Vauxhall Zafira - Fitting uprated rear springs/spring assisters
Jethro
springs uprated (or is it fitted with spring assisters ?)
Is this an easy job if you have a ramp and jack (and the parts) , or
best left to the dealers ?
Thanks in advance
Jethro
mark hesselgreaves
the wheel is off the ground, next; (you might have to take off the wheel for
this) at the middle of the spring, measure the distance between the coils
(my cars meas' is 25mm), this gives the supplier an idea of which ones to
sell you.
To fit them, again jack up the rear of the car, and remove the wheel, take
one of your spring assisters and put some oil on both sides in the channels
(this makes it easier to slide them into the spring - by the way i used
cycle chain oil because it gets washed away easily),slide the assister into
the spring and continue to slide it in around the rear of the spring until
both ends are fully engaged in the spring, move it around the coil until its
in the middle of the spring and with the two ends of the assister are around
the rear where you cant see them. Now put the wheel back on, and lower the
car - SLOWLY - to make sure that the assister has remained engaged, thats
it! Do this all over again - on the other side!
I did this on my car which is a little older and needed new heavy duty rear
springs - what a difference it made!
Hope this helps, yours, mark.
"Jethro" <jeth...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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DaveK
"mark hesselgreaves" <mhsw...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
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> Its easy enough to do. Firstly go out and jack up the rear of your car
till
> the wheel is off the ground, next; (you might have to take off the wheel
for
> this) at the middle of the spring, measure the distance between the coils
> (my cars meas' is 25mm), this gives the supplier an idea of which ones to
> sell you.
1984 Cavalier and they made the car sit a bit higher and stiffened up the
suspension so the roadholding was better. They don't recommend putting any
sort of mineral oil on tm as it may cause the rubber to perish. Washing up
liquid is fine.
For more sophisticated tereatment buy uprated springs and dampers,-at great
expense.
BTW I looked at the Xafira as it looks about the right size to pull a
caravan, but they all seem to 1.6 petrol engines only.
Do they make a diesel or more powerful petrol motor?
DaveK
Aunty Sandy
"DaveK" <da...@wkinnear.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
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>
> "mark hesselgreaves" <mhsw...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:9RuK7.7065$%j6.5...@news1.cableinet.net...
> BTW I looked at the Xafira as it looks about the right size to pull a
> caravan, but they all seem to 1.6 petrol engines only.
> Do they make a diesel or more powerful petrol motor?
> DaveK
yes there are diesil and bigger engines. I was going to get the deisel but
the salesman told me not to bother as there was very little difference in
the 1.6 petrol and the diesel. I've had mine 5 months from new and love it.
(1.6 petrol) It's nippy in low gears and great on motorways, the high seats
are really comfy on long runs but perhaps a little hard on the bum from new.
The boot capacity with 5 seats is emmence but practically none existant with
the extra two seats up. On my first and only (so far) caravaning trip a
few weeks back, there was barely any difference in the petrol consumption
with the van hitched and towing was a doddle, although because it was my
first time, I didn't go over 55mph. I felt that the extra power was there
if I needed it though.
The suspension is a tad soft when towing but you do appreciate it other
times. Be wary of getting the dealer to fit the towbar though, it will cost
you around £400. My supplier advised me to go to the garage that would fit
it for them anyway and it cost me £209 for a Whitter dual electrics, which
in actual fact was cheaper than any of the other towbar fitters in my area.
In the Zafira information guide, it says that they have to cut a piece out
of the rear skirt to fit the bar but apparantly they don't need to do this
with Whitter bars ...dunno why.
HTH
Sandy
DaveK
it says that they have to cut a piece out of the rear skirt to fit the bar
but apparantly they don't need to do this
> with Whitter bars ...dunno why.
>
Towsure bracket to an old, but immaculate BMW and the owner was most upset
that the instructions said to cut a chunk out of the rear bumper. In the
event it wasn't necessary, it just jammed up tight against the plastic.
You said the Zafira was ok with the 1600 engine. What size/weight, caravan
in tow?
DaveK.
Jethro
There's a 1.8 (which we are getting) and 2.0 petrol and I believe also a 2.2Tdi
try
Joe Taylor
size and weight pull 1300kg why is this?
-----joe------
"DaveK" <da...@wkinnear.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
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Aunty Sandy
Sorry but I've no idea of what weight the van is, its a mid to late 1970's
(so I'm told) Monza 1200S, 5 berth, think it's 12 ft. Someone told me that
it was quite heavy compared to modern vans but don't quote me on that! I
can give you any weights/spec you want out of the Zafira handbook though,
for any of the models available. I really didn't feel as if I was towing and
had to keep checking the van was there! The only other experience I've had
of towing was of towing cars of identical or heavier weight and I knew they
where there :-)
Sandy
Mike S
case use washing up liquid to lubricate the rubber it will fit easily. Oil
is not good for rubber.
Mike S
"mark hesselgreaves" <mhsw...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
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> To fit them, again jack up the rear of the car, and remove the wheel, take
> one of your spring assisters and put some oil on both sides in the
channels
> (this makes it easier to slide them into the spring - by the way i used
> cycle chain oil because it gets washed away easily),slide the assister
into
> the spring and continue > "Jethro" <jeth...@hotmail.com> wrote in