Lowering my astra

[Carlos]

Right im taking the springs off my astra, didnt wan't to cut them as that would just be stupid, so im compressing and heating them instead, what would be the best way to do this?
Im sure people have spoke about this before but Ive had a search and nothing came up,
Thanks in advance

 

[Cooper]

Now im all for cheap, diy mods, but this on the other hand...

Probably not the best idea to heat treat a spring, which is already specifically heat treated.

Annealing (heating and slowly cooling) the metal will make it very bendy, but it wont take much to get it beyond its elastic limit.

Although if you heat to a certain temperature throughout and let it cool you can get some elastic properties, but you're gonna struggle if you're using a blow torch.

And whatever you do, when you have heated it, DO NOT RAPID COOL IT! This will make it very Hard and brittle.

What's wrong with buying some lowering springs for £50? It'll make it handle better, make it safe, look better and it'll have an even drop all round.

 

[carls gsi]

put it in a vice and heat it but wouldnt recomend it as it could be very dangorus

 

[bizgsi]

agree withe cooper u might as well buy a set i did for £40 of ebay brand new 60mm lowering springs my mate heat treated his springs after a week they snapped and he crashed his car

 

[jcarcher1983]

well dogdey you will get the spring the same size so your car will run wonkey and prob eat through tyres will be cheaper in the long run to buy new springs

 

[astra mk3]

buy a set of springs you will find some for £50 ,if you heat the springs it will make it very brittle and yu dont want that if ou go round a corner to quick they will snap,its not worth your or other peoples lifes for the sake of £50

 

[Carlos]

Okay so will nova springs fit?

 

[Carlos]

Plus, i've unbolted all the bolts, and the hub just wont budge, im not sure what there is to try, im going to grab some balljoint splitters for the trackrod end, but i cant get the wishbone off? any idea why? Cheers

 

[Astraguy09]

Bought Astra GSI springs -40mm brand new Jamex for £51 posted, on eBay. Was well chuffed! however springs are heat treated for flexibility and doing it again with a blow torch could end up just hardening the springs meaning they would be very very brittle!!

Would be best to buy lowering springs!! costs more but safer all round!

Heard that nova springs will fit, however my thoughts are that they are smaller width ways rather then hight! HOWEVER I have seen an Astra sat on Nova springs which worked OK.

 

[Astraguy09]

Plus, i've unbolted all the bolts, and the hub just wont budge, im not sure what there is to try, im going to grab some balljoint splitters for the trackrod end, but i cant get the wishbone off? any idea why? Cheers

Its the ball joint splitter you need to get it off. Have you taken off the hub nut to remove the drive shaft?

you will need to remove everything before you can remove the hub!

 

[Carlos]

taken a nut off at the trackrod end, on the wishbone, and had the topmount support nuts off too, the driveshaft gaiter came off (not my doing, so not sure if there was something else there)

 

[Carlos]

Would it help if i got pictures?

 

[Astraguy09]

Im back, not always about mate.

There is a big nut in the middle of the hub, take it off as if the CV is coming apart just with a tug thats quite the worry!!

To get the trackrod end out you dont need to mess about with a ball joint splitter, you need to hit the bottom with a hammer, it will pop out easy then. The wishbone you can lever off with a long crow bar and it will pop out. either that or get a useless flat head screw driver to open up the clamp on the back of the hub and hammer it in, open that up a bit and it will be easier to drop off.

The hub nut is very very important to remove, its attached to the drive shaft so if you not undone that its going nowhere really!!

 

[Carlos]

Im back, not always about mate.

There is a big nut in the middle of the hub, take it off as if the CV is coming apart just with a tug thats quite the worry!!

To get the trackrod end out you dont need to mess about with a ball joint splitter, you need to hit the bottom with a hammer, it will pop out easy then. The wishbone you can lever off with a long crow bar and it will pop out. either that or get a useless flat head screw driver to open up the clamp on the back of the hub and hammer it in, open that up a bit and it will be easier to drop off.

The hub nut is very very important to remove, its attached to the drive shaft so if you not undone that its going nowhere really!!

Thats what I thought too! we gave the trackrod end a proper good wallop! but didnt budge, tried WD40ying it too, that hasnt helped, any idea why or where it could be jammed, and how risky would it be to get the track rod end off with the hub? and ill give the crowbar on the wishbone a bash tomorrow morning. And thanks for your help buddy, ill give it another go tomorrow, ive got athsma and flu and the cold is really making it difficult to work on the car

 

[Astraguy09]

Ah, thats not good then.

So you've removed the 1 nut holding the trackrod end to the hub and its gone no-where...... thats, erm interesting! Every trackrod end ive undone has either just come out or popped out with a bat with a hammer! however if its NOT coming off and you just want the leg out open the bonnet and un-do the bolt holding the track rod to the steering rack, bobs your uncle, just make sure that you DONT rotate it on the way out and get the tracking checked after your done!

If the crowbar Fails then use the other method to open up the clamp holding it on