5 replies to this topic

[Tomm]

Hello Chaps,

After a bit of help here really.

I am Stripping my subframe down to have it cleaned and painted, but I am having a bit of trouble with compressing the cones. I have only ever removed Hilos and have been able to wind them in enough to remove the cones with no need for a compressor.

I am now trying to remove standard cones and trumpets (which will be going in the bin) and have run into a bit of a problem.

I am using the Minispares Cone compressor tool with the metric thread, the correct version for my Metric cones, I am not mismatching imperial and metric cones and compressors. No matter how careful i am, how hard I try i am struggling to thread the compressor tool into the top of the cone.

My question is, Are the cones supposed to be removed from the frame with the car under load? For example is the tower bolt meant to be removed, with the car on the floor and the tool used this way? I am currently trying to remove the cone with the cone tool with the subframe out of the car, so there is no weight or load on the cone.

Does weight on the corner help centralise the cone in the tower as i can't help but think the thread in the cone is not central with the subframe hole.

Can anyone make any suggestions as to how I should go about removing my cones?

Thanks.

 

[Spider]

I think there have been many who have had trouble pulling cones over the years

 

Sometimes the threads need cleaning up and there are others that the steel plate seems bent, so the thread in the nut's no longer square enough to get the tool in. I have an extra long M14 Tap that I made up for cleaning and / or correcting the threads

 

 

I use that Tap, every time (even on NEW cones) without fail to save the compressor tool.

 

however, with a bit of tugging and levering, you should be able to get it apart without compessing the cone, reassembling is a different matter though.

[Tomm]

Thanks for the reply, we have to use that method at work for certain threads but we only usually have to do that if the area has been exposed to extreme heats. Although 20 years of gunk and grime will sure take an effect on that thread,

 

The cones will not be going back in, I am going for coilovers. I was a little reluctant to have a fiddle around in there in all honesty, I didn't want to potentially release a huge amount of pent up energy (I have experienced it with a shock and spring before) so was a little cautious.

 

Is there a way or removing the cones safely with no compressor tool?

[Spider]

There maybe some stored energy from the cones, but if as you say they have been there for around 20 years, I doubt there'd be much left! If they were new Cones, I wouldn't recommend it at all.

 

Once you get to the point that you have removed the Top Arm Pin, don't put your hands in or around the Arm, but use levers, long screw drivers etc to get it out just to be on the safe side, and as it's ready to actually come away stand clear, though I really don't think (after 20 years) there'd be much l(if any) left in it, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if you found that once the weight has been removed off the suspension, there's free play.

[petey81]

Tom im off all week if you need any help. I have removed and installed many sets.

[carbon]

If you have the front subframe out of the car then try following :

- remove rebound rubbers (under top arms)

- slacken off the large nuts at both ends of the top arm pivot pin

- undo two x 1/4 bolts/nuts holding retaining plate on front end

- pull out pivot pins from top arms

- should now be possible to pull top arm assembly out without compressing cone

 

Works best when the cones have 'sagged' a bit