Escort rear springs

[john112deere]

So I just set a personal record, and flunked my state safety inspection for three items. On the car I thought would pass without any trouble, too.

Anyway...I've got a busted rear coil spring in the Escort. Yeah, I verified it, it's busted. Doesn't really present any symptoms (I never noticed, and I'm fussy), but it's bad.

So...two questions:
-Do I need to replace both rears at the same time? Only the one is busted, but...

-How hard is this, really? I know I'll need a spring compressor, but if I can rent one from a parts store...can I do this, without much risk of launching a spring into my face?

*The other two failures, should you be curious, were a busted rear sway bar end-link (dunno how I missed that one, either- doesn't knock at all on bumps), and tires.

 

[john112deere]

Got 'er done. Springs came as a pair, which was good 'cause it turns out both were broken anyway. Should'a put struts in it, but it's OK for now and I haven't really got $100 to spare for something I don't need.

Talked to a buddy who I know did a similar job on his girlfriend's Chevy last year, and he was right- "It's kind of a [expletive deleted]"

I don't seem to have put all the bushings and washers in the right places when I replaced the sway bar links (the A-Z kit is not the same set of parts as the factory originals), but that's a minor issue easily corrected later this week.

 

[surewhynot]

Thank God we don't have to worry about inspections here.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Good job on the springs. I was going to say to just weld it all together and make everything solid and eliminate the springs and see what he says about that.

Ryan

 

[john112deere]

Thank God we don't have to worry about inspections here.

Ya know...I hate 'em, but at the same time, there's no other way to get a professional mechanic to tell you everything wrong with your car for $12.50 I've ever found. (Maine state rate- others are a lot more.)

The only time I've ever passed an inspection on the first run-through was when I had $400 worth of other work done at the same time. They might'a overlooked a few things to be nice, I'm not sure.

On edit: if you go to the right places, you only fail for stuff you should fail for. Busted springs and sway bar links are real issues...and the tires on this thing, while I'm OK with driving on them...my sister may be borrowing the car in a couple weeks for a long trip, and I was thinking (before I failed the sticker) that I'm not real comfortable with her driving hundreds of highway miles on these tires due to their age and condition. I'm just a stupidly stubborn SOB when it comes to tires.