S3 front shock fitting on rebuild

[jivili]

Hi can anyone offer some advice
I am trying to refit the front suspension on my car after it came back from being painted. I have fitted the torsion bar using a setting link a la manual then I have used a large turnbuckle as described by David Lacey to load the torsion bar and fit the front hub.. So far so good The problem I now have is that the preload on the torsion bar means that if I try and release the turn buckle to fit the front shock there is still a lot of tension meaning that with the turnbuckle removed the shock absorber is about 50 mm short from fitting. The car is sat on a four post lift with no engine in and I have tried lowering the lift with the front lower suspension arm sat on blocks of wood so as to effectively have the whole weight of the front end but no joy it still won't compress enough to fit the shock.
I have no doubt made some stupid mistake so if someone could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it

[MarekH]

The front of the car has practically no weight to it and so there is nothing to twist the torsion bar with.

The torsion bar is just a spring and it'll settle to it's resting point which depends on the weight that's on top of it. You don't have any weight sitting on it, so it won't compress(twist) around. That's why it'll sit high.

When everything is right, the wishbones will sit horizontal.

kind regards
Marek

[PeterCrespin]

The problem I now have is that the preload on the torsion bar means that if I try and release the turn buckle to fit the front shock there is still a lot of tension meaning that with the turnbuckle removed the shock absorber is about 50 mm short from fitting.

The dampers are what limit travel at full droop, so it is normal that you have to compress the suspension to fit them. How you do it is up to you. Fitting your turn buckle elsewhere or using ratchet straps plus compression?

Pete

[osgii]

I don't know at what stage you are of your restoration, but dampers are quite fat and takes lot of room for nothing. Just add them at the end!

[jivili]

Thanks for the replies, the reason I asked the question is that I need to get the car off the ramp over to a fixed hoist to refit the engine unless you can install the engine from below which I don't think is possible? I took it out from above a la manual with the hoist. I will try and rig a frame up that bolts in place of the front rail and mount the turnbuckle on the roll bar link bolt hole instead of the suspension mounts and give it another go

[mgcjag]

Hi Just leave the shocks off...fit the wheels move the car and then drop in the engine and with the weight fit the shocks.....you don't need to mess about with turnbuckles......I assume when you removed the engine the suspension was all fitted...so just reverse the process.. Steve

[David Oslo]

I agree with the other replies, pop off the turnbuckles (they've done their job), let the car ride high with drooping wishbones, wheel it around and pop in the engine, then with weight in car pop in the shockers. Put on the kettle for a brew.

If you were stuck in a similar situation again, and if you have a solid garage /workshoop roof truss, then a 2x4 and a bottle jack can be used to jack the car downwards (with suitable load spread pads on the picture frame), hence avoiding turnbuckles and ratchet straps. Obviously the wheel spline has to rest in a rubber faced axle stand to have any effect. Alternatively just use the road wheel. When I figured this out I felt like I had just discovered the proverbial "sky hook".

[ChrisC]

Unless you have some urgent reason to fit the shock absorbers - leave them off until the engine and bonnet are fitted. They are significantly easier to fit once all the weight is on the front of the car. You only need a spanner to do up the mounting bolts :D