Seized rear shock with spring under compression
 

My Wife gave me a call from work to say there was something wrong with her suspension.
When I got there I saw the car was low on the rear nearside.
So low I could not get the trolley jack under the sill!
I raised the car with the cars scissor jack and as soon as it started lifting the wheel lifted off the ground.
I concluded that the shock had seized.
The top of the tyre is above the rim of the wheel arch so the spring is under quite a bit of compression.
I do have a heavy duty spring compressor, the twin yoke and single point nut to wind type, but have serious doubts as to being able to position it.
If i just undid the bolt at the bottom of the shock the spring would de -compress pretty suddenly.
If i did it with the wheel on the ground the body would obviously be the part to be "shot up"
Is thete anyone who has encountered in this situation and/or has any suggestions as to the best way to proceed?

I'm not suggesting that you do this, but been pondering this for an hour, if some way of clamping or tying up of the spring is not possible I would see if i could get under the car with the wheel on the ground and whip the bottom shock bolt out with an air gun or torque gun because the car will go up. Other wise try and Jack the hub/radius arm down somehow ie block of wood and bottle Jack to extend the shock. :shrug:

I like your idea of trying to jack the arms apart somehow.
It all depends on access. It was dark when I was looking tonight. I also considered undoing the two top nuts on the shock in the boot and letting the car "ping up"
At least that way i should avoid what can be a struggle pulling out the shock from underneath when the rubber cap seems to stick.
It would be best if i could somehow extend the spring first though. I suppose it depends on how seized the shock absorber is.

I suggested the bottom bolt because it's one fixing, the top as you say has two and only being 6/8mm thread with the spring tension would probably fly off after being partially undone :duh:

Plus I could be bounced out of the boot into orbit! :eek:

HI Brian.
Long time no speak or see ;) first in the light of day jack the car up either by the jacking point, or at the rear jacking point in the middle using the tow hook.

Remove the wheel then go from there, the spring should pull down the seized shock, with the wheel off you could maybe get a second jack or trolley jack on the arm and take the tension of the spring.

Then remove the bolt from the bottom of the shocker.

HNY by the way :D

https://i.imgur.com/d9KIn7Ml.jpg1

https://i.imgur.com/m2bYm2Tl.jpg2

https://i.imgur.com/nzIDtCYl.jpg3

New years Greetings to you as well Steve.
When I jacked the car up last night the wheel just lifted straight off the ground. When I took the wheel off i could see that the spring was still compressed.
The top of the upper arm was about where the second visible spring coil down is in your second photo.
I reckon the best bet would be to encourage the local Rugby team to sit in the boot while I undo the lower shock bolt and then get out one by one to let the spring decompress! :D

HI Brian.
Therefore a trolley jack under the same place as in my 3rd photo will keep it where it is, jack it up a little more and it will help you take out the main bolt for the shocker, then slowly let the jack down once the bolts is out and shocker pushed out of the way. ;)

PS i wonder if the shocker has pushed through in the boot area due to corrosion, do let us know please.

You could get some small straps (I have some orange ones from halfords that are with the cycling roof rack stuff) around the spring and 3 of them keep the tension…..I’ve tried it before as a safety measure incase a spring compressor fails. Then to release either put your compressor on it.

Hi Steve, i am heading over to pick Manda up from work so will certainly check to see if the top of the shock had gone through. Hopefully not as it had MOT a couple of months ago and nothing was picked up then but you never know.
My concern is that if i just undo the lower bolt, assuming wheel on ground or support underneath arm.
Then with the spring under such tension it could cause galling to the end of the thread of the bolt or where it bolts into due to the sudden decompression of the spring.
I did wonder about straps or alternative but think it would be a bit foolhardy to go poking fingers in between a compressed springs coils to set it up.

Hopefully a good look in the light of day will reveal a way.
Also considered giving the shock itself a fee wallops to see if that will encourage it free.
At least i have replacement shocks here now fow when i get a chance to tackle it.