I tried to change the spring myself

[FarmerPug]

After the other spring broke i thought id do the other one today, i got a new spring and strut top bearing this morning, since that point things havent went well.

The tractor was in the shed, i got onto it and since i havent drove this one in 6 months i put it into reverse and crashed into the trailer.

I took the wheel off, and the droplink with no fuss, and set the axle stand down on the wrong bit of the sill, the bit that folds over and will need some paint to stop it rusting.
Then the clamp bolt came out, but the effing heur c**t b**ard strut would not budge, i used a chisel to widen the clamp nothing, then i tried to take off the lower ball joint, got the bolt off ok and after 10 mins hammering the lower control arm it was loose, then i used a long bar, about 2m to get it off, then oil came out, the driveshaft was off.
Went looking for a socket big enough for the driveshaft, found one in the tractors toolbox but due to everything being off i couldnt turn the driveshaft.
I took the steering joint off, the caliper off, disconnected the ABS sensor and removed the whole hub assembly with the spring still on it, sure enough the spring fell off easily at that point, i then dropped one of the strut bolts away down into the engine bay, when i found it i got my hand in, and when pulling it back out caught it on something sharp and got a decent cut.
Tried to compress the spring with two spring compressors, got the spring rightly down, then one let go and flung itself at my chest, they are dangerous buggers. Anyhow i gave up for today it got too dark to see anything.

I know a mechanic who has a proper big compressor that changes springs with no fuss, but is putting it back in going to be as much of a Faff as getting it out, and what sort of oil should i put into the gearbox to replace what spilt out?

[madmadmax]

best to go to pug as gear box oil is a bit of a mine field

[lozz]

It will be awkward putting it back on with the drive shaft attached,

perhaps getting a rag round the drive shaft and locking it in a vice might give you a chance of getting the 35mm nut off,

iguess youve got standard size spring clamps?

[FarmerPug]

I tried to remove the driveshaft nut but there was no way to do it with the hub still attached, so i removed the brake calliper and the abs sensor got the whole unit off in one bit, took it to the vice and removed the nut in the vice it came off with a tube over the breaker bar, so the driveshaft is off, i put silicone spray on the CV boots to soften them up as well as all the other boots on the balljoints.

Whats the best way to get the fixed spring and shock back in? Should i install the strut first and then try and get everything to slot into it?
Can i pour the oil that came out into the gearbox, if i filtered it, would it do till the motorfactors open again?

[madmadmax]

you need 1.9l of oil if you go to the factors it must be oil that is safe to use with brass and copper and gl4 and 75w 80 not 90 thats to thick, nutting ever fells like the total bv

you can reuse the old oil

[lozz]

id put the strut back in the hub while its off the car and bolt it back on the car,
get abit of copper grease in there it might make it easier to slide/knock back out in the future if ever need be,

check the Gaiters before putting the drive shaft back in,