10 Minutes Ago, I Almost Died. Yeah, Seriously.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 509
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From: Atlanta, GA and Richmond, VA
1991 300E
10 Minutes Ago, I Almost Died. Yeah, Seriously.
Soooo I started to switch out my front Vogtland springs for my new Eibach ones. I tightened the compressor as far as I could, but it still wasn't tight enough as I hadn't put the top plate in high enough. As I was tightening, the spring itself shifted out of place, and at first, I didn't notice. I loosened the compressor, planning on just shifting the top plate over a bit. But the compressor is wedged in the a bar hole crooked, so i can't shift the plate, and it popped out of it's groove.
I figured I would just tighten it up again and shift the spring back, and all would be well. that was false. i tightened up almost halfway, and then the spring exploded out of the compressor. I fell backwards on my ***, and tore one of my stitches. awesome.
so that was my near death experience. now i have a legitimate problem: i can't get the compressor back out of the spring. what the **** do I do now? I did everything I was supposed to, but the goddamn spring moved and I didn't see it. So now I'm up a creek and have no padals, no food, and the water is tainted. I can't drive my car anywhere to pay someone to install them, and the dealership mobile service is expensive as ****.
Help. please.
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I figured I would just tighten it up again and shift the spring back, and all would be well. that was false. i tightened up almost halfway, and then the spring exploded out of the compressor. I fell backwards on my ***, and tore one of my stitches. awesome.
so that was my near death experience. now i have a legitimate problem: i can't get the compressor back out of the spring. what the **** do I do now? I did everything I was supposed to, but the goddamn spring moved and I didn't see it. So now I'm up a creek and have no padals, no food, and the water is tainted. I can't drive my car anywhere to pay someone to install them, and the dealership mobile service is expensive as ****.
Help. please.
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Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Orange County, CA
GMC - Miata - Trek - P-Car
Whoa,...sorry to hear about that. Take a few deep breaths a relax for a moment or two. 
How 'bout you mark the location (indexing) of the A-arm bolts? Then, while safely supported by the floor jack, equalize the load at the inner pivot points and remove the bolts. Slowly lower the arm and the spring will be able to fully extend and drop free. That's how I did mine. Please be careful!
Kindly let us know how it goes.
How 'bout you mark the location (indexing) of the A-arm bolts? Then, while safely supported by the floor jack, equalize the load at the inner pivot points and remove the bolts. Slowly lower the arm and the spring will be able to fully extend and drop free. That's how I did mine. Please be careful!
Kindly let us know how it goes.
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Atlanta
1995 S14
***** dude. That would do me in man, spring compressors are bad news. I know now may not be the best time, but if I sell my old wheel/tire combo before the meet, I will for sure buy the Vogs. Let me know what the least you will take for them is. Thanks man and be safe out there.
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Youngtimer
**** man, be careful.
i wish i would have known you were doing this today, i would have come round to help, i want to change out my front springs and don't have access to a compressor...
maybe you can get to an auto zone or one of those types of places, they let you borrow tools for free with like a 50 buck deposit. if you get one of these types of compressors below, you could maybe compress the spring just slightly enough to free up the benz compressor, and shift the spring back into place?
otherwise, call the guy lee suggested, because you don't want to f**k around with springs.
i wish i would have known you were doing this today, i would have come round to help, i want to change out my front springs and don't have access to a compressor...
maybe you can get to an auto zone or one of those types of places, they let you borrow tools for free with like a 50 buck deposit. if you get one of these types of compressors below, you could maybe compress the spring just slightly enough to free up the benz compressor, and shift the spring back into place?
otherwise, call the guy lee suggested, because you don't want to f**k around with springs.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 509
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From: Atlanta, GA and Richmond, VA
1991 300E
if you want to come by and change out your springs you certainly can. but i can't get the compressor out of my spring until i get a floor jack or call that dude lee suggested. can you come by tomorrow sometime? i live in dunwoody.
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Youngtimer
during the week will be tough man, i have to work.
see if you can get lee's guy, or maybe that other style compressor/flooor jack, but at this point you need to be careful with the spring off the lower perch.
hopefully i'll get off work early on tuesday for the 4th, but who knows... i have to work 1/2 day on wednesday too. just keep us posted with what's happening. maybe garfunkle can come help too and we'll have a mini spring meet
see if you can get lee's guy, or maybe that other style compressor/flooor jack, but at this point you need to be careful with the spring off the lower perch.
hopefully i'll get off work early on tuesday for the 4th, but who knows... i have to work 1/2 day on wednesday too. just keep us posted with what's happening. maybe garfunkle can come help too and we'll have a mini spring meet
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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Youngtimer
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Atlanta, GA and Richmond, VA
1991 300E
alright, the vog spring is seated back in it's place. which is great news. the spring popped again, and scared the crap out of me, again. but it's driveable now. as opposed to having only 3 wheels haha.
This guy John is legit, man. I would highly recommend him. He came out and helped me right away. I wouldn't be able to drive my car otherwise.
Turns out one needs two jacks to compress the springs properly. I only was using the standard jack, and once it got to a certain tightness, the entire spring would spin in its mount instead of tightening.
John recommended a place over on Roswell, MSD Motors or something that is like 2 miles from my house and he said that they should be able to install them for pretty cheap. I think with my recent arm surgery i'm just going to let them handle it.
Any Atlanta folks that want to use the compressor are welcome to come by or meet somewhere. Steve in Columbia is a great guy and is in no huge rush to get it back. If somebody thinks they could help me with this and save me the money, that would be amazing as well. I would even pay one of ya'll to help me with it if any of you would be interested in that. My cell is 678-591-0079. hit me up if any of you are interested in helping me or need the compressor or anything.
This guy John is legit, man. I would highly recommend him. He came out and helped me right away. I wouldn't be able to drive my car otherwise.
Turns out one needs two jacks to compress the springs properly. I only was using the standard jack, and once it got to a certain tightness, the entire spring would spin in its mount instead of tightening.
John recommended a place over on Roswell, MSD Motors or something that is like 2 miles from my house and he said that they should be able to install them for pretty cheap. I think with my recent arm surgery i'm just going to let them handle it.
Any Atlanta folks that want to use the compressor are welcome to come by or meet somewhere. Steve in Columbia is a great guy and is in no huge rush to get it back. If somebody thinks they could help me with this and save me the money, that would be amazing as well. I would even pay one of ya'll to help me with it if any of you would be interested in that. My cell is 678-591-0079. hit me up if any of you are interested in helping me or need the compressor or anything.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Atlanta
1983 240D, 1989 300E
I am working in ATL this week but I am not sure about my schedule. I have never done spring work before so I am not sure how much help I would actually be. But I know I could definetly be available Friday and this weekend as long as I don't decide to take a weekend vacation. My friend who used to own and indie euro shop was going to help me when I decide to do mine.
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 40
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From: California
A w124, w202, and a few bimmers
Dang rooney, thats pretty harsh... I never like springs.
I would do as splinter said, remove the A-Arm bolts. There is a British TV show called "Wheeler Dealers" that does repairs to older cars and sells them. A while back they did a show on a 190e 2.3-16, where they showed how to do they springs without a compressor... the link is below so you can watch it. I would assume that 300e is very similar.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yjkTSFmmE6E
I would do as splinter said, remove the A-Arm bolts. There is a British TV show called "Wheeler Dealers" that does repairs to older cars and sells them. A while back they did a show on a 190e 2.3-16, where they showed how to do they springs without a compressor... the link is below so you can watch it. I would assume that 300e is very similar.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yjkTSFmmE6E
