D'you think you know fear?

[User00056]

You don't know fear....

 

[bowji john]

Ooops !

Did that let go?

Or have you not started compressing the spring yet?

 

[Turkish]

Boing !!????

 

[User00056]

Ooops !

Did that let go?

Or have you not started compressing the spring yet?

That's it fitted, thank God! I just hung the compressors on it for a photo. I was far too terrified to stop for a photo during the job

 

[Mungo]

I’ve seen what happens when a high lift jack lets go at the wrong moment. Not a lot of teeth left…

 

[bowji john]

I’ve seen that too

On one occasion with an African chap on the handle

He refused to let go

Fair play but he couldn’t walk straight for the rest of the morning

A Toyota Troupie was on the other end

 

[User00056]

Boing !!????

Thankfully no. I'll admit though, I really wasn't sure if the squeaking sounds were coming from the spring, or my arse

 

[Bavarianbrit]

This twit has found the future answer.
JLR "are you watching this?".

 

[mel b3]

You don't know fear....

View attachment 451149

I must have changed many hundreds of them when I worked on the spanners , and I almost shat myself with every one .

 

[John Gryphon]

This twit has found the future answer.
JLR "are you watching this?".

He is right onto something there imo.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Replace the air suspension bags that fail but you would need to think out the damping method and holding the suspension geometry, all very do able with CAD. Get an apprentice to do it.

 

[enfieldspares]

Oh Lord! Coil springs on cars are really not at all your friend if they decide to bite. Fortunately my old Triumph Vitesse 6 had an old fashioned transverse leaf spring on the rear. Pussycat it was to change in comparison to a coil spring...yes still all the same swearing, cursing and seized fastenings but none of the danger!

 

[John Gryphon]

Pussycat it was to change in comparison to a coil spring..

Why in the duck would you need to replace if it was of a good build.

 

[enfieldspares]

Why in the duck would you need to replace if it was of a good build.

One of the longer leaves cracked, as they do. But back then you just went to your local scrapyard and still were, just, able to get one from a junked Herald or Vitesse. There was also some who would reverse upside down the top three leaves as it was supposed to make the car handle better or somesuch. I forget why now. But some used to do it.

 

[kenbro]

Resetting vehicle springs was an every day job in the smithy in the 1960s.
We also used to make main leafs by shortening long leafs (Leaves?) and warming the ends and shaping a new eye (Hammer & Anvil) of the correct size to give a new bush an interference fit.
Discarded springs were seperated and used for making different cutting tools, like machetes, axes, knives and scroll formers.
Ken.

 

[HonestJohn]

Fu£k that! That’s what garage people are for!

 

[eldon]

I’ve seen what happens when a high lift jack lets go at the wrong moment. Not a lot of teeth left…

I have a scar on my left temple from some such incident, very reminiscent of many mining accidents involving Sylvesters, do you remember those?
Wet slippy hands and a wayward handle under load makes for a very dangerous situation.

@Quixote many garages now have cages around the spring compressor jacks for safety reasons. Your method is old style, which I've personally done plenty and subsequently had many a cringe moment.
Glad you survived.

 

[User00056]

@Quixote many garages now have cages around the spring compressor jacks for safety reasons, your method is old style which I've personally done plenty and had many a cringe moment.
Glad you survived.

Absolutely agree! You can't be blase when it comes to how much energy these things can store, or how potentially dangerous they can be. My post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and aimed at people just like yourself who 'know'. If I was doing ten a week I'd have a floor-mounted rig, but as I only do one every few years it just has to be old-school. I do wonder though, how many 'modern' mechanics see springs escape the compressors as they've become complacent due to the cages? I think commonsense, experience, and mechanical empathy has an enormous part to play in what makes a decent mechanic!

 

[John Gryphon]

Absolutely agree! You can't be blase when it comes to how much energy these things can store, or how potentially dangerous they can be. My post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and aimed at people just like yourself who 'know'. If I was doing ten a week I'd have a floor-mounted rig, but as I only do one every few years it just has to be old-school. I do wonder though, how many 'modern' mechanics see springs escape the compressors as they've become complacent due to the cages? I think commonsense, experience, and mechanical empathy has an enormous part to play in what makes a decent mechanic!

One of the longer leaves cracked, as they do. But back then you just went to your local scrapyard and still were, just, able to get one from a junked Herald or Vitesse. There was also some who would reverse upside down the top three leaves as it was supposed to make the car handle better or somesuch. I forget why now. But some used to do it.

I imagine the far superior metal today wouldn't be a problem.

Discarded springs were separated and used for making different cutting tools, like machetes,

Ghurkha Kukris.

 

[Rake Aboot]

Terrifying things

As I’ve said , many time, airbags are the way forward