A big ask, Anybody?

A

adamhotrod

New Member
Okay this is a big ask...

Angie from the P6 club rang me today to see if they could put Jinx on the stand at the NEC :shock: That's the good bit. The difficult bit is I'd REALLY like to get the front suspension lower before the 11th of November. Either with lowered springs or the shorter rods like the New Zealand P6 guy did in his article. I've got no garage, no spring compressors and a lack of experience doing either of these things. Soooo... Are there any brave and generous people in Nottingham/Midlands or surrounding close-ish areas able to help? Anybody?
 
I very much doubt that those spring lowering clamps would fit between the coils of the P6 front springs.

Hello Adam,

I live on the other side of the world, so a touch far, but I would be wary of modifying the front suspension unless you have already driven another Rover which has already been modified, and you have the specifications of that modification so you know exactly what the outcome will be.

Ron.
 
I'll have a go at most things but springs can be dangerous - the rears on the P6 are easy.... The fronts not so - I'm paying to have them done shortly... I value my life etc...

Rich.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

Richard - The spring compressors were always a bit of a bodge to be fair, I have an idea that if it's going to be done, it'll get done properly or not at all. But thanks for the info, I had forgotten they existed and it brought back some memories... not all of them good :LOL:

Ron - I drove a P6 on lowered springs some years ago and was pretty happy with the way it handled and felt. To be fair though I'm not going to do anything that can't be changed back to standard so I'm not overly concerned.

Rockdemon... Wimp! :LOL: In all seriousness though, I'm aware of the dangers too and hoped to find someone local who's done it before who can help out. Who's agreed to sort yours out for you? I don't mind paying to get it done obviously, but our choices are not massive around here!
 
I'm taking a drive to doncaster to see Ian wilson of Rover classics...

Big journey for PAE but got to get them done before the MOT runs out and I finish sorting out the bodywork...
 
rockdemon said:
I'm taking a drive to doncaster to see Ian wilson of Rover classics...
Click to expand...

Wise man I'd say Rich...

...but I've got to remove and refit the fronts on Rebekah at some stage, who's sitting semi-stripped & immobile in my back garden.

For those who've done the job...how long do the compressor rods need to be? There seems to be plenty around at about 12" long...but don't they need to be quite a bit longer to free off the spring?
 
vaultsman said:
There seems to be plenty around at about 12" long...but don't they need to be quite a bit longer to free off the spring?
Click to expand...

Nah, just chuck them really hard into the (empty) garage and shut the door quickly. When the firework sounds stop they're out!
 
Vaultsman wrote,...
For those who've done the job...how long do the compressor rods need to be? There seems to be plenty around at about 12" long...but don't they need to be quite a bit longer to free off the spring?
Click to expand...

Hello Stan,

The front springs in their static position are 16.281" in length, so the retainers that I have used on a number of occasions are around 20" in length. These give a nice safety margin, fit without being a problem and make removal safe. The standard 12" ones are far too short unless you have a proper spring press in which to secure the spring so as to allow their safe removal.

Ron.
 
Thanks Ron, that sounds more like it!

I'll keep my eyes open for a set, or have a think about making some up. Has any one done this?

(Sorry Adam - not meaning to hijack your thread here! :oops: )
 
I got a set of compressors off ebay and just put them onto as many coils as I could and did them right up.

The spring wasn't free when I started undoing the nuts on the top link so I tied the spring to the other one with a strong piece of rope to stop it dancing around the garage.

It actually freed up just before I finished taking the nuts off so all was well with the world :)

I would not recommend this system to anyone else because it is dangerous and can damage more than your car, but it worked for me. How they are going back on is another question which I will answer one dark evening in the forseeable future.

I remember taking one off of my 2000TC in my grandfathers workshop when I was a young'un. He was watching me with interest as I was taking the spring out of the compressors, and said, "Watch that spring lad, if it comes out of there and hits you in the mouth, you will have a curly tail for the rest of your life!" :shock:

Richard
 
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