springs- need to be heated to be removed??

mrsteacher

Hi everyone,
Im looking for advice please. I recently bought an Audi A4, the person before had it lowered way too much for my liking so i have tried to get original springs put in, instead of the lowering springs. The mechanic I brought it to said the springs are in so tightly that he cant get them out and that they prob. would need to be heated to remove. He doesnt have the equipment to do this. I don't know of anywhere that could do this, my brother mentioned a place up north that does it but Im wondering has anyone else had experience of doing this or have they any advice on what I should do? any help at all would be great, im really getting fed up with it!!:mad:

Tigger

Lowered springs are easier to remove than standard in my experience

Mabey I'm missing something

mrsteacher

do you know of anywhere that has this heating equipment that will help remove the lowering springs ? im at a loss as to where might have it, I live in the west of the country but i dont mind travelling if someone knew of a reputable place. I dont want to end up with a botched job.

Surely they're not on about the nuts that need undoing?

Tigger

I'm sorry bu if you want springs off just jack up the car and unbolt the strut

If for some reason it won't come off just run a angle Grinder over it

But I'm sure that spring compressors Thag any mechanic would have will work

Plug

He probably means they are ceased so bad that is the only way to remove them. But when I think of that, I never came across a spring that was hard to remove, all very easy. Maybe one of the rear springs are stuck to the body?

Tigger

RoverJames wrote: »

Surely they're not on about the nuts that need undoing?

That's the first thing I dismissed James

But I see you're at a loss too

Yeah, I couldn't reckon that is what they are on about but there's nothing else really, unless the lad isn't a mechanic and it's a tyre/oil change outlet or something. Weirdest thing I've ever heard.

Neilw

Is it a UK import A4? Nuts/bolts could be corroded.

Nissan doctor

A spring can't be seized to anything, even if it was stuck to the spring seat a tap of a hammer will free it. Its either the shock retaining nuts/bolts or the spring/top plate retaining nut that would be seized I'd imagine.

mrsteacher

thanks for all the replies, as ye can tell I know nothing about springs etc!! I rang the mechanic again and he said the bolts in the suspension are so tight that he cannot get them out, think he meant he'd have to heat them to remove them but he doesnt have any heating equipment, would that make sense?? He couldnt remove the alloys the first day I gave the car to him, said he never saw alloys that were on so tight, he broke the lock key when trying to remove the alloy, will another mechanic be able to attempt getting the alloys off now that the lock key is broken? any advice is really appreciated guys, thanks

keppler

mrsteacher wrote: »

thanks for all the replies, as ye can tell I know nothing about springs etc!! I rang the mechanic again and he said the bolts in the suspension are so tight that he cannot get them out, think he meant he'd have to heat them to remove them but he doesnt have any heating equipment, would that make sense?? He couldnt remove the alloys the first day I gave the car to him, said he never saw alloys that were on so tight, he broke the lock key when trying to remove the alloy, will another mechanic be able to attempt getting the alloys off now that the lock key is broken? any advice is really appreciated guys, thanks

Your mechanic gave up because of a few stubborn bolts......he basically just decided it wasnt worth the trouble and fobbed you off!
go and take your car to a real mechanic.....one that isnt afraid to get his hands dirty:)

mrsteacher

mrsteacher wrote: »

will another mechanic be able to attempt getting the alloys off now that the lock key is broken? any advice is really appreciated guys, thanks

Yep, they're are yokies available that will tighten onto the locknuts. Alternatively a slightly small socket can be hammered on. Worst case scenario a little welding can be used to weld on piece that can then be turned off. Also it may be worth investigating can a repalcement key be bought.

About the stubborn shock bolts, unreal that a lad who claims to be a mechanic can't sort them. Perhaps the chap is going through a spell that is affecting his work or something. 99% of garages would have no issue sorting you out.

mrsteacher

Thanks Keppler and Roverjames, It seems he just couldnt have been bothered doing it for me, I have asked another mechanic to have a look so im hoping he'll sort it out for me, if not I might have to bring it up north to this fella my brother knows of!

Tigger

i can reccomend you a mechanic in sligo if you want

mrsteacher

that would be great Tigger, thanks

mrsteacher

Private message me when u can, thanks :-)