Rear Spring Removal

[SpKM3]

Hi Folks

 

My first time on here so please be gentle.

 

I have a 2001 Sharan 1.9 tdi. The rear spring has snapped so need to replace this. I have undone the lower damper bolt, however, the trailing arm does not move any lower so I cant quite get the spring out. I notice that the arm is attached to the rear ARB. Do I need to undo this? I have searched the forum but cant see any mention of undoing it. Should the arm just lower by itself or is there something else i have missed?

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited March 24, 2012 by SpKM3

[nicebutdim]

On my mk1 I found it easier to undo both lower shock bolts to lower the arms. Also it is HIGHLY recommended to replace both rear springs, even only if one has broken.

[sparky Paul]

You should be able to bar the arm down to give just enough clearance, but as nbd says, it's easier to drop both together - and a good idea to replace both sides.

 

While they're disconnected, also check the condition of the shock absorbers - the rear ones do a lot of work on the Galaxy.

[daddyfixit]

i got somebody to hold onto the roof rail while they stood on the top of the tyre, to lever the arm lower so i could get the spring out and the new one back in.

 

if it needs shockers, eurocar parts are doing them for

[SpKM3]

OK, thanks guys, I'll have ago at undoing the other side and hopefully this will lower it, makes sense now I guess, since the arb is connected to both arms.

 

I like the idea of standing on the wheel, however don't think the wife would contemplate doing the bouncing.

 

I did think of doing both sides, however it was another

[SpKM3]

 

While they're disconnected, also check the condition of the shock absorbers - the rear ones do a lot of work on the Galaxy.

 

They seem ok, but how can I tell if they need replacing?

[daddyfixit]

only proper way to test them is when the cars back together and on its wheels; try and bounce the car with your body weight, when you stop bouncing it the car should also stop bouncing, mot test does this and usually it should bounce once then stop,if it carries on wobbling then the shocker isnt working. if theres any oil leaking out from under the dust cover then its failed and need renewing.due to the size of the galaxy the shockers are workinghard anyway, euro car parts are doing them for

[sparky Paul]

While the shockers are disconnected, if you compress them they should feel fairly even throughout the travel. If there is a bit in the centre of the travel that is very easy to push through, then consider changing them.

[SpKM3]

Thanks, I'll check the shocks too.

[sparky Paul]

The only reason I mention shockers is that mine were kaput when I checked them.

 

What made me investigate was a simple manoeuvre to avoid a tractor sticking it's nose out of a gate, a bit of a swerve across the white line which caused my car to get all out of shape at the back end... not a brown-trouser moment, but more than a little disconcerting.

 

A new set of Monroe shock absorbers transformed the handling of the car, I hadn't realised how lively the back end had become in corners.

[SpKM3]

Might sound like a silly question, but I bought these Sachs ones from Euro car parts, which way do they fit? They do seem to be very slightly flatter at one end than the other, do they sit as in the picture with the flatter end on the trailing arm or the other way around? When I've compared it to the original, there does not seem to be much in it at all.

 

Thanks

[SpKM3]

Managed to get springs sorted yesterday, Quite pleased with myself since it was the first time doing anything like this. Also, I decided to replace both sides in the end and the caps that they sit on as they were quite perished.

 

Thanks again to those who posted advice.

[xavier]

Hi guys,

 

Just to check, is a spring compressor required with the Gal or is there enough clearance without? Cheers!

[sparky Paul]

Hi guys,

 

Just to check, is a spring compressor required with the Gal or is there enough clearance without? Cheers!

 

Not for the rear springs.

[xavier]

once again, thanks Paul!

[sparky Paul]

Reading the above question & answer again, I could probably have been a bit clearer - you don't need a spring compressor.

 

Just drop each shock bottom bolt out and bar down the trailing arm to release the spring. Dropping both sides together makes it easier, but if you are jacked up with the wheels off, take care not to damage the brake flexies onto the trailing arms.

 

If you have access to a high lift trolley jack, it's an even bigger doddle. Chock the front wheels, drop both bottom shock bolts out, then jack the whole back end up with the wheels still on the ground, until the springs can be removed. Replace the springs, drop the jack, and replace the shock bolts.

 

Don't forget to check the rear shocks while they are disconnected, they have a hard time on the rear of a Galaxy.

