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[polilara]

Hello

Just started to change wishbones, springs, shocks etc, not that easy as I thought but, However, after three evenings job left side is now disassembled. Against OOF rules I started from left side as it was easier for me. In the right side there is the wall of my garage so I have to turn the car when continuing to that side. Found that new springs have different length. How to ensure which one is which? I did not yet take the old spring away as I do not have strong enough tools for that, only small ones which I used when I had Opel Kadett. Perhaps heavy duty ones needed with Omega V6 springs, but question is which side has the longer spring.

[Doctor Gollum]

Your driver side presumably due to the combined weight of the battery and driver. Uk cars front springs are equal length

[ajsphead]

Your driver side presumably due to the combined weight of the battery and driver. Uk cars front springs are equal length

Agreed. Something to do with distribution of major components under the bonnet which are more left side focused on a LHD car and more equally spread on RHD.

[LC0112G]

Your driver side presumably due to the combined weight of the battery and driver. Uk cars front springs are equal length

Agreed. Something to do with distribution of major components under the bonnet which are more left side focused on a LHD car and more equally spread on RHD.

And the camber of the road is different because they're driving on the wrong side.

[STEMO]

Your driver side presumably due to the combined weight of the battery and driver. Uk cars front springs are equal length

Agreed. Something to do with distribution of major components under the bonnet which are more left side focused on a LHD car and more equally spread on RHD.

And the camber of the road is different because they're driving on the wrong side.

I thought they drove on the right side?

[zirk]

Since they abolished the Tax Disk, which had to be displayed on the Near Side (Left Side in UK, Right Side if your driving towards it and the car its parked on your Off Side facing towards you, or Off Side relative to LHD Cars in Euroland, which isnt Right, because they drive on the Left, so it will be there Off Side, so their Right, well not as in Right, because We drive on the Right, which is correct Right)....             anyway, erm, forgotten what I was going to say now.

[polilara]

Thanks for all comments. At least I understood that right place for longer spring is left side of the car.

[Enceladus]

You might find that the end of the springs have paint on them. It's a colour code to indicate the application. I.E left hand drive V6 Saloon etc. If you have new OEM springs then the paint code should match. Aftermarket springs maybe don't have the paint code. And the paint on the old springs might have worn off by now.

When you remove a strut you will see that there are two small holes in the lower mounting dish for the spring. Make sure you note and mark which hole is located inboard as mounted on the car. IE the hole's position relative to the steering knuckle. The strut needs to be reassembled with the hole you marked in the same position.

[Jan Suhr]

When I ordered new front springs for my V6 they were one for the left side and one for the right side. They are now in the car so I can not check but I think they are winded opposite ways.

[polilara]

You might find that the end of the springs have paint on them. It's a colour code to indicate the application. I.E left hand drive V6 Saloon etc. If you have new OEM springs then the paint code should match. Aftermarket springs maybe don't have the paint code. And the paint on the old springs might have worn off by now.

When you remove a strut you will see that there are two small holes in the lower mounting dish for the spring. Make sure you note and mark which hole is located inboard as mounted on the car. IE the hole's position relative to the steering knuckle. The strut needs to be reassembled with the hole you marked in the same position.

Have to check this when back in my garage, thaks, driving with my 2010 Astra for a while.

[LC0112G]

When I ordered new front springs for my V6 they were one for the left side and one for the right side. They are now in the car so I can not check but I think they are winded opposite ways.

No, they're not. If they were then the top and bottom rubber mounting bushes would have to be handed as well, and they're not.

[polilara]

You might find that the end of the springs have paint on them. It's a colour code to indicate the application. I.E left hand drive V6 Saloon etc. If you have new OEM springs then the paint code should match. Aftermarket springs maybe don't have the paint code. And the paint on the old springs might have worn off by now.

When you remove a strut you will see that there are two small holes in the lower mounting dish for the spring. Make sure you note and mark which hole is located inboard as mounted on the car. IE the hole's position relative to the steering knuckle. The strut needs to be reassembled with the hole you marked in the same position.

Have to check this when back in my garage, thaks, driving with my 2010 Astra for a while.

I really do not understand which two holes we are talking about.

[Doctor Gollum]

On the cup the top mount sits in

[polilara]

Thanks DG, I did not yet remove the spring so maybe I still can find the right position, but I am afraid that the wheels we re not straight forward when strut was removed. Am I in trouble now? Any Pics?

