taking the caliper off to get at that bolt.
Getting the spring in was easier after I lopped off a coil or two. I took the chain off CAREFULLY so as not to knock myself out with flying chain. It needed to be taken off as I did not put it
on evenly and the spring had a bend to it and would not sit on the shock properly. Unfortunatly the spring was too long to squeeze down to get the nut on so I got everything in place as best I
could then got a mate to press the sring down on the shock while I quickly put its housing on and screwed the nut down.
If you are putting springs back in that are the same size as the original ones just make sure you get 2 loops of chain on opposite sides of the spring so there is no bend in it.
As teretonga said these are all dangerous methods and springs contain a lot of "sprung" force so just be careful. Buying a set of spring compressors would be the safest way.
By the way my car looks cool now that the guards sit lower to the tyres. The handeling also seems to have improved the opposite of what is supposed to happen.

Simon

Hi, everybody:
I want to upgrade my 1200 dash, cause it's... not very goodlooking, and I
was wondering:
Does the 120Y dash fit in a 1200?
Does anybody Know if this can be done and if there

Not good looking??...not good looking!!
Oh! such words of evil.
1200 dashes are cool, But anyway, I've not seen anyone put a 120Y dash in. I guess it would involve a bit of trimming, as the 1200 dash is quite shallow in depth. The wiring
wouldn't be too hard.

Chris

Apparently it can be done, but why? The best thing about getting out of a 120Y is not having to look at the dash anymore! I remember talking to Chris Stamellos ( chris_stam) , he
has seen one i think.
thanks, Linc.

I can agree that the sedan dashes look crap. But the coupe dash looks mad. Heaps better than the 120y dashes and alot easier to swap over, thats if u have a sedan. If u have
a coupe, why change?

Scott

Thanks for the tips guys! But believe me, if I had a coupe i'd be happy as a clown. But I don't! I have a 2 door sedan- (which in my opinion, has a much better sillouete)- And
it's dash is just hugly! We don't have many coupes here in Portugal but we have lots of 120Ys- That's why i thought of the swap...

I think i've read somewhere back there, something about upgrading 1200 brakes. My car has a normal nowadays brake system with a ... what it called? Slave system?- With a a dish
or a plate just before the brake pump - something like that! Anyway, adaptation it

Is there a difference between the dashs on the coupes and sedans? I have had both and they look the same to me. I like the ride of the sedan better than the coupe. The coupe
rides a little harsher but it handles better. The two sedans I have had rode soft compared to other cars of its size.