Edited September 20, 2013 by sparky Paul

[kester]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread (again) but this is one of the few i found on google that is relevant. I've had a bit of unevenness from the rear and it seems to bottom out occasionally with people in the read. So I decided to change my rear coil springs (and we're driving to france on monday), i cant see much wrong with the old springs and the shocks seem good (have to press hard the whole length of travel to compress them). i wonder whether the lower spring isolators/caps could be anything to do with it? But not too sure where to get them from (particularly as dont have time to oder online), any suggestions on whether people think the lower rubbers are critical/necessary?

[BrianH]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread (again) but this is one of the few i found on google that is relevant. I've had a bit of unevenness from the rear and it seems to bottom out occasionally with people in the read. So I decided to change my rear coil springs (and we're driving to france on monday), i cant see much wrong with the old springs and the shocks seem good (have to press hard the whole length of travel to compress them). i wonder whether the lower spring isolators/caps could be anything to do with it? But not too sure where to get them from (particularly as dont have time to oder online), any suggestions on whether people think the lower rubbers are critical/necessary?

There was nothing visibly wrong with the rear springs on my Focus but they allowed it to sag at the back, replacing them made a very noticeable difference. It was sitting low enough that one of the drop links got decapitated by a lump on a friends driveway. I'd suspect its just the springs. Your probabbly best to fit the springs and compare to see if it sorts the problem.

 

Any of the items on either end if they are allowing movement will usually be quite noisy - knocking sounds etc.

[sparky Paul]

Yes, the rear spring isolators disintegrate readily, I don't think it is any detriment apart from a little noise transmission from the rear tyres.

 

Main dealer for new ones, Ford or VW, though I have seen them occasionally on ebay.

[kester]

Thanks both. The new rear springs did not cure the problem. We were bottoming out frequently on any unevenness on the French motorways :(

 

It was not massively overloaded, only 1 child in rear most seats, although roof box and 3 lightish bikes on rear. . But I can't see anything other than springs that can stop it bottoming out?!

 

Is there anything else I need to check? Or is it just a case of trying to find some heavy duty springs? Although loathe to spend this money after already buying new ones, particularly with no idea how much better heavy duty would be ...

[kester]

Ps I've not bothers with the spring isolators, as I'm sceptical that they make much difference, or last long, and we're at least £25 from frauds.

[kester]

Anyone have any experience of coils spring assistors?

 

http://www.carparts-direct.co.uk/side-menu/coil-spring-assistors

[kester]

Or http://www.graystonengineering.com/spring%20assisters%20page.htm

[BrianH]

Might be a daft sounding question but are you towing with the Galaxy as well?

 

Is it on the right wheels/tyres? (mk2 should be 16 inch ones AFAIK)

 

Could you expand on the comment about bottoming out - can you actually see whats coming into contact with the road(?) Or do you mean something else? Or some sort of sound your getting?

 

The rear drop links may make some clunking sounds if they are worn out - should be able to test with the car lifted up though.

 

I've had what i would class as a heavy load in the back of my mk1 without issues with the suspension - rear seats removed and back loaded up with heavy boxes to the window level no issue at all (the seats obviously are quite heavy by themselves anyway, but your load described above doesn't sound like it should cause a problem).

 

As far as I'm aware spring assistors are only really needed when your into towing heavy trailers or a Caravan. Usually when your pushing the limit of what the towing car can manage (the Galaxy's train weight isn't that high from whats been said previously)

 

Spring isolators are not the same thing either, though I think you realise that from your post?

[kester]

Thanks for your reply Brian. Sorry, I wasn't clear: it is not bottoming out on the road, I'm pretty sure it is the rear swinging arm top stops hitting the bottom stops. I think they're both metal and designed to cope with occasional contact when springs fully compress, but sure it ain't supposed to happen often. When loaded, I could cause it to happen just by pressing my foot on rear bumper, i.e. It was already very compressed.

 

And I don't think this didn't use to be the case, even when I had 8 people plus luggage in the galaxy to Gatwick, which is the most I've ever carried (well, sometimes a few tonnes of chopped oak etc for the log burner).

 

Ive never towed anything and it doesn't have a tow hitch, although as I say it did have 3 bikes on rear rack.

 

It's a mk2, it has cheap 17'' alloys on, but I don't think they're causing any problems, been on there at least 3 years. It had 18'' alloys when I bought it, but they cracked (it's pretty rough where we live on the Gower, and my wife don't like slowing down, so the near side does take a beating!)

 

Can the springs be installed wrong? Possibly one of them needs to be turned 180 degrees as the pig tails on one side look like they may be facing opposite way currently, if you get me.

 

But think it was bottoming out on the old original springs too. While I think if it, they had a blob of blue paint on each - does that signify the stiffness?