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General Replacing front Coil Springs Stilo JTD Multiwagon.

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General Replacing front Coil Springs Stilo JTD Multiwagon.

Shadeyman

Shadeyman

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The missus picked me up from the pub yesterday, parked the car half on and half off the pavement. As we pulled away and dropped(slowly) down the curb the front passenger side spring snapped. Spring catcher caught it and we drove home after I pulled out the 5 inch long piece that had snapped off.
Just picked up 2 replacement springs for £65 so sometime over the next few days I'll be removing the old ones and installing the new ones.
I've done this once before but any advice or tips will be greatfully recieved.

(while the cars off the road I'll be fitting a Skyroof isolation switch too.https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/254698-disable-skyroof-deckchair-help.html)
 
Shadeyman said:
The missus picked me up from the pub yesterday, parked the car half on and half off the pavement. As we pulled away and dropped(slowly) down the curb the front passenger side spring snapped. Spring catcher caught it and we drove home after I pulled out the 5 inch long piece that had snapped off.
Just picked up 2 replacement springs for £65 so sometime over the next few days I'll be removing the old ones and installing the new ones.
I've done this once before but any advice or tips will be greatfully recieved.

(while the cars off the road I'll be fitting a Skyroof isolation switch too.https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/254698-disable-skyroof-deckchair-help.html)
Click to expand...

Unless you have some kind of press, once you've got your struts off the car, it's worth getting a local garage to swap the springs. The springs on the Stilo are long, but need compressing a huge amount to get them off the struts.
 
Yellow Peril said:
Unless you have some kind of press, once you've got your struts off the car, it's worth getting a local garage to swap the springs. The springs on the Stilo are long, but need compressing a huge amount to get them off the struts.
Click to expand...

I've got a large set of spring compressors. Used them once before and had no problems so I plan to use them again. Must admit, I was very weary of them, as you say the springs do have to be compressed a lot, the forces involved must be huge.
 
I have a go at most things, but the Stilo springs are manufactured to sit off-centre so I think there is a greater chance of the compressors slipping off. I think if you got smashed in the face by one of these springs it could kill you.(n)
I would unbolt the strut unit from the car then get the local garage to remove the sping from the shock absorber.
 
No problems with 4 compressors. The advantage of using lowering springs is that you only need 2 compressors when refitting. :D The worst thing is actually getting the droplink off.
 
Got all the tools together yesterday morning ready to do the job. Just about to finish my cup of coffee and crack on when the phone rings.

Mate returned home to find a burst water pipe in his attic thats brought the bedroom ceiling down and is now in the process of bringing down his lounge ceiling too. I tell him to turn off the water at the main stop tap and he replies "what and where is it"?

By the time I'd put my tools away and got to my mates house he was standing in his front garden watching a burst pipe completely trash his house because he didn't know the main stop tap was behind his washing machine.

Bedroom and lounge ceilings with huge holes in them.
His main bedroom, bed, fitted wardrobe and clothes trashed.
Lounge ceiling colapsed onto his TV smashing it and the stand it was on into a million peices. Settee also soaked and covered in old plaster, 4 inches of water on the floor.
Complete electrical failure of the whole house. Luckily he had a new 17th edition consumer board fitted in May this year or I'm sure the water in the electrics would have caused a fire.

He has insurance but was just told his application is being reveiwed because he did nothing to reduce the damage(should have turned the water off). One thing the insurance company did confirm is there is no way he will be back in the house for Xmas, mid to late January was their estimate.

Everyone should know how and where to isolate water, gas and electricity in their property!
 
His daughters are staying with us for the next few days. Got the camping gear out and set up two inflatable double beds in my boys rooms. Stuffed my boys in one room and his girls in the other. They all think its great fun, playing in the snow all day and camping all night.
Not so much fun for my mate who is stressed to the max and his wife who wont stop crying.

I got a skip delivered to his house this morning and 3 lads cleaning up the mess.
Central heating is on maximum and hired 3 industrial dehumidifiers to help dry things out.
2 wardrobes full of clothes are in a local cleaners.
Rainbow International are there now cleaning the settee and floors.
I've replaced the split plastic pipe with a copper one.
Plasterer is going in tomorrow evening after work to replace the ceilings.
Mate and his wife are out choosing carpets.
Rented a TV from TT Electrical and Sky are coming out Wednesday to replace the HD box.

I may be retired but I garantee he's back in his house Christmas Eve. (y)
 
Shadeyman said:
I may be retired but I garantee he's back in his house Christmas Eve. (y)
Click to expand...

Congratulations with a 1000 posts. (y)

I guess he'll lend you a pair of helping hands changing your springs.

Plastic pipe? A pretty new one then. Or have they been a common installation in the UK for a long time?
 
Last edited:
Morty Mort said:
Congratulations with a 1000 posts. (y)

I guess he'll lend you a pair of helping hands changing your springs.

Plastic pipe? A pretty new one then. Or have they been a common installation in the UK for a long time?
Click to expand...

Hep2O and Speedfit(plastic) have been in use for 10 years or so but have not really been cost effective for small builders untill recent years. The rise in metal prices has sent copper prices through the roof so plastic is now a very cost effective solution, faster too.

He's a clever guy(trainee accountant) but he's not mechanically minded, doesn't even know what and where his main stop tap is so he'll be making the coffee while I change my own springs. :rolleyes:
 
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Spring compressors are for girls ;)

Your springs will be so old and tired that they arent going to blow a hole in a concrete wall. Lie them on the floor, put your food on the spring, put an allen key in the top of the knut and undo the knut with a spanner, once you get close to the end brace yourself and the strut will just pop out of the spring assembly.

Although.....if youve got spring compressors, Crack On ;)
 
Mr Cousins said:
Spring compressors are for girls ;)

Your springs will be so old and tired that they arent going to blow a hole in a concrete wall. Lie them on the floor, put your food on the spring, put an allen key in the top of the knut and undo the knut with a spanner, once you get close to the end brace yourself and the strut will just pop out of the spring assembly.

Although.....if youve got spring compressors, Crack On ;)
Click to expand...

i hope no one reads this and takes it seriously
 
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