Guide: Front Suspension / Spring / Coilover change

[ginge191]

This guide is going to explain how to change the springs OR fit new front suspension OR fit new coilovers.
Made this purely because over a whole weekend, i required new tools/pieces and frustrated me to hell!


Tools required

WD40
Socket Wrench 16mm socket and 13mm Socket
Hammer

Optionals

Spring compressors
Replacement springs/coilovers
Mole grips
New suspension top mounts
New drop links (recommended)

Few tools needed and all in all a very simple job

to begin with jack the car up, doesn't need to be too high, Wheel about an inch above the groung is suffice.

Firstly, WD40 all the bolts which are going to be removed

These are:

- A drop link bolt (i suggest the top drop link connecting to the strut to be removed, this keeps the drop link attached to the car). I took this to my advantage and replaced the drop links at the same time - a common feature of drop links is to *******ly spin, easiest way to overcome this either grab mole grips behind and grab as hard as possible, OR cut it off

- Steering rod

- Suspension/hub bolt (behind where the blue circle is)




Remove all these bolts, keep in a secure place and remember which bolt went onto the steering rod as it has a slightly different thread (confused me for ages....)

Next, get a hammer! (fun part)

you now want to smash the hub downwards, this part you need to be careful only because you dont want to knock the driveshaft out (which i done, had a little wee, nothing much).

Hit where the track rod connects, obviously, after the track rod has been tapped out....



The hub will take a beating before the suspension comes out, but you can see it gradually leaving its 'hole'...

once its out, its an idea to remove the brake hose 'clips', gives ease of access when removing everything. One 13mm bolt.

As you can see circled, bolt to remove and suspension out.



Now open the bonnet, remove 3 bolts holding in the top mount, and last thing holding the suspension in place.

Here i've removed 2 already, a friend to help is useful, or as i did, put a jack under the hub so when the suspension fell, it wouldn;t pull the driveshaft out.



gradually ease the suspension out and you should be left with this:



At this point, you can either:

fit new coilovers/standard suspension straight away with new top mounts requiring NO spring compressing

Compress the springs to use the old top mounts because your a cheap ass like me and dont want to spend an extra £50

So, compress your springs, remove the top bolt (which is a cack, requires an odd torx size, anyone know it?) OR use my technique, get a pair of mole grips on the damper rod? to prevent it all spinning at once.



Once thats done, pop the suspension mount on your new coilover/suspension and fit in reverse order...



Guage your ride height and set as required - i set to maximum drop to see how it sat..



but was a bit TOO low for the local roads... so set your desired height, wheels tightened and chuck it in a corner!



Ofcourse, theres many other ways to which this can be done, using different methods.

you can also buy a new set of top mounts from your local peugeot dealer, £40 each i paid for some.

[306 d turbo]

when the bottom shock mount is removed from the hub carrier,

Should the whole suspension unit rotate when it it hanging freely from the top mount?

Thanks

[ginge191]

It can do, yes, it's made to rotate when in the hub. As when you turn the wheel, the strut needs to spin also.


I didnt think I made 2 of the same thread?! Crikey

[zx_volcane]

I do this without removing the track rod end from the hub, might be worth giving it a go this way in case it starts to spin (same as drop link bolt spinning) when undoing or putting back on.

More worrying is the brake line getting in the way and being stretched/caught on bottom of strut / top of hub, so for the sake of two bolts undo the calliper and get it and the flexi out the way.

Of course your milage may vary...

[ginge191]

I do this without removing the track rod end from the hub, might be worth giving it a go this way in case it starts to spin (same as drop link bolt spinning) when undoing or putting back on.

More worrying is the brake line getting in the way and being stretched/caught on bottom of strut / top of hub, so for the sake of two bolts undo the calliper and get it and the flexi out the way.

Of course your milage may vary...

I found with my friends 306 (phase 2, 1.8), he's just had new springs put in from halfrauds, as they're settling he's getting a loose top bolt, i tried to tighten whilst still on the car, and the inner-strut still spins, so even on the car you get spinning.

I maybe getting the wrong end of the conversation here...

[anto]

Suspension rod should normally have an allen key head to it to prevent the rod spinning when taking the nut off. Use a swan neck spanner to undo the nut.

I dont undo the track rod end (Just another thing to undo, seize, spin etc)
Block of wood at the base of the strut/hub and beat it off that way. Obviously avoiding any brake pipes etc.

[ginge191]

@ anto, the older drop links don't have a Allen key slot, or of they do, they tend to dissolve with the slightest of movement.

But yeh, the TRE you can leave in, I replaced mine anywho

[anto]

@ anto, the older drop links don't have a Allen key slot, or of they do, they tend to dissolve with the slightest of movement.

But yeh, the TRE you can leave in, I replaced mine anywho

Didnt mean the droplinks ginge, i meant the main suspension shaft that you said turns when trying to tighten/ loosen the top nut.
I know what ya mean about the droplinks, pain in the arse.

Patience is key with sezied nuts/ bolts. Plenty of wd40, small movements both loosening and tightening to clear the threads and dont try and undo it all in the one go as the metal tends to heat and possibly shear the nut/ bolts. Even then the bloody things can round off.

[Atterz]

Just to add, to remove the strut from the hub i jump up and down on ths disc until it is free!