[Doctor Gollum]

No, and no... In that order

[polilara]

On the cup the top mount sits in

I am totally lost. So top mount is made of rubber, next part is bearing and next perhaps this lower mount. It seems to be corroded and dirty. I cannot find yet any holes. Have to disassemble the spring first - during coming week-end. Could someone describe what is the right way to put it back. Guess it is not symmetric part?? Strut is already on the floor.

[Doctor Gollum]

From the top...
Nut.
Nut.
Cup washer.
Top mount rubber.
Top mount bearing.
Upper spring seat.
Upper spring seat rubber.
Cup washer (inverted).
Spring.
Lower spring seat rubber.
Shock absorber assembly.

Highlighted the part we're talking about for clarity. 

[Enceladus]

Apologies. I originally mentioned the "lower mounting dish" for the spring. I actually meant the upper dish/spring seat. It's item 2 in this drawing. There are pictures in this thread.

In the photo of the "top hat" upper spring seat, there are two similar holes. Mark the hole that's inboard when the assembled strut is mounted on the car. And make sure that your reassembled/rebuilt  strut has the hole in the same position.

[polilara]

OK, thanks. So Upper spring seat is part No. 2. As that part turns together with the front wheel and strut (when steering wheel turned) it is still today in a right position as I did not remove the spring yet. Do you all agree?

So, what happens if this spring seat is in wrong position? What is "steering knuckle" you are talking about.

[Enceladus]

The bottom of the strut has a collar on the shock absorber with two bolts which attach to the steering knuckle. You can use this as a fixed reference point. The upper spring seat needs to be reinstated with the same inboard/outboard orientation on the assembled strut that it started with. One of the two holes is an alignment hole. So mark the hole relative to the centre of the knuckle with a paint pen or similar.

If the upper spring seat is not correct then it won't be properly parallel to the bottom seat. The strut can be assembled with the upper mount 180 deg wrong. Some report that the strut assembly then fouls the mounting turret in the car body upon turning. I suppose the spring might also be distorted, can't remember about that.

[polilara]

OK, start to understand. I do my best. Bottom bolts and Camber Setting is clear.

[polilara]

The bottom of the strut has a collar on the shock absorber with two bolts which attach to the steering knuckle. You can use this as a fixed reference point. The upper spring seat needs to be reinstated with the same inboard/outboard orientation on the assembled strut that it started with. One of the two holes is an alignment hole. So mark the hole relative to the centre of the knuckle with a paint pen or similar.

If the upper spring seat is not correct then it won't be properly parallel to the bottom seat. The strut can be assembled with the upper mount 180 deg wrong. Some report that the strut assembly then fouls the mounting turret in the car body upon turning. I suppose the spring might also be distorted, can't remember about that.

I found them now and marked, thanks, good point. I did not know this.

[ryandennis254]

Hi. I’m just re assembling my struts but didn’t mark which way the holes were. Could you possibly tell me which hole goes inwards? Thanks
Ryan

[Doctor Gollum]

Hi. I’m just re assembling my struts but didn’t mark which way the holes were. Could you possibly tell me which hole goes inwards? Thanks
Ryan

The flat surface needs to be parallel to the flat surface on the strut.

From memory, the lower of the two holes is inboard, but one way will look correct, the other won't 

Moral of the tale, do one side at a time so you have a reference 

[Nick W]

The flat surface needs to be parallel to the flat surface on the strut.

From memory, the lower of the two holes is inboard, but one way will look correct, the other won't 

The last struts I assembled was from a pile of new(struts, springs, bearings, top mounts and bump stops) and used(all the metal bits, and the rubber isolators) parts, and had nothing to compare them with.


If you fit the top spring cups, top mounts, bearings  or the springs the wrong way around, they look very wrong.


They're laid out but not in order:





and completed



One little tip: a couple of spots of superglue on the rubber isolator keeps it in place while you loosen the spring compressor

[Enceladus]

I sympathise. I've done this job on Carltons (Omega A), Senators and Omegas. Without fail I forget to dig out a paint pen to mark the exact relationship between the strut tube, spring and upper spring seat. And then regret it.

As I recall, the larger of the two holes, the outermost of the two, is the water drain hole and needs to end up inboard to the car body. The smaller innermost hole is the alignment hole. This should sit above the steering knuckle clamp on the shock tube. At least that was the consensus when this was discussed a year ago. That said how this relates to the factory paint marks on the seat is not clear.

[ryandennis254]

Thanks all. I will give this ago tomorrow afternoon