Changing rear springs on IRS VX Commodore

[Nidz]

Hello all. I am contemplating changing over my rear springs on my VX wagon myself and wanting to know if anybody could write me up some intructions on how I go about this or maybe even post a pictorial on how it's done and tips about what to look for once they are changed. Do I need to observe any camber changes and things that are not good if say the springs I change over to are too low etc... It would be helpful. Cheers.

[Toddler78]

Mate I will have a try at a write up for you, anyone feel free to add anything I may have missed I have changed mine that many times it comes as second nature now.

Obviously, jack car up and place on safty stands, the higher you can get the rear the easier it is.
If you can get acces to a hoist this is better.

Take both rear wheels off
Take hand brake off, making sure youve chocked the front wheels
you need to take the bolt out that holds the shock to the hub (19mm from memory)
unscrew half way then use your jack and jack up under the hub, this will allow you to take the bolt out easily,being stock springs they will still some what be under tension, and once you release that bolt they will shoot the wheel down if you dont have the jack there.
once bolt it out lower the jack slowly and get rid of it for now.

If you are doing it from jack stands you then need to undo the bolt that connects the sway bar to the IRS frame (once again from memory 10mm and 12mm), this is not under any real load, once out this will allow you to pry the wheel down far enough to get the springout, youy may need to use a tire lever to lever the spring out. you can use a spring compressor but they are fiddly to use and not 100% required.

If you are using a hoist you dont need to undo that connecting bolt you can actually get good veverage and pop the spring out.

Once the spring is out take the rubber bung out of the top of the standard spring put in the new spring, being a lower spring it should easily slide in.
locate spring, then use your jack once agian to jack up the wheel to align the hub hole with the shock(there is a little locating dowel/extension of the shock hole that sits just inside the hub hole, make sure you sit it in right)
tighten bolt up and then lower wheel, do up sway bar connecting bolt you might need to be a bit rough with this as it may not be 100% lned up but wriggle it in and it will go.

put wheel back on

That is one side done/ repeat for the other side and your done!:smilesandbanana:

just a note when putting your wheels back on and lowering the car, make sure that the metal bung on the underside of the car is sitting in the rubber bung in the top of the spring/ if you are runnig really low springs and stock shocker like I am, then the spring will sit up right and requires me to guide the metal bung into the rubber bung whilst lowering it slowly.

And your done

if you want you should then get a wheel alignment (I dont bother with this as my tires dont last long due to my driving any way)

sorry about some of my terminogy as some of the proper names for things escape me at this time, but hopfully you will understand whatr I mean when you stick your head under the car.

[Nidz]

Thanks heaps for your writeup.. Actually my springs aren't stock. I have low Kings in the back and I'm replacing them with Super Lows..

[Toddler78]

then you shouldnt have too much of a problem, try levering out the lows before you undo the sway bar bolts you should be able to get them out.
BUT like I said with the superlows make sure that they locate properly when your lowering the car back on the ground.

[Grommz]

that was a huge write up for what could of been explained in about 4-5 lines.. :p

jack car up
chock front wheels
take handbrake off
push hub down and pull springs out


only thing to really note is that you put the new ones back in the same way the old ones came out as if you put them in upside down the car will sit slightly higher than intended.

[ACUZED]

Hello all. I am contemplating changing over my rear springs on my VX wagon myself and wanting to know if anybody could write me up some intructions on how I go about this or maybe even post a pictorial on how it's done and tips about what to look for once they are changed. Do I need to observe any camber changes and things that are not good if say the springs I change over to are too low etc... It would be helpful. Cheers.

hey wagman i actually jus lowered the rear of my ute again this mornin you:

-jack it up and place on axel stands
-chock the front wheels
-take the wheels off
-take it out of gear and let the handbrake fully off
-take the bolt holding the rear chock to the hub 21 mm
-lean on the brakes and grab spring and pull

when replacing the strut to the bub you will need to jack the hub up and position the stut so u are able to tightne bolt through the hole torque the bolt to the required tension i think it 115nm jus double check make sure the top of the spring lines up with its craddle and jobs done:) oh you may wana put whell back on too :rofl:

[Lunchbox]

Hello all. I am contemplating changing over my rear springs on my VX wagon myself and wanting to know if anybody could write me up some intructions on how I go about this or maybe even post a pictorial on how it's done and tips about what to look for once they are changed. Do I need to observe any camber changes and things that are not good if say the springs I change over to are too low etc... It would be helpful. Cheers.


How low is the wagon sitting now with the lows in it and what are you intending to do with the old springs? :nyuk:

[Nidz]

old springs are sold now and I intend on swapping or selling these ones. The ride on SL sedans is horrible. I want to go back up to SL Wagons which are higher and rated for a higher load.

[TUFFIE]

that was a huge write up for what could of been explained in about 4-5 lines.. :p

jack car up
chock front wheels
take handbrake off
push hub down and pull springs out


only thing to really note is that you put the new ones back in the same way the old ones came out as if you put them in upside down the car will sit slightly higher than intended.

Seeing as its such a simple job Grommz maybe you should go show wagman how to do it. Then you can also show him which end is supposed to face up on the rear spring :confused:.
I think I may have to pull my rear springs out and check that I havn't got them in upside down.:eyes: