Re:
Been working on the Passat for it's MOT, changing front suspension. That's all 8 suspension arms and the shocks, top-mounts and springs (15mm lowered from Passat sport suspension). Thought a couple of hours a side since I'd previously (2 years ago) removed all the bolts and copper-slipped them. Aye, right.
All OK until I come to remove springs from upper-mounting and shock. Compress spring with my spring-compressor, remove top plate and upper spring mount, then find that the spring-compressor is not long enough to remove from spring as it is still compressed. When fitting the compressor I could only grab 3 coils due to the short length of compressor, so resorted to compressing one side of spring to get the other clamp off :shock: , then refitting that one alongside the one still on but this time was able to grab 4 coils on compressed side. This eventually was successful.
I was absolutely shiteing myself hoping that neither clamp would jump off inflicting damage tae ma fissog or hauns.
Thought fitting the shorter spring would be OK but still couldn't compress it enough to get top spring-mount on. Desperation, or lunacy more like, set in, so compressed the spring as much as I could on 3 coils then tied several loops of polypropylene rope :facepalm: round coils next to compressor clamp so I could remove clamp and refit grabbing 4 coils. Same with other clamp. Managed to get it compressed enough to fit top spring-mount and all OK. Meanwhile my erse wis making chocolate buttons knowing I was being really stupid, if I'd seen someone else doing that I'd have stopped them, it's such a dumb thing to do.
Thing is I need to do same on other side as I can't get a new compressor before I finish job. :roll: