By L_Tilly on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 09:57 am: Edit

Hi, all.

I should be ordering up my OME springs/shocks in the next day or two. Naturally, I want to do the install myself. I have read a few of the install discriptions and many of them discuss using a hi-lift to raise the body as needed. Here's my problem (one of them at least). I bought my hi-lift initially for recovery purposes. My stock D1 does not yet have jack points or rock sliders, and so I don't believe I have any points on my Disco to handle the load of jacking.

I could beg a local club member that actually has a full auto-shop style lift (ooo...toys!), but I don't think that helps with this situation (distancing the body from the axel). I do plan on borrowing / renting a spring clamp. Are there any suggestions (beyond buying $400 rock sliders before their scheduled time) to help. Or has anyone changed out springs / shocks in another method?

advTHANKSance!! I really don't want to have to pay someone to do something I would otherwise enjoy.

L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By John C. on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:09 am: Edit

You can use jackstands and place them under the frame rails.

I would lift up the Disco using the stock bottle jack all the way up, place the jackstands under the frame and then lower the axle (after you have removed the tire obviously) all the way down making sure you do not over-extend the brake line. You probably don't even need the spring compressor for the rears, you might need them for the front.

I might be wrong, anyone care to comment...

Good luck.

By Ron on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:12 am: Edit

You don't want to know how I change springs.

Ron

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:14 am: Edit

ramp! How'd it go this weekend, Ron?

By Ron on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:15 am: Edit

Rained all day sunday,

Sorry

Doing it tonight.

Ron

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:27 am: Edit

no reason to be sorry! I'm not in any particular hurry to wrestle my springs again any time soon! more that enough time to get them to my buyer by mid-Sept.

By Redsrover (Redsrover) on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:39 am: Edit

The descriptions above are the way to go for home DIY'ers. I have OME HD in front and extra HD in rear. I just installed the OME spring packers (little nylon rings meant to increase height and make things level) and in doing so used the jack stands and floor jack in the front. The spring compressors worked great in front and I got them taken care of no problem. The rear springs were so stiff I could not get them compressed enough to budge in the least. I put the frame on stands and droped the rear axle as low as I could without stretching the brake line and still could not get them to budge.

I was using the standard issue spring compressors (1 fits down inside the spring if the top is open or 2 can fit on the outside of the spring to compress)and yes I removed the rear spring retainers. So, I have spacers in front and none in the rear...

Ron

By Murray (Cdnrvr) on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 10:51 am: Edit

Under tech, check out Kyle's doc on changing springs. I did it myself a couple of months ago in my sister's garage in a day following it step by step. It is very straight forward. The only additional item I used was another jack (scissors jack) - to articulate the axle since I didn't have an extra set of hands to lift the other side, aka - being too damn impatient to wait for my friends to come over to help. I think a floor jack and heavy duty stands are alot safer than using a high lift and if you work on your truck regularly, you can always reuse. As for using a ramp to change the springs ... it crossed my mind but the ditch near by was full of water and I left my snorkel and mask at home.

By John C. on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 04:31 pm: Edit

Ron, where did you get the spring packers from? Price? Thanks.

John C.

By Redsrover (Redsrover) on Tuesday, August 21, 2001 - 03:06 am: Edit

John C.

I ordered them from 4x4 connection.com. I think they were $5 each or something like that.

Ron