In the past I have never used a spring compressor for this. I will typically remove the shock, disconnect the sway bar, support the lower control arm at the ball joint with a floor jack, remove the ball joint nut, and then let the control arm swing down and the spring can be removed by hand.

Wondering if anyone has successfully used this method with the XF?

I am manufacturing a set of 1/2 shims out of UHMW that I can put on top of the spring so I can return my car to stock ride height after the V8 swap.

Jared

 

Why manufacture a 1/2" shim when Mercedes has isolators in five sizes from 5mm up to about 23mm?

 

Because I obviously wasn't aware of that.

Gotta link or a part number?

Jared

 

I could only find one size for the front, 13mm #210 321 03 84.
The rear has five sizes #210 325 01 84, 210 325 02 84, 210 325 03, 04,or 05, 84

 

That's funny, because I could only find one size for the front as well.

I'm not modifying the rear. I just want to get the 1/2in back I lost in the front when I dropped the V8 in.

Jared

 

I actually measured the actual drop today and I was way off.

Pulled the red XF into the street and measured from the top of the wheel to the top of the wheel arch, did the same thing with the V8 XF and there was only 1/8in difference.

I'm not going to stress over an 1/8 of an inch.

Jared

 

3" ID springs in front and 2 3/4" ID in rear

I believe all if the v8 swaps done, they kept their original springs since there is bit much weight difference between both motors.

I did have the weights for both motors somewhere.