General Front suspension tip

[Danoid]

changed both front shocks with new springs

Top tip, buy absolutely everything needed to completely rebuild the suspension first! What an absolute ball ache it was removing the nut above the top mount.

I’ve seen people use angle grinders n all sorts, but if you buy a new plate and get a nut you can literally just remove top nut (in engine bay) which can be a pain but thankfully alright on mine.

Build up your new one and replace

I also changed the drop links, bit of a pain but if you jack up the wishbone you can lift that enough to properly undo the bottom drop link bolt, I also couldn’t torque it as I didn’t have the correct bit for that as you need to counter hold, so it’s very much a that’ll do and done it very tight by hand.

All in all a very long winded job, especially as tools kept snapping, then waiting for new tools to be delivered.

I went for Monroe stuff which looked and felt good, went for a drive and it feels amazing now. When I removed old original shocks they never returned so were well past due.

Only problem now is the rears feel like crap, so they need doing as well yay…

 

[The Panda Nut]

changed both front shocks with new springs

Top tip, buy absolutely everything needed to completely rebuild the suspension first! What an absolute ball ache it was removing the nut above the top mount.

I’ve seen people use angle grinders n all sorts, but if you buy a new plate and get a nut you can literally just remove top nut (in engine bay) which can be a pain but thankfully alright on mine.

Build up your new one and replace

I also changed the drop links, bit of a pain but if you jack up the wishbone you can lift that enough to properly undo the bottom drop link bolt, I also couldn’t torque it as I didn’t have the correct bit for that as you need to counter hold, so it’s very much a that’ll do and done it very tight by hand.

All in all a very long winded job, especially as tools kept snapping, then waiting for new tools to be delivered.

I went for Monroe stuff which looked and felt good, went for a drive and it feels amazing now. When I removed old original shocks they never returned so were well past due.

Only problem now is the rears feel like crap, so they need doing as well yay…

Im.impressed with Monro.. Still up there. Little difference when compared to Bilstein. Dont under rate the difficulty of removing the rears . Soak the top bolts in peneteating oil for at least a couple of weeks first. Windy gun does those top nuts easily, and are a real boon for lots of jobs thereafter.

 

[Danoid]

I’ll be changing the rear springs too, is it adjustable to remove both bottom rear bolts so the beam falls down? I’m a little worried it might be stupidly heavy to get back into position even with help of trolley jacks (I’m more hesitant putting a trolley jack on the rear beam at all)

I have seen other ways where you undo one side then level it down enough to remove spring and bump stop

 

[Jockstrap]

I did my 1.4so rear discs. Nice and easy with trolley jack to control rear beam. Don't let it drop.
Watch the brake cables don't catch or stretch.

 

[Danoid]

Another tip is really DIY, thought I’d get a quote from local dealership.

So I bought 2x Struts, 2x Bump stops, 2x Springs, 2x Top mounts, 2x drop links all for £180 ish from AUTODOC

Dealership quote £1209

I did have to buy some extra tools including spring compressors for around £80

Still a huge saving