Rear Springs Replaced & Handbrake sorted, hopefully prior to getting through MoT
 

Hello chaps,


I just wanted to say a couple of thank yous and report a sucessful afternoon's work.


My Tourer's rear springs had probably been broken for quite a long time - TBH I think it passed an MoT last year with both ends of the offside one missing and the bottom part of the nearside one also displaced. It's very difficult to spot unless you know what you're looking for but a low ride height gave away the issue to me so something had to be done.


Thanks to MarinaBrian for his advice in another thread about the quick way to replace the springs (i.e. to slacken off all subframe bolts and then remove the two on the side you're replacing and also remove the lower suspension strut bolt before removing the spring). I got both sides replaced in about an hour which included cleaning and rust-proofing the area, too.


The handbrake also needed adjustment and it was a job I wasn't looking forward to because it had been a pain last year and I hadn't made a particularly good job of it. Thanks to Arctic for his pictures of the hub with the disc removed which were very handy because I could see where the adjuster was and also which direction to turn it to make the necessary changes.


Why doesn't the Haynes say which direction to move the adjuster?! For the record, on both sides, lever it upwards to increase brake pressure, and downwards to decrease.


I think part of the problem is that my rear discs (although they were new about six months ago) aren't perfectly straight so it's very difficult to tell if it's the handbrake or the brake pads that are having a braking effect. This means it's very difficult to get the HB equal on either side.


Anyway, a bright torch and stout screwdriver seem to have had the desired effect. I followed the instructions in the Haunes last year (i.e. to leave between 22 and 25 mm of thread above the adjuster nut) and got an advisory about little reserve handbrake travel so I've left a little less thread poking out this time.


I just need to book the car in for Mot now and see what happens. It's hopefully in better mechanical condition than last year, with two new tyres, pads and discs all round and a new windscreen so I'm hopeful of a good outcome.

Hope it goes well for you mate, good luck 👍

Hi Simon.
Great and good luck, which rear spring did you fit and where from please so others will know cheers Arctic.

The great news is that my car passed the MoT with no advisories - I'd dropped it off earlier in the day with my bike in the boot so I could cycle off and return later. I got back to the MoT centre to find all the MOT testers having a fag, leant against the front of my car so as I unlocked it with my spare key, so I could put my bike back in I said "comfrotable is it?" - they were most apologetic and gave me the test for £20. Job's a good 'un!


It also feels a lot better suspension-wise at the back end. I should have sorted it a lot earlier.


Cheers all